BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday he accepts Pheu Thai party’s invitation to try to form a government more than two months after elections.
Populist Pheu Thai party won the second-largest share of votes in May’s election and is trying to form a government after winner Move Forward’s attempts failed in parliament.
Bhumjaithai, known for championing the decriminalisation of cannabis, said it would ally with Pheu Thai on three conditions including that the new alliance leaves untouched the country’s strict laws on insulting the monarchy.
Anutin also said his party would remain in the Pheu Thai-led alliance as long as Move Forward were not included and they didn’t form a minority government.
Move Forward had campaigned on reforming the controversial lese majeste laws, which many say are used to suppress opposition to the current royalist, military-backed government.
“Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai party will form the government with the support of other parties,” said Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew.
(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
