Thai royal officials have rejected a request to dissolve parliament, paving the way for lawmakers to vote on a new head of government, Thailand’s acting prime minister announced.
The decision comes on Thursday amid a political vacuum following the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra last week over an ethics violation.
A coalition of opposition lawmakers has thrown its support behind Anutin Charnvirakul, a conservative construction tycoon and longtime political player, who is expected to face a vote on Friday at around 10:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT).
Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai party, which remains in charge in a caretaker capacity, had sought to dissolve the legislature to halt the vote.
However, caretaker Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said in a Facebook post that the Office of the Privy Council informed him the draft royal decree was “inappropriate to present to His Majesty at this time” due to unresolved legal disputes.
The rejection clears the way for parliament to meet on Friday and potentially end the weeklong uncertainty at the top of Thai politics.
