Party places coronation first before forming govt

BANGKOK: Talks to form Thailand’s next government will have to wait until after the coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in May, a party linked to the ruling military junta said, as the ballot count from last Sunday’s election remained inconclusive.

The chaotic count and charges of vote-buying have marred Thailand’s first election since a military coup five years ago.

Amid mounting confusion, both the pro-army Palang Prachart and an opposition alliance have claimed to have come out on top.

Official results from Sunday’s vote won’t be released until May 9, just a few days after King Vajiralongkorn is scheduled to be crowned.

The elaborate ceremonies will take place between May 4 and May 6, following a long period of mourning for the new king’s revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016.

With the unofficial results showing no clear winner, the Palang Pracharat party said it would not seek to negotiate with other parties to forge a coalition because it wants to focus on the coronation.

“We’re waiting. Forming a government this time is entirely different from in the past,” said Sonthirat Sontijirawong, the party’s secretary-general, said yesterday.

“This time, we have a time frame: the coronation, the most important ceremony for all Thais ... We’re prioritising that first,” he said.

Thai culture is deeply linked to reverence for the constitutional monarch, and King Vajiralongkorn’s coronation will be a first for most Thais after his father’s 70-year reign.

Public preparations for the coronation, a mix of Buddhist religious ceremonies and Hindu Brahmin rituals, are due to begin on April 6 with monks gathering holy water for the king to bathe in. — Reuters