Pallop says he was ‘singled out’ for chop
Gen Pallop Pinmanee, former advisor to ex-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, has cried foul after being kicked out of the Pheu Thai Party, claiming he was given no warning.
The former deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command said he only found out he had been given the boot by a close aide while planning to attend the party assembly in Khon Kaen in late October.
Gen Pallop said he was baffled that he had been singled out for such harsh treatment.
“I called Dr Cholnan [Srikaew, the party leader] to ask about the matter.
“He was hesitant at first. But after I was persistent with him, he finally told me that Thaksin ordered my removal,” Gen Pallop said, apparently referring to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra who retains close ties with Pheu Thai.
“When I asked what I had done wrong to deserve such treatment, he [Dr Cholnan] didn’t answer,” he added.
Admitting he felt extremely hurt by the expulsion, Gen Pallop said he would have understood the party if he had been one of a number of older members to make way for new faces ahead of the next general election.
As it was, however, he felt he was singled out despite his political record which pre-dated even the formation of the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party led by Thaksin.
After the TRT was dissolved over electoral fraud, it eventually morphed into the People Power Party, which was also disbanded before eventually becoming Pheu Thai.
He was also named among the Pheu Thai’s list candidates in the 2019 general election. However, the party failed to secure any list-MP seats according to constitutional rules.