ABOUT Politics
Sister act for Pheu Thai and Pheu Tham as general election looms Ex-MPs riled as former PDRC leaders gifted party posts Speculation rampant as to what alliances could be formed to shore up pro-regime coalition
Not taking any chances
The general election date may be showing credible signs of firming up but the Pheu Thai Party is not taking any chances.
However, it is not a matter of when but if the former ruling party can make it to the poll set tentatively for Feb 24 next year, according to a Pheu Thai source.
Party insiders are concerned the road to the poll for Pheu Thai looks anything but rosy. In fact, it may be strewn with spikes, with the biggest potential roadblock being the threat of the party being dissolved.
Pheu Thai has been in trouble with the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) on several occasions, the most notable of which was the party’s defiance of the regime’s ban against assemblies of more than five people, and its ban on parties holding political activities.
The NCPO alleged that Pheu Thai executives engineered a political forum attended by more than five party executives on May 17. The session was intended to set the stage for a discussion about what it calls the regime’s failures in running the government, which it said have put the country on a course to “dark times and imperilment”, as the title of the forum suggested.
For that, eight party executives were also charged with incitement under Section 116 of the Criminal Code, after the NCPO filed a police charge against them.
Political analysts said the defiance of the regime’s order and the criminal charge could provide justification for seeking the dissolution of Pheu Thai in the Constitutional Court.
The prospect disbandment is close to home for Pheu Thai. Its predecessors, the Thai Rak Thai Party in 2006 and People’s Power Party two years later, as well as their executives, were found guilty by the Constitutional Court of committing electoral fraud.
After the dissolution axe fell on the Thai Rak Thai, it was reborn as the People’s Power, only to face the same fate.
This time around, Pheu Thai, the latest incarnation of Thai Rak Thai, comes fully prepared for the general election with a contingency plan drawn up involving the launch of a “sister party” called Pheu Tham, according to the political analysts.
Should any political “accident” befall Pheu Thai, its members and MP candidates would have Pheu Tham (For Dhamma) to fall back on.
Two hurdles originally stood in Pheu Tham’s path, and one of them has already been cleared. Registering a party is easy but finding the right person to lead it is not, as was the case with Pheu Tham, observers say.
A party source said there were two contenders competing for the Pheu Tham leadership. They were Somchai Wongsawat, the brother-in-law of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra — who is also accused of pulling Pheu Thai’s strings remotely from overseas — and Sompong Amornvivat, a key Pheu Thai member and former justice minister under the Samak Sundaravej administration.
After all was said and done, Mr Sompong assumed the party leader post with quite a few Pheu Thai faithful filling seats on the executive board.
Next comes the second, bigger hurdle. Pheu Tham would only be able to sit helplessly by and watch if Pheu Thai were to be dissolved, especially if the order to do so were passed less than 90 days before the election.
This is because the law stipulates that an MP candidate must have registered as a member of a party for at least 90 days to be able to qualify to represent it in the poll.
That means if the dissolution occurred less than 90 days ahead of the poll, Pheu Thai MP candidates would not be able to switch to Pheu Tham nor clock up enough membership time to run for MP seats.
The source said Pheu Thai former MPs were given a choice of whether to run as Pheu Thai candidates or contest Pheu Tham tickets in the looming poll.
Fissures in pro-regime party
The first cracks began to appear in the newly established Palang Pracharath Party soon after it unveiled its executives at its general assembly last Saturday. The party is widely believed to be affiliated with the military regime.
Rumblings of discontent are surfacing after those with links to the now-dissolved People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) were given executive posts while former MPs who left the Pheu Thai Party to join Palang Pracharath have become upset as they were denied such roles, a source said.
Palang Pracharath is seen as a political vehicle to support Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha’s return to power after the general election, expected on Feb 24, if he chooses to try and reclaim the premiership.
At its first meeting last Saturday, the party unveiled its 25 new executives, including four cabinet ministers.
Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana was voted party leader. Science and Technology Minister Suvit Maesincee was elected deputy leader and Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong was made secretary-general.
PM’s Office Minister Kobsak Pootrakool was named spokesman and party executive.
Nathapol Teepsuwan, a former Democrat Party MP, was elected as a deputy leader while Buddhipongse Punnakanta, the prime minister’s deputy secretary-general for political affairs, was given the role of party executive.
The pair were former co-leaders of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) led by former Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.
The PDRC staged months of street demonstrations in late 2013 that culminated in the 2014 coup that ousted the Yingluck Shinawatra government.
Mr Suthep this year co-founded the Action Coalition for Thailand (ACT), which observers say is also expected to back Gen Prayut if he is proposed as a prime ministerial candidate.
Palang Pracharath is believed to have teamed up with the Sam Mitr (Three Allies) group, seen as the regime’s recruiting arm.
The group has been accused of working to secure a political support base for Palang Pracharath by poaching former MPs from other parties, many of whom previously belonged to Pheu Thai.
They include a group of politicians led by former Pheu Thai MP for Ubon Ratchathani Supol Fongngam, and a group led by Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, a former Pheu Thai MP for Loei.
A source said Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong asked these northeastern MPs to hang on and not to apply for membership until after the party’s first meeting.
He explained to them that the party wanted to present key figures with “good images” at the first meeting, as well as avoid criticism that it was set up to back Gen Prayut’s return to power, the source said, adding the former MPs had accepted the explanation and had no problem with it.
“But what is unacceptable to us is that former PDRC co-leaders like Mr Nathapol and Mr Buddhipongse were given the roles of party executives,” a former MP for the Northeast told the Bangkok Post.
“They did nothing for the party but they were still given the executive posts. On the contrary, we have made our sacrifices by leaving Pheu Thai and we have been helping with the work of Palang Pracharath for a while now.
‘‘We have been given an important task to look after potential poll candidates in the Northeast, but we have not been given any role or standing in the party. This is not fair,” the source said.
Thai ‘Game of Thrones’ unfolds
Allies are indisputably important for putting together a government, as its lifespan also depends on them.
The fog shrouding the identity of the main proregime party has been lifted to unveil the Palang Pracharath Party. Now speculation has shifted to the prospective alliances that could be forged to propel the Palang Paracharath to the corridors of power after the next election and possibly secure Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s comeback as premier.
Political sources said several parties come to mind at the mention of the pro-regime allies on whose support the next government could be built.
Perhaps the regime’s staunchest “pre-election” political ally is Sam Mitr, which is aptly translated as the “Three Allies”. The group, co-founded by Suriya Jungrungreangkij and former industry minister Somsak Thepsuthin, have reportedly been coaxing former MPs to defect from their parties to join the Palang Pracharath.
The group, however, does not currently have a political party to call home. Sam Mitr conceded that Palang Pracharath was at the top of its list of parties it has set its sight on joining.
Then there is the Bhumjaithai Party — which this week chose new executives and re-elected Anutin Charnvirakul as its leader. The party, given its medium size, could emerge as the hottest property for any camp looking for parties to form a coalition with.
Bhumjaithai could find many suitors as several bigwigs are searching for parties to defect to. Among them are members of the powerful Sasomsap family and former Chartthaipattana MP for Uthai Thani, Chada Thaiseth.
According to political sources, the Sasomsap clan, which wields much influence in Nakhon Pathom, is looking to depart from Pheu Thai but is reluctant to join the pro-regime Palang Pracharath.
The group reportedly ran opinion surveys in their stronghold about switching alliances and found the feedback to be negative. The regime’s ratings in this central province remain low and the family is having second thoughts about subscribing to a party with ties to the regime.
With Palang Pracharath out of the picture, the Sasomsap family is reportedly reviewing their options and Bhumjaithai came up as the best choice.
The group also believes Pheu Thai would be able to form a coalition government. Most other parties may back another party to lead the government, according to the political sources.
While Bhumjaithai is unlikely to win most House seats in the upcoming poll, it has a real chance of joining a coalition government after the election, the sources said.
The medium-sized party, which is closely associated with veteran Buri Ram politician Newin Chidchob, is also known to maintain cordial relations with the regime.
When Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha took his mobile cabinet meeting to the northeastern province of Buri Ram in May, the prime minister was greeted by a crowd of 30,000 who packed the Chang Arena and erupted in cheers.
The event reinforced suspicions that the regime was out to court Bhumjaithai through playing the “buddy game” with Mr Newin. Gen Prayut was quoted as telling the crowd it was the largest live audience he had ever addressed.
On the possible Bhumjaithai-Palang Pracharath alliance, some sceptics say they may cut a partnership deal that exploits their comparative advantages.
Palang Pracharath, an assembly of wealthy new faces, is attempting to appeal to a new generation of politicians.