BANGKOK: Thailand’s opposition parties, which trounced their military-allied rivals in this week’s election, met for coalition talks on Wednesday as the liberal Move Forward Party, which won the most votes, looks to form a government.
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat was seen greeting senior officials from five other parties at a Bangkok restaurant before ushering them upstairs for closed-door talks.
Sunday’s vote saw Move Forward come in first ahead of another opposition party, the political heavyweight Pheu Thai, in a major blow to the establishment’s pro-military parties led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.
Pita earlier this week said that together with five other opposition parties, his coalition will be able control about 310 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives.
The parties Pita has approached are Pheu Thai, Thai Sang Thai, Prachachart, Seri Ruam Thai and Fair parties.
Pheu Thai, which won the last five general elections but got pushed out of power each time, secured 141 seats, according to the latest projections, only 10 fewer than Move Forward.
However, a military-drafted constitution requires more than half of votes in a joint sitting of a bicameral legislature for him to become prime minister. He would need votes either from government parties or an unelected 250-member Senate who have a record of supporting Prayuth and conservative forces.
Analysts expect weeks to months of talks and dealmaking as parties jostle to form a government.
On Wednesday, some Thais questioned the senate’s role in electing a prime minister, asking ‘why do we need a senate’ on social media like Twitter.
Senior officials from Pheu Thai have urged other hold outs to support a Pita premiership.
Thailand’s opposition parties meet for coalition talks
https://arab.news/m6ek4
Thailand’s opposition parties meet for coalition talks
- Analysts expect weeks to months of talks and dealmaking as parties jostle to form a government
Trump says US struck Daesh targets in Nigeria after group targeted Christians
- The US recently designated Nigera a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: President Donald Trump said Thursday night that he’d launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against Daesh forces in Nigeria, after he spent weeks decrying the group for targeting Christians.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against Daesh Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” the president posted on his social media site.
Last month, Trump said he’d ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution. The State Department then announced in recent weeks that it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country.
The US recently designated Nigera a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump wrote in his Christmas night post. He said that US defense officials had “executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”
The president added: “our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
