Thailand PM Anutin to remain in power following Parliament vote

BANGKOK, March 19, (AP): Thailand’s incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul won a vote in Parliament on Thursday to remain in office, according to an official tally. The leader of the Bhumjaithai Party garnered 293 votes, exceeding the required majority of the 498 members who attended the session in the House of Representatives.

Anutin is expected to take office a few days after obtaining a formal appointment from King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the new cabinet is expected to be appointed in the following weeks. Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party won 191 seats in February's general election, according to official results, and has since built a coalition with several other parties to form a governing majority.

Among those partners is the populist Pheu Thai Party, which placed third with 74 seats. The progressive People’s Party, which finished second with 120 seats, has said it will not join the Bhumjaithai-led government. Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut received 119 votes after being nominated in what the party said was only a symbolic contest.

Anutin and Natthaphong were among the 86 lawmakers who abstained from voting Thursday. Anutin, 59, became prime minister only in September after serving in the Cabinet of his immediate predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was forced out of office for an ethics violation regarding mishandling relations with Cambodia.

Anutin dissolved Parliament in December to call an early election after he was threatened with a no-confidence vote. He has since seen a surge in popularity following his self-presentation as a defender of the nation during the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict, which strengthened nationalist sentiment among voters. Thailand fought with Cambodia twice last year over competing territorial claims along their border.

The incoming government is expected to face immediate challenges. A war in the Middle East that broke out in February has driven up global energy prices, increasing the cost of goods and raising concerns about a potential oil shortage. Another political uncertainty also arose after the Constitutional Court said Wednesday it would rule whether last month’s election should be invalidated.

The case stems from a petition filed by the Ombudsman’s Office against the Election Commission, alleging the inclusion of barcodes and QR codes on ballot papers could compromise voter anonymity in violation of election laws requiring a secret ballot.