Thai court suspends Pita as lawmaker as parliament votes on PM

BANGKOK: Thailand's Constitutional Court ordered a temporary suspension of prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat from parliament on Wednesday after accepting a case against him alleging he was unqualified to run in a May 14 election.

Pita, who was due to contest a parliamentary vote on the premiership on Wednesday, has argued his ownership of shares in a media company was not a violation of election rules. He has 15 days to respond, the court said in a statement.

Pita's election-winning Move Forward Party said the suspension should not affect Pita's nomination for the prime ministerial vote, which rival politicians have been seeking to block him from. The 42-year-old, U.S.-educated liberal needs the backing of more than half of the bicameral parliament to be endorsed as the next prime minister, but must overcome fierce resistance from a military at odds with his party's anti-establishment ambitions.

He lost his initial bid last week after being blocked by the army-appointed Senate in a joint vote on the premiership.