Blocked from power, 8-party Thai coalition says it will negotiate with conservative opponents

By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI and JERRY HARMER
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — A coalition of Thai political parties, struggling to form a government after two failed attempts, says it will try again next week to persuade conservative parliamentary opponents to back it, and suggested it might consider removing its most progressive member which won May’s election. After gaining the most seats in the election, the Move Forward Party assembled a coalition with a majority in the House of Representatives. But under the military-enacted constitution, a new prime minister must receive the support of a combined majority of both the House and the unelected conservative Senate, and Pita fell short by more than 50 votes, The coalition agreed to replace Pita with a candidate from another party.