Thai GE: EC releases long-delayed results, no clear winner to form govt

By Linda Khoo

BANGKOK, May 8 (Bernama) – Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) today released the long-delayed General Election (GE) results, seven weeks after the March 24 General Election but there is no clear winner in forming the next Thai government.

Today, the EC announced 149 out of 150 party-list seats. The Chiang  Mai seat is in for a by-election.

Twenty-six got their hare of the 149-party-list seats, a record high in Thailand’s history.

Youth-oriented Future Forward Party, led by rising political star, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit  topped the party-list seats with 50 followed by Democrat (19 seats), Palang Pracharat (18), Bhumjaithai (12).

A total of 13 small parties like Rak Dhamma, New Democracy, Pracha Niyom were also awarded party-list seats.

Pheu Thai Party, the party linked to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won 137 out of 250 constituency seats but failed to secure any party-list seats due to the complicated party-list calculation that cap the number of seats that any party can gain.

Meanwhile, Deputy EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said only 149 out of 150 party-list seats have been endorsed as one seat is pending for by-election.

“The calculation method is accordance to Organic Law Section 128,” he said at a press conference.

Local media reported that one seat is allocated to every 30,000 votes won by a party – down from minimum 71,000 votes announced by the commission before.

Yesterday, the EC announced the certified and official results of 349 of 350 constituency seats, as one is pending for the by-election in Chiang Mai, following Pheu Thai’s winning candidate stripped of his seat.

Based on today’s party-list results, Pheu Thai has 136 seats in the 500-House of Representatives while pro-military Palang Pracharat that backs Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha came in second with 115 seats, Future Forward Party (80), Democrat (52) and Bhumjaithai (51).

To form the next government, political camps need a minimum of 251 out of 500 lower house seats.  

However, “Democratic Front” led by Pheu Thai and six other parties won a combined 245 seats, still falling short  while Palang Pracharat has not announced its alliance. 

However, Palang Pracharat has the upper hand to elect the next prime minister as the 500 elected members of parliament and 250 from the Senate appointed by the junta will elect the new prime minister.

-- BERNAMA