Thai lawmakers are set to vote for a new prime minister next week, following a court ruling that dismissed a bid by the election-winning Move Forward party to challenge Parliament's blocking of their candidate. The Constitutional Court rejected the petition on a technicality, stating that Move Forward's prime ministerial candidate, Pita Limjareonrat, was not among the complainants.

This decision marks another setback for Move Forward, which had gained unexpected victory in the May election with strong support from the youth and urban population. The political landscape in Thailand has been tumultuous since the election, as Move Forward has faced strong resistance from conservative lawmakers aligned with the royalist military.

The party's liberal policy platform, which aimed to challenge powerful interest groups like big business monopolies and the military, drew both acclaim and opposition. As a result, Parliament has been deadlocked for weeks, leading to a caretaker administration.

Move Forward remains determined to govern and address the issues facing the country within Parliament. Pita affirmed the party's commitment to the fight for governance, stating, "The problem is in Parliament, so we will fix it in Parliament."

However, the withdrawal of backing from the Pheu Thai party, the runner-up in the election, after Pita's re-nomination was rejected, has added further complexity to the political landscape. Pheu Thai, led by the billionaire Shinawatra family, is now aggressively lobbying for support from conservative, military-backed lawmakers for its candidate, real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin.

However, it is uncertain whether Srettha, who lacks political experience, will garner enough support from both the elected lower house and the military-appointed Senate to become prime minister and form a government. The task is challenging due to the sour history between Pheu Thai and the military, which has repeatedly intervened to overthrow its governments during periods of political unrest.

The vote for the new prime minister is scheduled for August 22. House speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha stated that it remains uncertain whether the decision will be concluded on that day, as it depends on the parliamentary session.

Senior Pheu Thai officials have expressed confidence in Srettha's success, even without Move Forward's support, despite it being the largest party in parliament.The upcoming vote holds significant implications for the future direction of Thailand's government and its efforts to address pressing issues.