Commenting on the Thai Parliament voting to deny progressive Move Forward Party's Pita Limjaroenrat a second chance to be confirmed for the post of Prime Minister, SMU Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean (Research) Jacob Ricks said, “The 2017 constitution was designed to protect conservative interests in Thai politics, and what we are seeing is the Constitution in action. Pita’s fate, or that of any progressive movement, was largely sealed long before this election.”