Banharn’s son tipped to lead Chartthaipattana

Protege Varawut Silpa-archa wants the party to shine on its own, not in the shadow of his charismatic father, writes Aekarach Sattaburuth

Following the demise of Chartthaipattana Party’s towering figure Banharn Silpaarcha, his youngest son who is tipped to become the new party leader has expressed a strong desire to turn this one-man-show party into a political institution with constructive teamwork among its senior figures and younger generations.

Chartthaipattana is the reincarnation of the Chart Thai Party, which was dissolved in 2008 after it was found guilty of committing election fraud. Banharn had been the leader of Chart Thai Party for 14 years until it was dissolved.

Despite having not served as the leader of Chartthaipattana, Banharn was known to be the de facto leader of the party.

The medium-sized party faced intensive challenges after Banharn passed away on April 23 last year. Party chief adviser Somsak Prisananathakul dropped a hint in April that Banharn’s youngest son, Varawut Silpa-archa, 44, could succeed former agriculture and cooperatives minister Theera Wongsamut as a new party leader.

Mr Varawut earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University College London in the UK and got a master’s degree in business administration and finance from University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States. He appears to have high levels of self-confidence following years of overseas education and can speak English fluently.

According to Mr Varawut, although the party has lost its key leader, Banharn, it was still fortunate that his passing took place when the country was still in the political vacuum under the administration of the military regime and that no drastic turbulence happened with Chartthaipattana Party.

Following the 2014 coup, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has barred parties from holding political activities, including receiving new party members, so there is no concern about the outflow of the party’s members, Mr Varawut said.

It is also unclear at this stage when the election will be held, he said.

It is also an opportunity for the party to improve its image and develop it, Mr Varawut said, adding the new party leader will be chosen when the NCPO gives the green light to political activities and this rests with the party’s meeting to choose.

He said the public may have seen Chartthaipattana as a one-man-show party under the reign of Banharn, but now it is time for everyone in the party to step up and demonstrate their capability.

They need to work under the party’s resolution, which will guide how the party steers ahead. Responsibility must be shared among the party’s members.

“The work in which the party will pursue needs to be discussed in the party’s meeting,” Mr Varawut said.

“We no longer have our key pillar, but small pieces of wood can be combined to become the party’s foundation.”

“The strength of the Chartthaipattana Party will rest with both senior people and new generations, who will work collaboratively.”

According to Mr Varawut, party senior figures and new generations regularly have discussions and they all agree the party needs to raise new issues for the society.

New ideas or tactics are needed under a drastic change of social context and how people obtain information, he said.

“The ideas and policy guidelines need to be changed,” Mr Varawut said.

“Most of our members expressed their will that they will work together for the party and make this house grow to become a strong political institution.”

He said what Chartthaipattana will do is to shape politicians as a new hope on whom people can count and to form the party which can be relied upon by people.

Despite being regarded as a prime candidate for the new party leader, Mr Varawut remains humble, saying being party leader is a tough job and no one may be willing to take it on.

He said many of people in the party — both new generations and senior figures — have potential to become the party’s leader, adding: “This rests with the party’s meeting or the majority who will decide the person for this position.”

Countering criticism that his party always tries every means to join a coalition government, Mr Varawut said his father was a man who always kept his word.

When Banharn promised to join the coalition government, those who invited him could feel at ease that he would be a strong ally.

In the next election, Chartthaipattana still positions itself as the medium-sized party with possibly 20-30 MPs, he said, adding it would be difficult to take care of the larger number of MPs and if that is the case, the party could risk collapsing in the same way that Chart Thai, which had almost 100 MPs, did.

Mr Varawut, meanwhile, predicted Bhumjaithai, another medium-sized party, would gain the third biggest number of MPs in the next election, adding the number of Bhumjaithai’s MPs is likely to be larger than that of his party.

He admitted Chartthaipattana does not have as much money as other large parties to contest in the election, but this does not mean his party’s work capability would be inferior to others.

According to Mr Varawut, it is common that every party wants to become the government.

Chartthaipattana also wants the policy it addresses in the election campaign to be used to develop the country, he said.

He dismissed reports that someone is trying to take over Chartthaipattana, saying this could be an attempt to test the waters.

Rumours earlier spread that former premier Thaksin Shinawatra had approached Mr Varawut and offered to take over his party following the death of his father.

He insisted his party was not set up to be taken over.

Referring to criticism that Chartthaipattana is the plaything of the Silpa-archa family, Mr Varawut said this could be in terms of political work passing on to younger generations, not the party’s assets.

“It is a heritage item passing on to the party’s executives, politicians and all party members, so we will work together help protect this institution,” Mr Varawut said.

Ww no longer have our key pillar, but small pieces of wood can be combined to become the party’s foundation.

VARAWUT SILPA-ARCHA