Opposition leader Pita Limjaroenrat declares victory, ready to become Prime Minister of Thailand

Lãnh đạo đối lập Pita Limjaroenrat tuyên bố thắng lợi, sẵn sàng làm Thủ tướng Thái Lan - Ảnh 1. — Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat at the party's headquarters in Bangkok on May 15.

AFP news agency reported on May 15 that the May Forward Party (MFP) declared victory in Thailand's general election, surpassing the military-backed parties that have ruled the country for nearly a decade.

The impressive breakthrough in the May 14 election put the MFP on track to become the largest party, followed by the Pheu Thai party with candidate Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thai opposition wins election, will discuss alliance with Shinawatra family party

According to the Bangkok Post , the Election Commission (EC) finished counting votes on the morning of May 15 and announced the victory of the Forward Party.

ECN Chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said the MFP won a total of 151 seats, followed by Pheu Thai with 141 seats, Bhumjaithai with 71 seats, Palang Pracharath with 40 seats and the United Thai National Party with 36 seats. The remaining parties followed.

Six-party alliance

MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat, 43, said he would seek to form a coalition of six parties, including Pheu Thai. "I am Pita Limjaroenrat, the next prime minister of Thailand. We are ready to form a government ," he told reporters at the MFP headquarters in Bangkok, adding that he would be a "prime minister for all."

He said he called Ms Paetongtarn to congratulate her and invite her to join the alliance.

Thai opposition wins election, will discuss alliance with Shinawatra family party

Thais have flocked to the polls and many have rejected incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha of the United Thai National Party (UTN), after criticizing the sluggish economy .

Thus, MFP and Pheu Thai will win 292 out of 500 seats in the House of Representatives, with the two main pro-military parties winning only a total of 76 seats.

The MFP has vowed to reform Thailand's anti-monarchy laws, setting it up for clashes with the powerful royalist military.

Young and dynamic

Mr. Pita has been a dynamic presence on the campaign trail. With his photogenic face, he has used his youth and energy to reach voters hungry for change after eight years of military-backed rule.

The MFP is the only party that has pledged to reform the lèse-majesté law. The sensitive subject has long been out of Thai politics, and even the Pheu Thai Party has said it will leave it to parliament to decide.

However, Mr. Pita said on May 14 that "no matter what, we will push for reform of the lese majeste law."

Studying abroad in New Zealand and the US, this politician won an international scholarship to Harvard University (USA), before becoming a businessman.

However, after his father passed away when he was 25, he returned to run the family's debt-ridden Agrifood business and turned it around. He later became the director of transportation and distribution for Grab Thailand.

In 2012, he married Thai television actress Chutima Teepanat and the couple had a 7-year-old daughter. The marriage broke down in 2019. His daughter appeared frequently during the election campaign, as he often brought her on stage after speeches, to the delight of the crowd.

Online, he has a personal account with nearly 1 million followers, where he shares pictures of himself and his daughter wearing matching t-shirts and eating ice cream together.

The politician must now form a coalition with other parties to overcome the government-appointed senators, when both houses of parliament elect a prime minister in July from among the eligible candidates.

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