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Thai election
MOVE FORWARD COALITION AGREES ON CANNABIS CONTROL, PUTS OFF LESE-MAJESTE
Thai parties pledge marriage equality, constitutional reform on coup anniversary
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, center, poses with coalition party
leaders during a press conference to announce their agreed agenda in Bangkok on
May 22. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
FRANCESCA REGALADO, Nikkei staff writerMay 22, 2023 23:43 JST | Thailand
CopyCopied
BANGKOK -- Thailand's Move Forward Party will relist cannabis as a controlled
substance and break up monopolies, particularly in the liquor industry, if it
gets a chance to form a government after an upset win in the May 14 election.
Cannabis regulation and improving competition in the Thai economy are among the
23 agenda items unveiled Monday by Move Forward -- which won the most seats in
the lower house parliamentary election -- and its seven coalition partners.
Constitutional reform led the coalition's agenda, followed by passing
legislation to ensure marriage equality regardless of sexual orientation. The
coalition also agreed in principle to end conscription except during war, and to
reclaim an active role for Thailand in regional and international affairs.
The memorandum of understanding left room for parties to push other policies,
such as economic promises made on the campaign trail, through legislative
channels "as long as it does not contradict the policies in this agreement."
"The MOU is about shared values, shared agenda and shared accountability," Pita
Limjaroenrat, Move Forward's leader and the coalition's presumptive prime
minister, told reporters.
The coalition's memorandum was a first in Thai politics and followed a weekend
of rushed negotiations between Move Forward executives and seven other parties
including Pheu Thai. The agreement was made "to establish the foundation for the
formation of a government," the document said.
The pro-democracy coalition pushed for the MOU signing to fall on the ninth
anniversary of the military coup led by caretaker Prime Minister Prayuth
Chan-ocha that ousted the last Pheu Thai government. Pita acknowledged the date,
calling Monday "a historic milestone that reflects Thai society's success that
we can transition to a democratic parliamentary system peacefully."
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But party executives were negotiating to the last minute, delaying the signing
and press conference as some parties pressed to confirm "the king as head of
state" in the memorandum. Move Forward's platform to amend Thailand's
lese-majeste laws, which criminalize insulting the monarchy, has been a thorny
issue for its coalition partners.
Move Forward parliamentarians had submitted a bill to amend the lese-majeste law
when the party was Pheu Thai's junior partner in the opposition. Pita said on
Monday that his party would resubmit the bill for discussion in parliament and
that "the king will remain in a status of reverence and worship."
The previous parliament had failed to pass bills to control cannabis in the year
since the Ministry of Public Health removed marijuana from the list of banned
substances and allowed medicinal use. The memorandum was sparse on details,
saying only that the coalition would return cannabis to the substance control
list and introduce new laws "regulating and supporting its beneficial uses."
The memorandum included religious exceptions to marriage equality and liquor
liberalization. Both policies advocated by Move Forward had received resistance
from the Prachachat Party, whose base is in the country's predominantly Muslim
south. The peace process in the country's conflict-stricken deep south was fifth
on the coalition's agenda, which called for "reviewing the missions of agencies
and laws related to security."
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, center, poses with coalition party
leaders. Their agreement also calls for efforts to break up monopolies,
particularly in the liquor industry. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Pita described the coalition negotiations as "fruitful and comprehensive" and
said he was "confident" of becoming prime minister. With 313 coalition lower
house seats and about a dozen senators, Pita would need around 50 more votes to
secure the position. Members of the Senate, which meets for an extraordinary
session Tuesday, were waiting to see the coalition's MOU and its contents on
lese-majeste before deciding on Pita's nomination.
In the week since the election, Move Forward has raced to lay the groundwork for
forming a government even as the country waits for the Election Commission to
confirm and endorse the election results. A pending electoral complaint against
Pita could disqualify him as a member of parliament and jeopardize a Move
Forward government.
The memorandum signed on Monday also said the coalition would "improve the
electricity production structure, pricing calculations, and appropriate
production capacity to reduce the cost of living and ensure energy security."
Shares in Thai energy companies and major conglomerates have tumbled since Move
Forward clinched the election.
As for diplomacy, the coalition parties agreed to implement foreign policy
initiatives "to restore Thailand's leadership role in [the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations] and maintain balanced international relations between
Thailand and major powers," the MOU stated.
Pita expressed condolences to Myanmar for the onslaught of Cyclone Mocha and
urged the caretaker Thai government to "take swift action on humanitarian
assistance." The Move Forward leader said Thailand would no longer keep to
"quiet diplomacy" under his government, adding that "a middle power can also
lead."
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