Junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha wants everyone to know he is most definitely not thinking about declaring a state of emergency and dissolving all political parties after the one seeking to return him to power lost momentum.
Through a spokesman, Prayuth dismissed again this week rumors which have been piling up in social media that he was on the verge of using his constitutionally vested power to put the present political impasse out of its misery.
The retired general who seized power in a 2014 coup after repeatedly denying he would says he respects the will of the people as exercised in the March 24 election which, thanks to pliant elections officials and bizarro math, look likely to award him a term in the premiership.
Popcorn time as race to form Thailand’s next government devolves into clusterfrack
Joking about the rumors just yesterday was former-twice-over PM and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.
During a tour of the yet-unfinished new parliament building, Abhisit said within earshot of reporters that lawmakers may not need any home “because the House will be dissolved anyway,” according to public broadcaster Thai PBS.
Prayuth says he is unconcerned with the fact that 10 weeks have passed since the election and maneuvering by the pro-democratic and pro-junta blocs are no closer to forming a government.
Apparently he’s been keeping busy reading George Orwell, given yesterday’s furor over Animal Farm being on his GoodReads.com list for the nation because he thought it was about animals getting along rather than being crushed by tyranny and inequality.
Speaking on the road of a good-will tour, would-be PM Thanathorn Juanroongruangkit of the Future Forward Party said today that negotiations were continuing to peel away support from the pro-junta Phalang Pracharath Party and turn them into the pro-democracy faction of seven parties.
Meanwhile, a petition has been filed to the Election Commission to investigate 10 newly elected Democrats Party members for allegedly holding shares in media firms – the same allegations for which Thanathorn was suspended from serving in parliament last week.
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