the reformist party “Go ahead” (go ahead), that won unexpectedly Elections Sunday in Thailand, announced Monday that it is negotiating with five opposition parties to form a coalition government pro-democratic after the defeat at the polls of the pro-military side.
The victory of this progressive party means a radical turn inside conservative and immobile political landscape in Thailand.
With an ambitious agenda that includes reforming the controversial lese-majeste law and reduce the power of the military, Go ahead He won 151 seats and beat against the odds Pheu Thai, the favorite in the polls, who finished second with 141 MPs.
The match United Thai nationled by the outgoing prime minister e coup leader Prayut Chan-ochait was in fifth place in the number of seats with 36 deputies after adding 4.7 million supports.
However, for the selection of the next Prime Minister the Senate also comes into playwith 250 members elected by the extinct and prominently conservative military junta, so the opposition would fall short of the 376 MPs that give a majority when both houses of the Legislative are added.
Young people vote
With a significant youth grade base, Move Forward, which aims to modernize the country and reduce the power of the military, came as a surprise to emerge, against all odds, as the clear winner in Sunday’s general election.
The formation, heir to the illegal Future Forward, has managed to take possession of more than 10 million votes and overcome the big favorite of these elections, Pheu Thai, linked to former prime minister and exiled oligarch Taksin Shinawatra.
The Move Forward leader, who finished second in all polls, is Pita Limjaroenrata youthful-looking 42-year-old charismatic politician who trained at America’s elite universities Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Before fully delving into politics, Pita worked at the family business and as the CEO of the transportation and delivery app Grab.
The match, identified with the color orange it’s a fresh stylebuilt a large support base among a generation of young Thais tired of an immobile political system with many democratic shortcomings, dominated by the military the monarchy and great fortunes.
However, this Sunday’s victory in Bangkok, the most populous province where they devastated, shows how their electoral base It has been extended to all ages.
Among his proposals are return the uniform to the barracks after a “lost decade”, in which the coup leader general Prayut Chan-ocha was in power, who after the 2014 coup became a politician and won the lessons of 2019.
Plus, Move Forward promised put an end to powerful monopolies dominating the Thai economy and reforming the controversial lese-majeste law, which punishes any offense or insult against the royal family with up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The orange lineup was the only weight side that dared to speak about such controversial aspects in Thailand and concerning a thorny reform of the monarchy, to which the more conservative sectors are fiercely against it.
spirit of protest
The unexpected winning side knew regain the spirit of the protests led by the students of 2020, when hundreds of thousands of young people peacefully took to the streets of Bangkok to express their discontent and demand a series of democratic changes that would include the army and the all-powerful royal house.
The student movement was appeased, mainly, with the captivity of their leaders and another 2,000 young people prosecuted for their participation in demonstrations.
More than a dozen of the protagonists of these protests, which have shaken the foundations of power in Thailand, have appeared on the Move Forward lists for this election.
In the 2019 election the group, then known as Future Forwards, won more than six million votes and 81 seats, making it the the third largest party in the Thai parliament.
A year later, the Constitutional Court he dissolved it for a funding irregularity and banned its then leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, from political practice for a decade, decisions that sparked street protests.
The question today is whether the mighty Thai establishmentwhich brings together the Army, the Crown and the economic powers, will allow the party of the new generation to govern.
EFE extension
ap
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.