In a surprising turn of events, Pita Limjaroenrat has announced his resignation as the leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP), the party that secured the most seats in Thailand's national elections held in May. Paving the way for a new MP to have a voice in parliament and become the opposition leader, Pita made the announcement on his official Facebook page.

Despite the MFP's success in the polls, Pita was unable to become the prime minister due to opposition from entrenched conservative blocs within parliament. As if that wasn't enough, he was later suspended as a member of parliament, leaving him unable to fulfill his role as the opposition leader.

"I resigned as the MFP's party leader to pave the way for an MP that is able to have a voice in parliament, be the opposition leader," Pita wrote in his Facebook post. This setback occurred after the MFP broke off its coalition partnership with the opposition rivals, Pheu Thai, who subsequently formed a coalition government with pro-military parties.

The MFP made the decision to go into opposition instead. Pita's suspension as an MP came in July while awaiting a ruling from the Constitutional Court regarding his ownership of shares in a now-defunct media company. According to the Thai Constitution, MPs are prohibited from owning media shares.

Despite stepping down as party leader, Pita pledged to stay closely involved with the MFP, stating, "No matter what my role is, I will still be involved in MFP and will work closely with the people to my fullest capacity, so that we could achieve something together."

Pita Limjaroenrat's resignation comes as a blow to the MFP and its supporters, who were hopeful for a new era of progressive policies and reforms under his leadership. However, it remains to be seen who will take up the mantle and lead the party forward in its quest for change in Thailand's political landscape.