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Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
National

Pita: Allies already working on issues facing government

Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, second left, gestures during his meeting with representatives of his seven coalition allies, at Pheu Thai Party headquarters on Tuesday. (Photo: Pheu Thai Party)

The eight parties that hope to form the next government have set up more working groups as they consider themselves as already beginning work, according to the leader of the election-winning Move Forward Party.

Representatives of the eight parties met at Pheu Thai headquarters on Tuesday and formed five more working groups. These would handle issues that interest the general public, had an impact and had not been addressed by the present, outgoing government, MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat told reporters afterwards.

The new working groups would look into issues relating to the digital economy, corruption, the shortage of medical personnel, economic and social equality, and land reform, he said.

"I hope they will find answers for society pending the formation of the (new) government. There are four or five issues that have not been addressed by the (present) government and await solutions from the new government. This is an early start (to work)," Mr Pita said.

Last week the eight allied parties set up seven working groups - on energy prices, drought, deep South problems, constitutional amendment, environmental problems, economic issues and narcotics.

The parties had a single representative in each working group, Mr Pita said.

On Tuesday, the eight allies followed up wih the seven previously formed working groups. Issues they  looked into included the impact of the expiry late next month of the waiver of excise tax on the price of diesel, he said.

In a few weeks representatives of the working groups would have meetings in provinces, when they would gather facts on matters at issue, he said.

The eight former opposition parties unofficially won 313 House seats at the May 14 general election. However, Mr Pita, who hopes to be the next prime minister, is facing complaints about his qualifications linked to his 42,000 shares in iTV Plc.

The constitution prohibits a shareholder of a media organisation from running in a general election.

Mr Pita said on Tuesday he had transferred the shares to relatives late last month and he had previously held them only because he was the manager of his late father's estate.

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