Thai Anti-Junta Parties Claim Majority, Adding Pressure on Army
Seven political parties opposed to Thailand’s ruling junta said they had the numbers to form a majority coalition following Sunday’s general election, intensifying a tussle for power with a pro-military bloc.
Sudarat Keyuraphan, a leader of the Pheu Thai party linked to exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, said the coalition would unofficially have 255 seats in the 500-seat lower house. The bloc includes Future Forward, an upstart anti-junta party, and five smaller parties.
“It’s clear that pro-democracy parties have a mandate from the people in this election,” said Sudarat, who the coalition is backing as the next prime minister.
“We hope to see stability and a growing economy in the country,” she said. “Let’s make history together. Let’s bring back democracy.”
Pheu Thai and its allies are racing to cement a majority alliance against the junta’s proxy party Palang Pracharath, which is also seeking to form a government. The power struggle has dimmed Thailand’s economic outlook after almost five years of enforced calm under a military government.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-27/thailand-anti-junta-parties-say-they-can-form-majority-coalition?srnd=politics-vp
