By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE SAMMIT GROUP OF MPs attached to Palang Pracharath Party are not going to defect to Pheu Thai Party as rumoured, said Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Anucha Nakasai today (Nov. 29).
Anucha, viewed as a prominent Sammit Group member, categorically dismissed as “groundless” the rumours that group leaders/Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin and Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit had planned to defect from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party to the opposition Pheu Thai Party for the next general election.
Anucha commented that rumourmongers might probably have some hidden agenda behind such “groundless” hearsay but stopped short of elaborating.
However, he declined to comment on reports of unresolved conflict between Palang Pracharath Party secretary-general Thammanat Prompow and the Sammit Group leaders.
The conflict between Thammanat and Sammit Group had reportedly developed since the Palang Pracharath Party secretary-general allegedly made hush-hush moves in parliament to press Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to step down following a censure debate and no-confidence vote whereas the Somsak-led faction looked reluctant and uncooperative with the alleged plot.
Palang Pracharath Party leader Prawit Wongsuwan apparently relied on Thammanat rather than Sammit Group members, prompting the latter to contemplate returning to Pheu Thai Party where they had earlier belonged.
The Sammit Group leaders were inclined to believe that Pheu Thai Party will win more MP seats than Palang Pracharath Party in the next election and subsequently manage to set up a coalition government, throwing Palang Pracharath Party into the opposition bloc, according to partisan sources.
They said a prominent figure has offered to act as a go-between and talked Pheu Thai Party leader Cholanan Srikaeo and secretary-general Prasert Chanthararuangthong into welcoming the possible return of the Sammit MPs, most of whom had earlier stayed with the party until the 2019 election.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Prime Minister’s Office Anucha Nakasai.
Home Page: Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin. Photos: NNT
Also read: Democracy summit snub due to poorly-implemented democratic rule: Academic
Prayut mum on not being invited to US democracy summit
Prayut to be told to dissolve House if lack of quorum repeated: Prawit
Thaksin: Name of Prayut’s new party similar to Sudarat’s party
Benelux envoys sound out Pheu Thai Party about volatile political situation
