Winning party in Thai polls excluded from coalition

The reformist party that won Thailand's general election was excluded yesterday from a coalition trying to form the next government, as lawmakers seek to overcome resistance from military and pro-royalist senators.

The Move Forward Party (MFP) won the most seats in May's election, riding a wave of support from young and urban Thais weary of almost a decade of army-backed rule, but it fell well short of a majority.

An eight-party coalition including MFP's closest rival, Pheu Thai, was not enough to get its leader Pita Limjaroenrat elected prime minister, leaving the kingdom in political deadlock.

Harvard-educated Pita, 42, was blocked from the top job by the senate -- whose members were handpicked by the last junta -- because of his determination to reform Thailand's tough royal defamation laws.

After weeks of backroom haggling, Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew announced that MFP was out of the coalition.

"The formation of the new government will not include MFP," he told reporters.

"Pheu Thai will work to get enough votes, MFP will be in opposition, and we will work in a new dimension that is beneficial to the people."

The news sparked an angry protest by some MFP supporters, who burned effigies and shouted abuse outside Pheu Thai's offices.

MFP secretary general Chaitawat Tulanon gave a more measured response, saying the party would try to push its policies even from the opposition benches.

"We will do our best to restore Thai politics to a true democracy -- a system in which people's votes really matter," he told reporters.

Pheu Thai will now put forward property tycoon Srettha Thavisin as its candidate to become prime minister, Chonlanan said.

To become prime minister, a candidate must be approved by a majority of both houses of parliament -- the 500 elected MPs and the 250 senators appointed under the last junta.

Pita managed 324 votes across the two houses in the first vote in parliament, with only 13 senators supporting him.

He was blocked from running in a second ballot and suspended as an MP by the Constitutional Court over his ownership of media shares, which is prohibited for lawmakers under Thai law.

Last month, MFP announced it was stepping back from efforts to form a government, allowing Pheu Thai to lead the coalition instead.

A senior MFP leader said the priority was not to make Pita prime minister but to safeguard Thai democracy by shutting out former junta leaders.