By Thai Newsroom Reporters
FORMER PRIME MINISTER Thaksin Shinawatra has categorically denied that Thammanat Prompao has already made a secret deal with him about a probable return of the renegade MP and a dozen others to the Pheu Thai Party.
During a Care Clubhouse live podcast tonight (Oct. 11), Thaksin said there has been no such thing as a secret deal between the former deputy agriculture & cooperatives minister and himself which might otherwise have taken place anytime, anywhere.
Thaksin’s comments followed news reports that some kind of a deal has been reached in hidden fashion between Thammanat and himself to the extent that the renegade MP alongside 13 others under his command return to the Pheu Thai Party to which they had earlier belonged and seek reelection under the largest opposition party’s banners in the nationwide race to parliament expected early next year.
The former premier who is invariably regarded as spiritual leader of the rank and file of the Pheu Thai Party since he founded the party, albeit under a different name, over two decades ago said he simply has had no task of making any political deals with anyone.
Neither has the Pheu Thai Party ever assigned him to do so as largely alleged, said Thaksin also known online as Tony Woodsome.
However, Thaksin said the Pheu Thai Party may have made deals with anyone about anything political in which, he said, he certainly would not be involved.
The former premier commented that many elected lawmakers, either former or current, who have earlier left the dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party, the original name of the Pheu Thai Party, for others would likely be welcome to return unless they may have developed critical antagonism with the party as a whole.
Thammanat has recently resigned as top leader of the Thai Economic Party and is apparently leading another exodus of 14 MPs including himself to another party with probabilities of returning to the Pheu Thai Party after he had led a departure of 21 MPs en masse from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party where he had earlier performed as party secretary-general.
Thaksin who has taken self-exile in Dubai following the 2006 coup has repeatedly encouraged the rank and file of the Pheu Thai Party to help score a “landslide” electoral victory so they could become core of a post-election government and manage to bring him back home.
The highly speculated return of Thammanat and those MPs under his command was purportedly designed to help make Thaksin’s dreams of a “Pheu Thai landslide” triumph come true.
CAPTION:
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Top photo: NDTV, Front Page Photo: PA and published by BBC
Also read: Sammit Group to stay put with Palang Pracharath Party: Suriya
Thammanat dumps Thai Economic Party, tipped to return to Pheu Thai
Move Forward Party gets most cash donations from taxpayers
Most Isaan people prefer Thaksin’s daughter as PM: NIDA Poll
Arthit lashes out at parties for focusing on reshuffle and ‘landslide’ win
Ratsadorn group urges Prayut to dissolve House as soon as possible
Thammanat won’t return to Prawit’s camp as long as Prayut remains in power
No cabinet reshuffle anytime soon: Prayut
Prayut unlikely to be named post-election PM: Academic
3 Replies to “Thaksin: No secret deal with Thammanat on party hopping”