Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has submitted a petition to dissolve parliament after the largest opposition party backed a rival candidate to lead the country following the recent Thai court decision to remove Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office.

The “house dissolution decree”, submitted on Wednesday by the ruling Pheu Thai party, is now awaiting royal approval, according to party secretary-general Sorawong Thienthong.

The move to dissolve parliament came swiftly after the People’s Party, a major opposition party in Thailand’s parliament, said it would back a Pheu Thai rival, the Bhumjaithai Party, to form the next government.

Pheu Thai had raced to shore up support for its fragile coalition government with a slender majority following the removal

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