By Thai Newsroom Reporters
CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER Prawit Wongsuwan today (Sept. 27) categorically refuted what was called a “Pheu Thai landslide” victory in Sunday’s election for head of Roi Et provincial administration.
The Pheu Thai candidate, namely five-time former MP Seksit Wainiyompong, won the race for president of Roi Et provincial administrative organisation, also known in Thai as Nayok Or Bor Jor, with 301,000-plus votes, compared to rivals namely Jureeporn Sindhuprai who secured 126,000-plus votes and Ratchanee Polsue who gained 116,000-plus votes.
Though both Jureeporn and Ratchanee had been earlier associated with the Palang Pracharath Party, they were running as non-partisan contestants for Nayok Or Bor Jor of the northeastern province.
Nevertheless, the caretaker Premier-cum-Palang Pracharath leader downplayed the hyped-up description of the local contest by the Pheu Thai Party and the media as a “Pheu Thai landslide” and commented that it was merely a normal political phenomenon which was entirely irrelevant to a future election for MPs.
Prawit stopped short of confirming whether his ruling party might probably have to enhance their electoral campaign strategies to better compete against the Pheu Thai Party and others in the next general election.
Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Public Health Minister-cum-Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnvirakul remarked that the phrase “landslide” only suits an event in which a certain party might possibly sweep up electoral victories in contesting for MP seats nationwide which cannot be compared to such a local race.
However, Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew said Roi Et’s “landslide” victory for Nayok Or Bor Jor undoubtedly signified a prelude to the much-heralded “landslide” triumphs for many Pheu Thai contestants running for MPs in the next general election.
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra originally coined the phrase “Pheu Thai landslide” to depict a speculated collective victory for the Pheu Thai Party in the nationwide race to parliament which purportedly refers to a decisive number of elected Pheu Thai MPs and the opportunity for them to set up a post-election government of their own and probably bring him back home after 17 years of self-exile overseas.
Thaksin, deposed in the 2006 coup, is largely viewed as the spiritual leader of the Pheu Thai Party which he himself had founded over two decades earlier, albeit under the name of the Thai Rak Thai Party.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and head of “Pheu Thai Family”, together with the Seksit Wainiyompong after he won the Roi Et local election. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. Photo: Matichon
Also read: Pheu Thai Party flexes muscles at local contest in Roi Et
Paetongtarn still undecided whether to run for PM: Thaksin
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Gigantic roadside signs featuring Prawit, his party’s logo yet to be removed: Chonlanan
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