"Mr. Pita cannot be nominated twice in the same parliamentary session. Mr. Pita failed in the vote last week," said the Speaker of the Thai Parliament.
Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat (second from right). Photo: The Bangkok Post
The move came after the Thai parliament convened for a second vote on the same day to elect a new prime minister. The MFP emerged as the leading party in the May 14 general election, winning 151 seats in the lower house.
On the morning of July 19, the Thai Constitutional Court temporarily suspended Mr. Pita's status as a member of parliament pending a final ruling on the case in which he was accused of holding shares in a media company while running for election.
If charged with violating election laws, Thailand's former leading candidate for prime minister could face criminal proceedings.
Previously, in the first round of voting on July 13, Mr. Pita was the only candidate nominated and put to a vote in the National Assembly. However, he only won 324 votes, below the minimum threshold of 375 votes to be elected the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand.
Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat lost the chance to become Prime Minister of Thailand.
According to Bloomberg , the series of events on July 19 left Mr. Pita with almost no chance of becoming prime minister, although the eight-party coalition he assembled after the general election on May 14 still had a chance to form a government.
Pita Limjaroenrat shakes hands with a lawmaker after the Thai Constitutional Court suspended his status as a lawmaker on July 19. Photo: Reuters
He gestured as he left parliament on July 19. Photo: Reuters
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