Democrat Party list MP Chuan Leekpai was voted House Speaker on Saturday, signalling that the Democrats and Bhumjaithai will join the camp led by the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) to form a coalition government with deals for cabinet seats already having been reached, according to a PPRP source.
The PPRP is on course to lead the next government and will now formally invite the parties which it has approached to join its coalition.
It was noteworthy that Mr Chuan, a former prime minister and House Speaker, was nominated for the role by PPRP deputy leader and list MP Nataphol Teepsuwan.
Mr Chuan's nomination was believed to be part of the deal for the Democrat Party, with 52 MPs, to join the PPRP side. The nomination has reportedly upset a faction of the PPRP, which had hoped to nominate one of its own, Chachoengsao MP Suchart Tancharoen, for the position.
The House of Representatives convened on Saturday morning to elect its speaker at the TOT Plc auditorium on Chaeng Watthana Road in Bangkok.
Mr Chuan beat Sompong Amornwiwat of Pheu Thai in a 258-235 vote, with one abstention.
The results showed Mr Chuan received his votes from the PPRP, and parties which are tipped to be its potential allies, including Bhumjaithai, the Democrats, Chartthaipattana, Chart Pattana, and the Action Coalition for Thailand.
It was also noted that five MPs from the Pheu Thai-led alliance voted for Mr Chuan.
The House Speaker will serve as Parliament president. The casting of secret ballots ended at 6.15pm after a day of drama in which members spent time debating a delay in the vote.
Speaking after the vote, Mr Chuan said that: "I did not think of becoming the House Speaker. But when the need arises, I will see to it that the legislative branch will gain more public trust.''
After the vote, Pheu Thai MP for Nan Cholnan Srikaew admitted that ''cobras'', or renegade politicians have now emerged in the Pheu Thai-led alliance after the camp was defeated.
"The seven parties [which form the alliance] must share the responsibilities. We will now have to check who is at risk [of becoming renegades],'' Mr Cholnan said.
Asked by reporters whether the Bhumjaithai Party has decided to join a coalition government led by the PPRP, Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul said he has made up his mind but some conditions, including Bhumjaithai's policy on cannabis liberalisation, for joining a coalition government will need to be discussed.
"We can work together with whoever accepts our policies,'' Mr Anutin said after the House meeting.
The House convened on Saturday morning, a day after the Senate chose its speaker, with 497 MPs present. Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit ceased his duties by court order after he was sworn in in the morning. The other two MPs have yet to be endorsed by the Election Commission.
After acknowledging Mr Thanathorn's suspension, the session began, with the PPRP MP Weerakron Khamprakob asking Mr Chai to delay the vote to choose the House Speaker.
PPRP MP Virat Rattanaset explained his party had resolved on Friday evening to nominate one of its own MPs as the speaker. "However, senior party members later talked to core members of other parties [and changed the resolution]. We're concerned the nomination will be challenged in the future," he said.
The Pheu Thai-led front challenged the proposal and won a vote 248-246 with two abstentions: those of Mr Chai and Thepthai Senapong of the Democrats.
All seven parties in the Pheu Thai-led front voted not to delay the vote while those in the PPRP-led camp, as well as the undecided parties -- the Democrats, Bhumjaithai and Chart Pattana -- voted to delay it. This might indicate that negotiations for cabinet seats between the PPRP and the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties were not yet complete.
Observers speculated the delay was intended to gauge the support for PPRP ahead of the imminent prime ministerial vote.
Mr Chuan, 80, served twice as prime minister, from 1992-95 and 1997 to 2001. A Trang native, he started his career as a lawyer before joining the Democrat Party as a Trang MP in 1969.
He became the party's leader in 1991. Throughout his political career, he served in several ministries including justice, commerce, agriculture, education and public health. In recent years he has been acting as an adviser to the party, which is now led by Jurin Laksanavisit.