Thai king opens parliament to elect new premier

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Monday opened the new session of the Southeast Asian nation’s parliament which will elect the country’s new prime minister and form a government on Tuesday.

Vajiralongkorn told the newly-elected lawmakers: “How the nation will prosper depends on your conscience, wisdom, abilities, honesty, and purity in your work based most importantly on the interest of the nation and the public,” daily Bangkok Post reported.

He urged the parliament members to constantly bear in mind that they serve as representatives of the people across the nation.

Move Forward Party is the leading member of an eight-party coalition – with 313 seats – in Thailand which signed an agreement laying out a common agenda in an effort to form the next government after winning a majority of seats in the country’s May 14 general elections.

The other parties in the coalition are Pheu Thai, Thai Sang Thai, Prachachat, Seri Ruam Thai, Pheu Thai Ruam Palang, the FAIR Party, and Plung Sungkom Mai.

A comprehensive memorandum of understanding among the eight parties spearheaded by the MFP outlines crucial objectives, including constitutional reform, recognition of same-sex marriages, forging sustainable peace in the southern border provinces, and the overhaul of the justice system to ensure fairness and transparency.