New government no voting until Friday

But a new prime minister should be appointed before the end of the New Year, opposition chief whip Sathit Wongnongtoey said yesterday.

He spoke after a group of 240 MPs requested an extraordinary session of Parliament to vote for a new national leader.

The MPs, led by Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban, submitted the request to House Speaker Chai Chidchob, who needs royal endorsement to reconvene Parliament to vote on a new PM and the forming of a new government.

Chai said verification of the signatures usually takes three days, then he would submit the request to His Majesty the King.

Chai said he would resign from the House Speaker's post after the new prime minister is appointed so MPs can vote for a suitable person for his position.

The 240 MPs included 163 from the Democrats, 25 from Puea Pandin, and 15 from Chart Thai Pattana (the new party for former Chart Thai MPs). The others included eight from former Matchima Thipataya and another eight from Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, while 21 were from the Friends of Newin faction in the former People Power Party.

Among the signatures were those of Puea Pandin leader Pracha Promnok and Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana leader Chetta Thanajaro.

Suthep turned up at Parliament at 10am with leading members of the Democrats and representatives of the other political parties.

Suthep said MPs from the Friends of Newin faction had yet to sign their names on the motion because they fear being threatened and pressured.

Suthep claimed his party had secured 30 MPs from the Friends of Newin group breaking away from Pheu Thai and its former allies (Chart Thai, Matchima Thipataya, Puea Pandin and Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana parties) to form a new coalition government.

He said the new alliance would give a Democrat-led government about 260 seats in the 438-seat Lower House of Parliament, with the Democrats holding 165 seats. The Pheu Thai party, a reincarnation of the now defunct People Power Party, claims to have at least 219 seats.

If the Democrats' alliance holds, Democrat leader Abhisit is likely to be the next prime minister.

Puea Pandin acting spokesman Chaiyot Jiramethakorn said yesterday the party's 25 MPs were in unity and would go in the same direction.

Their 25 MPs include four who moved from the former People Power Party. They are Surin MPs Kittisak Rungthanakiat, Theeratat Tiewcharoensopa, Maliwan Thanyasakulkit and Lertsak Tassanaset.

Although Puea Pandin MPs signed the Democrat-led petition for the Royal Decree, they also had signed a similar motion by Pheu Thai. Moreover, they had said they were open to negotiate with both the Democrats and Pheu Thai.

The Pheu Thai Party has another list of MPs' signatures for its motion. But they refused to show it to the media.