Thailand: Pheu Thai party agrees to join a coalition gov’t

Thailand's progressive Move Forward Party claimed victory in the country's election Monday after a stunning result.

A massive surge for Move Forward (MFP) in Sunday's ballot left it on course to be the biggest party, followed by its rival opposition -- the Pheu Thai movement of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat said he would seek to build a six-party coalition including Pheu Thai, which said it was ready to join, though negotiations of the details have not yet begun.

Pita, the next prime minister of Thailand said he had called Pheu Thai's lead prime minister candidate, to congratulate her on her campaign and invite her to join the coalition.

Between them, MFP and Pheu Thai are expected to take 292 out of 500 seats in the lower house, with the two main army-allied parties mustering just 76 seats in total. MFP has vowed to reform Thailand's strict royal insult laws. With ballots counted from 99 percent of polling stations, Election Commission data showed MFP on 14.1 million in the popular vote followed by Pheu Thai on 10.8 million.