Kittisak Says Senate Could Back Pheu Thai's PM Candidate If Party Leaves Coalition With MFP

Thai Enquirer reports that Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha said that upper house members could vote for a Pheu Thai PM candidate if the party leaves the coalition led by the Move Forward Party (MFP). The politician reportedly suggested that there should be no repeat of a vote for MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat if he fails to be elected PM on first attempt.

• Kittisak, Deputy Chairman of the Senate's Political Development and Public Participation Committee, is a known conservative and an outspoken opponent of Pita's PM bid and recently said that the MFP leader "wouldn't get 5 votes" from members of the military-appointed upper house.
• The Senator has also joined efforts to block Pita's candidacy by legal means. Together with Senator Seri Suwanpanon, he met with Election Commission Chairman last week to submit additional evidence related to the ongoing investigation into Pita's eligibility to run in elections.
• Kittisak's latest comments illustrate the kind of challenges that the eight-party pro-democracy coalition will face in the coming weeks. It is likely that the pro-military establishment and its allies will try to drive a wedge between its constituent parties, which may involve trying to encourage Pheu Thai to switch sides.