The activist network Respect My Vote submitted an open letter to senators and MPs yesterday (18 July), calling for them to approve a Prime Minister candidate nominated by the majority in the House of Representatives.

Activists gathering at parliament (Photo by Workers' Union)

The network said that the Senate’s term is ending in less than a year, so senators should respect the result of the election and the majority in the House of Representatives, so they can leave behind something that is beneficial to the people and so the country can move on. The country should have a Prime Minister chosen by the people, and senators should not be used as a negotiating tool to appoint a prime minister preferred by those in power.

The network calls on elected MPs to listen to the people’s opinions, and not to threaten them or act as if they are the people’s enemies.

Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon speaking during the activity (Photo by Workers' Union)

Activist Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon said that senators should not use their own discretion but must vote for a candidate nominated by the government coalition so that a government can be formed to solve issues in the country. Nevertheless, she said that if the government coalition is to nominate someone other than Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, there would not be a problem, since what is more important is that the new government must follow the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the coalition signed and work to solve issues in the MOU and amend the Constitution.

If a Prime Minister is not appointed during the second vote on 19 July, Patsaravalee said that the network will be taking further action.

Chiranuch Premchaiporn (Photo by Workers' Union)

Chiranuch Premchaiporn, a representative of the Respect My Vote network, said that she hopes senators will listen to the people they claim to represent. She said that it’s time for the country to return to a normal democracy, and that the demands the network makes are not something special but just a request for them to follow the same standard they set in 2019 by voting in line with the majority in the House of Representatives.

Chiranuch noted that the Senate’s job as stated in Section 272 in the Constitution is to either approve or disapprove. However, Section 272 is a provisional section, and she said that suspending the section is important and will allow the country to move on.

The network will not stop, Chiranuch said. She calls for the government coalition not to act in favour of a specific party but to stay together in the country’s interests and for the sake of democracy. She noted that the country has been under an undemocratic regime for a long time, and the way back to democracy is to amend the Constitution and allow the people to participate in the drafting process. She hopes that the new government and parliament will be working with activists in the return to democracy.