bangkok thailands health minister who championed the legalisation of cannabis is hoping the reform will help deliver gains in next months election with expectations he could emerge as a power broker who can stitch together a coalition government anutin charnvirakul 56 is confident his bhumjaithai party will be part of the next government after an election that is shaping up to be a tight contest between promilitary conservatives and their populist opponents the economy is the main election issue with signs of recovery despite inflation and a global slowdown but last years legalisation of cannabis has brought anutin and his party more attention both positive and negative in the runup to the may 14 vote well win more seats than last time for sure our goal is to get parliamentary seats in the three digits in this election because of what weve done anutin a deputy prime minister and health minister told reuters in an interview in the last election in 2019 when electoral rules favoured small and mediumsized parties bhumjaithai or proud to be thai won 51 seats in the 500member parliament becoming a junior partner in a coalition dominated by promilitary parties this time new election rules favour bigger parties and bhumjaithai has strengthened its slate of candidates to compete with larger opponents opposition parties including the pheu thai party loyal to former telecoms tycoon and ousted premier thaksin shinawatra have criticised bhumjaithai and the ruling coalition for what they see as the rushed and loosely regulated decriminalisation of cannabis but anutin a former chairman of one of thailands largest construction companies said opening up the marijuana business was a proven vote winner last time bhumjaithai party won millions of votes from people who believed in the benefits of marijuana he said two opinions polls last month showed bhumjaithai was the most popular party in the ruling alliance but behind the favourite the pheu thai opposition party that thaksins daughter paetongtarn shinawatra hopes to lead to victoryinspiration political scientist wanwichit boonprong of rangsit university said anutin could emerge as a kingmaker because of his partys popularity and his relationships across the political divide bhumjaithai will likely gain the most seats among the parties in the government coalition wanwichit said predicting it could win more than 70 including from rural strongholds in the lower northeast the party has promised debt moratoriums on small loans and improvements to the health system anutin said he was open to working with any party and would be prepared to be prime minister if the opportunity arose i am younger more fresh and i understand politics in a democratic system he said but the staunch monarchist draws the line at any suggestion of amending a lese majeste law a youthled protest movement that emerged in late 2020 to oppose military involvement in politics called for changing the law that protects the monarchy which punishes perceived royal insult with up to 15 years in jail some small parties have suggested amending it and pheu thai