By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PALANG PRACHARATH top leader Prawit Wongsuwan today (Nov.11) confirmed that none of the ruling camp’s MPs and cabinet members will go party-hopping during a run-up to the next general election.
Prawit who concurrently performs as deputy prime minister did not name names but assured that none of the Palang Pracharath rank and file including MPs and cabinet members will be defecting from the largest coalition partner for any other camps amidst speculation that some have already planned to go party-hopping sooner or later.
Among the Palang Pracharath rank and file who might possibly defect from Prawit’s camp are Palang Pracharath secretary-general-cum-Deputy Finance Minister Santi Prompat, Digital Economy & Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn and Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin, among others. Those cabinet members concurrently perform as coalition MPs.
The “renegade” Palang Pracharath MPs are speculated either to turn to the second-largest coalition Bhumjaithai Party, de facto headed by Newin Chidchob, or the brand-new Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party reportedly designed to endorse Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as partisan candidate for prime minister after the nationwide election.
But the Palang Pracharath boss said he strongly believed in the loyalty of all his partisan members who, he said, will likely prefer to stay with him in a sustained effort to become the core of a post-election coalition again though 21 “renegade” MPs, led by Thammanat Prompao, had already set a precedent by defecting from his camp earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Prawit has remained non-committal when asked by reporters whether he himself might probably become No.1 among a trio of Palang Pracharath contenders for prime minister with Prayut and former police chief Chakthip Chaijinda being slated as No.2 and No.3 respectively.
Prayut would rather prefer to join ranks of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party which would almost certainly name him as sole partisan contestant for prime minister whereas Prawit’s camp might finally decide to put him on No.2 among the Palang Pracharath trio.
Prawit commented after presiding over a seminar held for Palang Pracharath members at a Bangkok hotel that the naming of any partisan candidates for head of a post-election government will primarily depend on decisions of the party’s rank and file and not of his own.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Palang Pracharath Party leader Prawit Wongsuwan greeting party members at a seminar today. Photo: Matichon
Front Page: A composite image of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Palang Pracharath Party leader Prawit Wongsuwan and Palang Pracharath logo in the background. Credit: Matchon
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