Opposition parties seek coalition talks

BANGKOK: Preliminary results in Thailand’s general election on Sunday, have the country’s opposition parties — the Move Forward Party (MFP) and the Pheu Thai party — as clear victors.

“It is now clear that Move Forward Party has received overwhelming support from the people around the country,” party Pita Limjaroenrat said on Twitter. Pita later told reporters he was ready to be prime minister and that he would seek to build a coalition with five other parties including Pheu Thai.

The pro-democracy leader also announced that he will ensure a “comprehensive, transparent discussion” on Thailand’s lese majeste law — a controversial law which imposes lengthy prison sentences on those who criticize the monarchy.

With 99% of votes counted, data from the Election Commission

showed that MFP had 113 constituency seats of the 400 seats where MPs are elected across the country.

The Pheu Thai Party led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra — the daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra — has 112 seats. Both opposition parties are anti-military parties and the Senate comprises members who favor the military.

The national election is set to unseat the ruling conservative military-backed government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha after almost a decade. Prayuth’s United Thai Nation Party has 23 constituency seats.

But who heads the next government won’t be decided by Sunday’s vote alone. The prime minister will be selected in July in a joint session of the House and the 250-seat Senate, which was appointed by the junta.