Mr Sirote said yesterday (Mar 5) that the House Secretariat will not wait for every certified MP to report before initiating the opening of the new House, reports the Bangkok Post. Once the required quorum has reported, it can proceed, he said.
The Election Commission (EC) has certified 499 of the 500 MPs who won the Feb 8 general election. Under the rules, a new parliament must convene within 15 days of certification of at least 95% of the 500 seats - a threshold of 475 MPs, which has been exceeded.
Once the required number of MPs have reported, the House Secretariat will notify the Cabinet. Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will then seek His Majesty the King’s approval to declare the opening of the House.
The first sitting will elect a speaker and deputies, after which MPs will vote to select a prime minister - the essential step that will allow the new government leader to form a Cabinet.