Thailand will remain leaderless for several days after its parliament postponed the election of prime minister to wait for the decision of the Constitutional Court on a challenge to lawmakers’ refusal to allow opposition head Pita Limjaroenrat to be renominated for the post.
“The vote for the prime minister tomorrow is postponed — we will have to wait for the Constitutional Court decision on 16 August,” House speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha told reporters in Bangkok on Thursday.
The political deadlock started after royalist parliamentarians and senators handpicked by the military rejected Pita as prime minister.
His reformist Move Forward Party gave blessing to coalition partner Pheu Thai to form a government to solve the leadership crisis.
Pheu Thai won the second most number of seats in parliament in May but needs other parties to form a majority to have its nominee voted as prime minister.
However, Pheu Thai is stoking anger and distrust from Pita’s supporters and even its own followers who also rejected junta rule.
Last week, Pheu Thai leaders were seen in talks with pro-military party figures, with an image of them toasting iced chocolate-mint drinks going viral.
Local media immediately dubbed it a “friend-betraying beverage” and some cafes and shops announced boycotts, even as interest in the drink soared.
Barista Pob Rujikiatkhachorn said the 90 baht ($2.60) drink had never been so popular.
“It’s our best-selling item since it became the talk of the town on social media,” he told Agence France-Presse.
He was initially surprised by the drink’s popularity but thanked the politicians for his increased sales, saying he has sold roughly 150 a day.
In the wake of the viral image, several cafes have joined a mint-choc boycott, removing it from the menu and describing it as a “hurt-your-friend” drink.
“I was suspicious of Pheu Thai when I saw that photo. Why did they hold talks with them?” Sasichom Krudhnark Pongphrom, who owns a cafe in Samut Songkhram, southwest of Bangkok, told AFP.
The 42-year-old, wearing MFP’s signature orange colors, said she had removed the beverage from the menu.
“I don’t have anything against the
choco-mint drink, but I just wanted to show that I stand by the pro-democracy side of politics,” she said.
“It’s just a drink,” said customer Jitphanu Sitthisanguan back in the cafe at Pheu Thai headquarters.”
“We shouldn’t involve the drink with political issues.”
WITH AFP