MFP-Pheu Thai House Speaker Talks Hit Snag As Deadline Looms

Local media outlets report that Move Forward Party (MFP) and Pheu Thai are struggling to resolve their dispute over the House Speaker position, despite earlier suggesting that they would provide some clarity on the matter today.

• The Bangkok Post reports that the issue was raised during a seminar for new Pheu Thai MPs yesterday, with most (up to 90%, according to Thai Enquirer) insisting that the new House Speaker should be picked from the ranks of their party, given that they agreed to support MFP's PM candidate.
• The window for resolving the dispute between the MFP (151 MPs) and Pheu Thai (141 MPs) is narrowing, with the House of Representatives due to convene by early July to elect the Speaker. New lawmakers will elect the Speaker and two Deputy Speakers by secret ballot.
• Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) will propose Suchart Tancharoen for the position of House Speaker. Suchart is a veteran lawmaker, who defected from PPRP to Pheu Thai earlier this year. He served as Deputy Speaker in the previous parliament.