Sam Mitr will stick by pro-regime PPP

Rumours of split leave party execs ‘baffled’

The Sam Mitr (Three Allies) group has denied it entertained the possibility of shunting the Palang Pracharath Party, saying the issue will be cleared up next week, according to group spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

He said the group was baffled by speculation that it was turning its back on the pro-regime Palang Pracharath.

Mr Thanakorn said if such rumours were being spread by someone inside the party, it would be hard to single anyone out as the group has so many members. “All I can say is, that isn’t true,” he said.

Next week, the group’s core leader Somsak Thepsuthin will speak at a press conference to address the issue.

Mr Thanakorn said that in fact, Palang Pracharat remains top of the list of parties which the group has its eye on joining.

The Sam Mitr has been accused of working to secure a political support base for the newly-established Palang Pracharath by poaching former MPs from other parties, many of whom previously belonged to Pheu Thai.

The spokesman said that since the group was formed three to four months ago, it has toured a number of provinces and heard the problems of local people. The group also met many local politicians interested in joining the Sam Mitr.

The group will admit members who are the “stars” able to emanate their own bright light, it said. The spokesman was referring to former politicians with the potential to be elected for who they are, not what parties they are affiliated with.

Mr Thanakorn said the group is targeting as members those with an especially close connections to local residents.

Meanwhile, a source close to the Sam Mitr said Mr Somsak was facing considerable pressure to work out where to field the former MPs.

The Sam Mitr members are largely split into three camps. The first faction is made up of former MPs from the North, the Northeast and the Central Plains who were brought into the group by its senior executives.

The second faction is full of members with ties to the regime, while the final faction features those who are closely acquainted with group stalwarts, according to the source.

It said Mr Somsak was having a hard time deciding what constituencies the members of various groups would stand for. Some members were also deemed not popular enough to win seats in the poll.

The source said some former politicians supporting Palang Pracharath were not confident — in the wake of the party’s inauguration — that it would capture many seats in the next election as a lot of potential MP candidates unveiled by the party are considered political novices.

Meanwhile, Palang Pracharath leader Uttama Savanayana will today submit to the Election Commission (EC) paperwork to formalise the party registration, according to Wichian Chavalit, the commerce minister adviser who is also the party registrar.

Mr Uttama, who is also the industry minister, will take a leave of absence to file the documents this afternoon, Mr Wichian said.

These include the list of 923 party cofounders, party regulations, and its registered capital of more than 2 million baht.