By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DEPUTY FINANCE Minister Santi Prompat was today (Jan. 27) named secretary-general of Palang Pracharath Party, the biggest coalition partner in government.
At the order of Palang Pracharath Party leader Prawit Wongsuwan, Santi has become the party’s secretary-general in place of Thammanat Prompow who was ousted from the party’s membership alongside 20 MPs under his command last week.
Besides, Palang Pracharath MP Surasit Nitiwuthiworaluck was named registrar of the party in place of Palang Pracharath MP Boonsingha Warinrak, who was among the 20 followers under Thammanat’s command.
Santi had joined ranks of Palang Pracharath members of cabinet who had quietly pressed for the ouster of Thammanat since last October in the face of deeply-trenched conflict which the latter had reportedly developed with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha following last September’s no-confidence motion at parliament.
Meanwhile, Thammanat and his clique of ”rebellious” MPs are believed to remain supportive of the Prayut regime despite having been expelled from Prawit’s camp, said a partisan source today.
Nonetheless, the Thammanat group will finally be given a few cabinet seats in exchange for their continued support for Prayut and the Palang Pracharath-led coalition government, the source said.
“Though the Thammanat clique may be largely viewed as a decisive factor to the survival of the Prayut government, they would very likely prefer to stay on the government side rather than the opposition bloc,” he commented.
Prawit who concurrently performs as deputy prime minister earlier dampened speculation that the ousted Palang Pracharath secretary-general and his followers would look to rock the coalition’s boat, given the apparent disintegration of the biggest coalition partner and a meagre majority of MPs who are primarily obliged to endorse varied government-proposed legislations and decrees at parliament.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Deputy Finance Minister Santi Prompat.
Home Page: Deputy Prime Minister and Palang Prachrath Party leader Prawit Wongsuwan. Both photos: Matichon
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Thammanat, 20 MPs ousted from Palang Pracharath Party
Democrat Party set to sue Palang Pracharath MP over ‘outbuying votes’ accusation
