Countdown to new parliament session begins
The countdown has begun to the start of a new Thai parliament session, with the Election Commission’s official certification of the results of the Feb 8 poll.
The commission on Wednesday endorsed 100 party-list members of parliament, completing certification of proportional representation seats after earlier approving 396 constituency MPs on Feb 25.
Three more constituency seats were also certified on Wednesday, bringing the total to 499 in the 500-seat House of Representatives.
A new parliament must convene within 15 days of the certification of at least 475 seats, or 95% of the total. A speaker and deputy speaker will be chosen, after which the House choose a prime minister, who will move to form a government.
A new government is expected to begin working in April, a senior figure in the coalition-leading Bhumjaithai Party of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.
Wednesday’s announcement came despite numerous objections over the use of barcodes on ballots, with critics questioning whether the system could compromise the constitutional requirement for secret voting.
The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct is scheduled to decide on March 17 whether to accept a malfeasance complaint filed against EC chairman Narong Klanwarin and seven other senior officials in connection with the ballot controversy. Other legal challenges are also pending.
The 100 certified party-list MPs comprise 32 from the People’s Party, 19 from Bhumjaithai, 16 from the Pheu Thai Party, 11 from the Democrat Party, three from the Economic Party, two each from Klatham, Chart Thai Pattana and United Thai Nation, and one each from 13 smaller parties.
The commission also approved results in three additional constituency races — Constituencies 1 and 2 in Chanthaburi and Constituency 1 in Phayao — leaving only Constituency 2 in Suphan Buri pending investigation into alleged misconduct by poll station officials.
Minor changes
The final calculation of party-list seats resulted in a slight change from the unofficial seat totals reported earlier, said Sub Lt Pasakorn Siriphakayaporn, the deputy secretary-general of the EC.
Under the election law, once provincial election officials submit aggregated party-list vote totals, the EC calculates seat allocations by combining all valid votes nationwide and dividing by 100. Out of more than 35 million valid votes recorded, the final figure was 350,306 votes per seat.
When list MPs are included, Bhumjaithai has 192 House seats in total, followed by 120 for the People’s Party. According to unofficial results, Bhumjaithai won Constituency 2 of Suphan Buri. If that result is confirmed, Bhumjaithai will have 193 MPs.
The commission is still investigating 246 election-related complaints, which should be based on facts and not on intent to undermine confidence in democracy, Sub Lt Pasakorn said.
The EC has filed some complaints of its own. On Tuesday, the police asked EC officials to provide additional statements to support allegations of criminal interference by observers during the vote-counting process in Kannayao district of Bangkok on Feb 22. (Story continues below)
Sub Lt Pasakorn Siriphakayaporn, deputy secretary-general and spokesman for the Election Commission, discusses the final election results at the office of the EC in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Screenshot)
Next steps
With certification complete, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat Office will now coordinate with the House Secretariat so that the acting prime minister can seek royal approval to convene the first sitting. The initial session will focus on electing the House Speaker and deputies.
As of now, the House Secretariat has not yet been contacted by the PM’s Secretariat Office regarding the convening date, said Sirote Phatphan, secretary-general of the House of Representatives.
Sophon Zarum, a Bhumjaithai MP for Buri Ram and acting deputy prime minister, is reported to be a candidate for House speaker. He declined on Wednesday to comment on the speculation, saying only that he was ready to work with all sides if selected.
Asked whether government formation could proceed quickly after parliament convenes, Mr Sophon said a government can be formed immediately once the House opens, adding that global circumstances must also be taken into account.
The Pheu Thai Party is reportedly planning to nominate Manaporn Charoensri, an MP from Nakhon Phanom and deputy party leader, for a deputy House speaker post.
Ms Manaporn, also a former deputy transport minister, said she was surprised by reports linking her to a the position, noting that she is still in the process of formally reporting as an MP.
She stressed that Pheu Thai has not yet discussed any allocation of positions, whether in the legislative branch or cabinet.
Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate Yodchanan Wongsawat (red jacket) greets Bhumjaithai Party leader and Prime Minster Anutin Charnvirakul at the start of coalition discussions at Bhumjaithai headquarters in Bangkok on Feb 13, 2026. (Photo supplied)
Source – Bangkok News
