Thailand’s pro-democracy parties omitted an amendment to a law forbidding royal insults in a common policy platform as the look to form a government after winning a May 14 election, a move seen as key to bolster support for Pita Limjaroenrat to become prime minister.
The eight parties in his coalition adopted a unified position on issues including charter amendments and reinstating cannabis in the list of narcotics, according to a joint statement read on Monday during a briefing. The 23-point pact didn’t include a campaign pledge from Pita’s Move Forward party to revise the lese majeste law criminalizing royal defamation, an issue that threatens to divide the coalition.
“Our objective is to improve the relationship between the monarchy and the people,” the 42-year-old, Harvard-educated Pita told reporters during a briefing in Bangkok.
“We’ve been very consistent before and after the election that the law amendment will be continued but it won’t be a pressure for our coalition parties,” he said. The law, also referred to as Article 112, punishes criticisms against the king and other members of the royal family, and can put offenders behind bars for as many as 15 years if they’re convicted.
The pact signals Pita’s willingness to set aside an important plank of Move Forward’s campaign promise at least until his government can come into power, helping reduce uncertainty over who will lead Thailand — something that has kept markets on edge. Foreign investors have sold millions of dollars worth of the nation’s stocks and bonds since the vote while the baht has lost almost 2% since the post-election rally a week ago.
Move Forward’s coalition has 313 seats, a clear majority in the 500-member House of Representatives. But as things stand, that’s still short of the 376 needed for Pita to become prime minister. He will require broader support from the military-appointed Senate, whose 250 members also vote on who gets the top job.
While Pita said on Monday that his party is leading talks with senators on government formation and remains optimistic of his chances, he also admitted that “several roadblocks” still exist. He added that Move Forward would push to relax the lese majeste law in parliament regardless of which parties back it.
The alliance also agreed on several other initiatives, including making military enlistment voluntary except during times of war, and a push for a marriage equality bill. The eight parties also pledged to take steps to revitalize the economy, decentralize the budget and dismantle monopolies especially in the liquor industry.
The signing of the coalition agreement comes hours after a lawyer asked the Election Commission earlier on Monday to seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court on whether Move Forward’s call to amend the lese majeste law undermines the monarchy. Pita said he isn’t worried about this latest complaint or an earlier allegation that he violated election rules by holding shares in a defunct media company.
Move Forward’s push to amend Article 112 draws opposition not only from members of the Senate, which is stacked with allies of the pro-military establishment of caretaker Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha, but also from other conservative parties.
The Bhumjaithai Party, which finished third with 70 seats, ruled out support for Pita as prime minister, saying it won’t back a candidate from a party planning to make changes to lese majeste.
The conservative Democrat Party hasn’t begun a discussion on its stance on Pita’s bid to become prime minister but it disagrees with amending the law against royal insults, party spokesman Ramate Rattanachaweng said Monday.
Under Thai law, the Election Commission has 60 days after the vote to release official election results and certify 95% of the lower house seats. The first session of the new parliament must then take place within 15 days. That pushes the timeline to late July.
Move Forward’s secretary-general, Chaithawat Tulathon, said over the weekend that he was confident the party could win over some senators, anticipating then that the pact signed Monday will sway members of the Senate to vote for Pita.
The coalition said the deal forged Monday is also a move to restore full democracy in Thailand. A new government under Pita’s leadership would mark the end of nearly a decade of military-backed rule that began exactly nine years earlier with Prayuth’s coup in 2014, said Cholnan Srikaew, leader of Pheu Thai party.
“We’re declaring today, on the anniversary of the 2014 military takeover, that we’re ending the cycle of coups,” he said.
--With assistance from Pathom Sangwongwanich, Cecilia Yap, Suttinee Yuvejwattana and Philip J. Heijmans.
(Adds details. An earlier version corrects to say coalition seeks to make military enlistment voluntary instead of mandatory.)
