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Pheu Thai aims to shake off some internal discord with the removal of two contentious MPs from its ranks ❖ ™ Move Forward Party targets Isan as the two main opposition parties look set to turn on one another
Rooting out bad apples
Ageneral election does not happen overnight and political parties need all the time necessary to prepare for them.
Their actions serve as credible indicators as to when they think polls will be held.
It is precisely why the main opposition Pheu Thai Party has chosen to cut off the “fat” to make itself leaner and more attractive to potential candidates.
In the middle of September, the party began moves to expel two of its MPs — Saranwut Saranket, representing Uttaradit, and Pornpimol Thammasan from Pathum Thani.
Pheu Thai’s ethics committee said the two either spoke or acted in a way that dragged the party’s name through the mud.
Mr Saranwut was accused by Pheu Thai of harbouring ill intentions toward the party as shown in scathing remarks he made about it.
He is said to have accused the party of being run by dictators who were out to silence and sideline him.
Mr Saranwut claimed he was deprived of his opportunity to shine on the censure debate stage early this month. He said he was not given time to grill ministers targeted by the no-confidence motion.
However, his critics said the MP, noted for his hallmark thick eyebrows, was not among the star debaters in the latest censure session. Pheu Thai was apparently saving as much time as it possibly could for other members who had prepared substantial censure material to be used against the ministers.
As for Ms Pornpimol, also a celebrated and prolific songstress, Pheu Thai was unhappy with her for not joining in party activities or meetings since being elected as an MP two years ago.
She would also not vote with the party on crucial pieces of legislation and motions, and in favour of the government.
Pheu Thai also put on “probation” three other “rebellious MPs”. They were Theera Traisoranakul and Jaturong Pengnorapat, who are both Si Sa Ket MPs and Chaiyan Polsuwan, Pathum Thani MP.
Another MP from Ubon Ratchathani, Chuwit Pitakornpallop, was also handed a warning for not toeing the party line.
A political observer said Pheu Thai’s move to lay down the law and crack the whip was interpreted in two ways.
One, it had given some politicians too much of a free rein for too long.
Two, the fact that the party has made it appear it could not care less about booting out or disciplining certain politicians living under its roof was sufficient evidence that it was up to something.
The observer said Pheu Thai may be one of the parties most perceptive about early signs of a general election. The party may be getting its affairs in order and in the process choosing potential candidates to stand in the constituencies.
Pheu Thai may be particularly enthused by the reinstatement of the dual-ballot election system made possible by a recent charter amendment.
With this method, large parties with solid electoral bases are expected to reap a substantial number of constituency seats as well as make inroads into the party-list tally.
Driving out or meting out disciplinary action against erring MPs may be highly indicative of Pheu Thai having fresh candidates or defectors from other parties in mind to replace them in the next election, according to the observer.
Also, the party, which is believed to be banking on a prediction that the next poll will arrive as early as the first quarter of next year, may lose interest in staging a fourth censure debate early next year as its priority shifts towards formulating a winning strategy for the next election.
In the meantime, Pheu Thai is not expected to run short of potential poll candidates. Kiatisak Songsaeng, who previously stood as a Democrat Party candidate in Pathum Thani, has applied for Pheu Thai membership along with his 80-strong canvassing team.
Mr Kiatisak was greeted enthusiastically when he arrived at the party headquarters by Pheu Thai deputy leader Kittiratt Na-Ranong.
His enrolment is likely to fill the void left by Ms Pornpimol and he will likely replace her as the main opposition party’s candidate in Pathum Thani.
Moving forward with MFP
The Move Forward Party (MFP) and Pheu Thai are widely known as loose opposition allies with the former making no attempt to hide its displeasure when they do not see eye to eye.
The MFP took issue with a Pheu Thai move several weeks ago to support a motion to transfer 16.3 billion baht left over from the House budget scrutiny process to the central fund, effectively placing it under the supervision of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Ahead of the no-confidence debate in early September, the MFP voiced disapproval upon learning that the main opposition party had decided to exclude Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon from the opposition’s target list.
Both also had their differences over a charter amendment proposal seeking to restore the two-ballot election system, which is widely seen as favouring major parties like Pheu Thai. The MFP abstained from voting on it while Pheu Thai gave it overwhelming support.
With their relationship never quite gelling, observers agree that the political alliance will fall apart as soon as the election drums roll.
A fight for voters between the two opposition parties is inevitable and could turn nasty as they preach similar political ideologies and have overlapping support bases, according to observers.
It is no wonder then that the MFP has picked the northeastern region, Pheu Thai’s political stronghold, to launch a pre-emptive election campaign while the House of Representatives is in recess.
The MFP, which is a reincarnation of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, has also unveiled a number of potential candidates to stand in the next election in the region.
Some observers see the move as an indication that the party is undaunted by Pheu Thai’s overwhelming popularity in the region and was going about what it has to do to make some political inroads.
“To win the right to lead the country, a prime ministerial candidate must win the hearts of northeastern people. The Move Forward Party understands their needs as much as other political parties.
“We may not win this time, but I believe we will eventually,” MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat was quoted as saying when he led party MPs and members on a visit to the northeastern province of Kalasin recently.
According to Mr Pita, his party is not alone in pursuing this political goal and has the Progressive Movement to help pave the way by contesting tambon administrative organisation (TAO) elections scheduled to take place on Nov 28.
It will be the country’s third round of local elections, following the polls held for provincial administrative organisations (PAOs) in December last year and municipal elections in March this year.
In his view, the movement, led by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and founded after the dissolution of the Future Forward Party, has made a difference, albeit deeply marginal, by winning 12 localities out of 2,472 municipalities in the March contest.
“If the TAO elections favour the Progressive Movement, things will also favour the MFP. That means more grassroots people know about us,” Mr Pita was quoted as saying.
In the upcoming TAO polls, the group is set to field candidates in 124 localities in the northeastern region. According to Mr Pita, capturing half the TAO chairman seats will be enough to cause quite a stir.
However, observers are sceptical about the movement’s chances in the Nov 28 polls. The popularity of the MFP and the movement in the region is nowhere near that of the main opposition party.
The political group also fared poorly in the PAO contest last December, failing to win a single PAO chairmanship despite gathering 2.6 million votes in the election.
According to the latest quarterly survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) Poll, Pheu Thai remains the most popular party with a 22.5% approval rating while the MFP has 15.1%.
This survey result was seen as good news for the MFP though, as its leader, Mr Pita, saw a big jump in his popularity rating from 5.45% in June this year to 11.05% when the latest poll was taken during Sept 20-23.
Even though he trailed behind Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who remained a clear favourite to lead the country, (17.54%), the MFP leader was neck-and-neck with Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, founder of the new Thai Sang Thai Party, who scored an approval rating of 11.15%.