Thai alliance unites as Move Forward and Pheu Thai back Wan Noor as sole nomination for Thailand House Speaker

The candidacy of Prachachart Party leader Wan Muhamad Noor Matha was unanimously approved by the new 500-member House of Representatives on Tuesday. - Photo by AFP

BANGKOK (Reuters): Lawmakers in Thailand on Tuesday endorsed a veteran politician and leader of a small party as the new speaker of the lower house, signalling a detente in a row between the two biggest players as they seek to form a new coalition government.

The nomination of Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 79, was widely seen as a compromise between alliance partners Move Forward and Pheu Thai, which have sparred for weeks over the speakership, a post crucial to the passage of bills and the timing of key legislative votes.