Move Forward eyes PPAO presidency
Pita Limjaroenrat in Phuket has announced former Vachira Hospital Director Dr Lersak Leenanithikul as the Move Forward Party’s candidate for President in the next Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor) election.
Mr Pita, who serves as Chairman and Advisor to the Party Leader of the Move Forward Party, and Phuket’s three Move Forward MPs were at Sri Phuwannarat Park, located along Pattana Thongthin Rd in Wichit, last Saturday (Feb 24) to make the announcement.
Dr Lersak gained his reputation in Phuket as a respected brain surgeon, and then served as Head of the Emergency Department at Vachira Phuket Hospital before becoming the hospital’s director.
Vachira Phuket Hospital is the lead government hospital on the island. The facility usually takes the lead in implementing national health policies in Phuket, and although Vachira is technically under the administration of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, the hospital tends to maintain its own identity.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Move forward Party has announced Dr Lersak Leenanithikul, or ‘Dr Oh’, as a candidate for PPAO President,” Mr Pita confirmed through a post online.
“Many of you may be wondering how important is the election of an OrBorJor president. The election of an OrBorJor president is very important because it is the selection of representatives to perform administrative duties in the area, and the OrBorJor president is directly elected by the people.
“And if you do good work for two terms or eight years, you can continuously solve problems. This is different from provincial governors who are appointed [by the central government] and have an average tenure of service in that province of only 1.5 years. The problems are not solved at all and [the governor] has gone away,” Mr Pita explained.
“The second thing is that the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation receives a budget of more than B1.2 billion per year, with almost half of the budget related to public health,” he added.
“In the past Dr Oh has shown that he is fully qualified to be able to take care of the budget for Phuket people, and his management policy is to expand the potential of Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospitals to be a refuge for the community and make them open 24 hours, and increase their potential to screen for a wider variety of diseases,” Mr Pita continued.
“This is just the beginning. I would like to invite everyone to follow the various policies that Dr Oh has prepared and to take part in examining and recommending additional policies, including supporting the mission to complete the ‘last piece of the jigsaw’ for Phuket province,” he wrote.
“Through the work of [Move Forward] MPs in all three districts and with a Move Forward President of the PPAO, the MPs and the PPAO President will be able to to work together seamlessly. They will be able to connect to a complete system and make Phuket a paradise for both local residents and tourists,” he added.
Mr Pita noted that Phuket is just the first province where the Move Forward will contest the seat of OrBorJor President.
“Candidates for OrBorJor President will be sent to compete for positions in every region of the country because the Move Forward Party stands firmly in the fight for decentralization,” Mr Pita wrote.
“We believe that only those on site can see the daily lives of the local people, and understand the problems of the local people.
“And we believe that decentralisation builds democracy at the grassroots level. People get to choose their own administrators, keep a close eye on corruption and participate in creating the area in which one is born or one makes a living,” Mr Pita concluded.