Yaowapa ditches Pheu Thai, exits politics
Yaowapa Wongsawat, the sister of two ousted prime ministers, has left the Pheu Thai Party and quit politics, according to her husband Somchai Wongsawat.
Mr Somchai, also a former prime minister, was speaking as he appeared at the party’s head office to confirm his party membership status — a process existing parties must complete this month to maintain their status as political bodies.
Ms Yaowapa comes from one of the most famous political clans in modern Thai history: her brother is Thaksin Shinawatra and her sister is ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra, both of whom have fled the country and are now wanted on corruption charges.
Invited to show their loyalty to the party, Pheu Thai members, including former MPs and ex-ministers, flocked to confirm their membership status yesterday at its headquarters in OAI Tower, in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district.
The party’s rod nam dam hua ceremony, a traditional blessing ahead of the April 12-16 Songkran Thai New Year, was held there at the same time.
Mr Somchai said his wife did not show up to confirm her membership status because she has quit politics. Asked to explain the reason why he said: “You’d better ask her.”
Ms Yaowapa, known by the nickname Je Daeng, was elected as an MP for Chiang Mai on the ticket of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party in 2001.
She controlled the party’s Wang Bua Ban faction with more than 100 MPs under her wing, giving her a great deal of influence and bargaining power in the party at the time.
Ms Yaowapa was among 111 executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai who were suspended from politics for electoral fraud in 2006.
Despite being banished, she still wielded influence in the party as Thaksin’s younger sister.
When her husband became prime minister in 2008 it merely boosted her political power.
After being banned from politics for five years, Ms Yaowapa staged a comeback by winning a by-election in Chiang Mai’s Constituency 3 on April 21, 2013 by a landslide. She secured 67,101 votes against Democrat contender Kingkan Na Chiang Mai, who won 21,372 votes.
It was reported earlier that Ms Yaowapa was behind the move to block Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan’s bid for the Pheu Thai leadership as the party was looking for a new chief to prepare for the next poll.
Mr Somchai said yesterday that Pheu Thai acting leader Pol Lt Gen Viroj Pao-in and other party executives were managing to keep the party running.
Only after the political restrictions are totally lifted will it be able to decide who will be its new leader, he said.
Responding to party chief adviser Sanoh Thienthong’s earlier comments that the Shinawatra family should quit politics, Mr Somchai said that is their prerogative.
He said he would support any clan harbouring good intentions for the country.
Meanwhile, Khunying Sudarat, who deliberately showed up after yesterday’s rod nam dam hua ceremony had finished, said she was surprised to learn she was not listed as a Pheu Thai member despite applying for membership in 2013. She said this could have been an administrative mistake.
She checked the list of party members but was unable to find her name. However, she will reapply when the party opens applications after the ban on political activities is lifted, she said.
Asked if she was demoralised by those who oppose her leadership bid, Khunying Sudarat said she was not seeking that role.
The acting party leader is doing a good job, she said.
“I think no one wants” the top role at this point, she added.