(March 16): Thailand’s Parliament will convene on Thursday for a vote widely expected to confirm Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s hold on power, smoothing the path for a new government more than a month after his conservative party won the election.
Anutin is set to receive the backing of around 290 lawmakers of the new ruling bloc, well more than a simple majority of 251 needed to secure the top job. His Bhumjaithai Party won the Feb 8 election by bagging 192 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives and has formed a 15-party coalition.
House speaker Sophon Zaram, who was elected to the post on Sunday, told reporters on Monday that he will soon send out a formal agenda for the prime ministerial vote.
Once formally endorsed as the leader, Anutin is expected to unveil his Cabinet line-up, which is expected to be dominated by Bhumjaithai politicians, with several portfolios allocated to key coalition partner Pheu Thai.
Anutin is poised to govern with little legislative resistance, with his party’s dominance in the two houses of Parliament giving Bhumjaithai a comfortable pathway to pass laws, approve budgets and push through key policy priorities, reducing the risk of parliamentary gridlock that has plagued previous administrations.
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Bhumjaithai’s decisive win was a rare victory for a conservative party in a country where rival pro-democracy groups have often won the vote only to be removed from power through court rulings or military coups.
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