Ducking the questions
F ormer Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva’s decision to not contest the general election is said to have relieved his supporters who fear a much bigger failure looms for the party and prefer him to not have any part in it.
His supporters and political watchers were keen to know if Mr Abhisit would actively return to politics in the current political climate, where the election is speculated to again to be a showdown between the proThaksin and pro-Prayut camps.
Mr Abhisit is known to be vehemently against the party being part of a government with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Palang Pracharath Party leader Gen Prawit
Wongsuwon and the Pheu Thai Party in it.
He stepped down as a party-list MP when the Democrats backed Gen Prayut as prime minister after the 2019 contest. Many believed the party was unceremoniously dumped by voters in the last polls because of his stance towards Gen Prayut. The party only won 53 seats — less than half the number it secured in 2011.
Democrat supporters learned this week of Mr Abhisit’s decision to opt out of the May 14 polls. He said he did so to avoid the inevitable questions regarding his views, that were bound to be put to the party if he ran as a list candidate.
He said he was afraid his answer might go against the party’s stance. “If I run for a seat, it will cause more problems than it solves. The question is bound to come up on the first day of the campaign and up until the last,” Mr Abhisit said.
Coincidently, his decision comes amid reports about a possible alliance between the Democrat Party and Pheu Thai after the polls.
Under this formula, Pheu Thai, which is predicted to take the next polls by storm, will be the core party in a coalition backed by its long-time political rival, the Democrats, and another smaller party.
According to a party source, after being part of the government for four years, some Democrat heavyweights do not wish the party to be in opposition and are warming to the idea of burying the hatchet and joining hands with Pheu Thai.
Party figures are eyeing the Chartthaipattana Party led by Varawut Silpa-archa as a potential partner in a Pheu Thai-led coalition, according to the source.
Chartthaipattana, which won 12 seats in 2019, aims to secure at least 25 House seats in the coming election and has a good chance of capturing more seats if Pheu Thai pulls its punches in some constituencies.
According to the source, Pheu Thai is said to be open to the idea of working with the Democrats to avoid pressure from the Palang Pracharath (PPRP) and Bhumjaithai parties.
The PPRP led by Gen Prawit and Bhumjaithai headed by Anutin Charnvirakul are suffering a popularity slump and may not meet their seat targets. Both have reportedly decided to form a pact to increase their bargaining power when it comes to forming a coalition government.
According to the source, a PPRP-Bhumjaithai alliance will drive a hard bargain if and when they are approached by Pheu Thai. The Democrats, on the other hand, are unlikely to set tough conditions and they are not quite sure if Gen Prayut can make a comeback, so it is best to keep the party’s options open.
Moreover, Pheu Thai has recently raised its seat target to 310, indicating the degree of confidence it has in winning the election. An outright victory and support from smaller parties should allow the party to muster more than 375 votes to prevent the coup-appointed Senate from having a decisive role in co-electing a prime minister.
“Key Democrat figures have evaluated the situation and found it harder to retain the party’s support base. They’re setting out to find new supporters,” said the source.
According to the source, if the Democrat Party goes down this path, it will risk going from a medium-sized party to a small one and lose the opportunity to restore public faith and confidence in it.
With this prospect awaiting the party, Mr Abhisit’s supporters welcome his decision to stand down so that he does not have to bear any responsibility if and when the party plunges to a new low.