Senator Seri Casts Doubt On MFP's Claims That Talks With Senate Are Going Smoothly

Senator Seri Suwannapanont said that the Move Forward Party's (MFP) claim that their negotiations with the upper house on the potential support for their efforts to form government are going smoothly is just a façade, as majority of Senators remain opposed to MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat's prime ministerial bid.

• The MFP has the support of 312 lower house members, while a further 18-20 Senators indicated that they could vote in line with the outcome of the recent general election. The combined number still falls short of the 376 threshold needed to install a new administration.
• On top of that, Seri cast doubt on the reported support for Pita's PM candidacy among Thai Senators. He noted that some of the Senators who initially appeared to be sympathetic to the idea of voting for Pita have withdrawn their support, while most of them have never explicitly backed Pita.
• The MFP are intensifying their efforts to pressure the military-appointed Senate to approve their leader's PM bid, which would pave the way for the MFP-led coalition of eight to form government. The process has accelerated in recent days as the countdown for the deadline to convene new parliament has started.
• The MFP and Pheu Thai, two best performers in the election, continue to wrestle over the House Speaker position. Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew expressed hope that the two parties will resolve their dispute by the time the House of Representatives meets in early July.