Pheu Thai could probably become one-party government: Somsak

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

SAM MIT GROUP leader Somsak Thepsuthin commented today (Mar.23) the Pheu Thai could probably become a one-party government after the May 14 general election.

The former justice minister made his comment as he himself, his spouse Anongwan Thepsuthin and former industry minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit have departed from the Palang Pracharath to the Pheu Thai, guided by de facto party boss Thaksin Shinawatra.

Somsak told reporters at the Pheu Thai party headquarters where he and the two others were warmly welcomed by the party’s rank and file that the Pheu Thai could potentially score a landslide victory in the nationwide election and finally set up a one-party government as had been the case with the court-dissolved Thai Rak Thai under deposed prime minister Thaksin nearly two decades earlier.

The Sam Mit leader who reportedly takes control of several former MPs mostly in upper-central constituencies remarked that today’s largest opposition party could probably become tomorrow’s one-party government and that he agreed to Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew’s prediction that the Pheu Thai will get as many as 310 out of a total of 500 MPs in the May 14 election.

“The sky is clear without dark clouds and the democratic climate has come back again…….I am now ready to work to the best of my ability for the party,” Somsak said.

The trio of Sam Mit Group had performed as cabinet members under Thaksin’s premiership before they skipped over to the Palang Pracharath led by Prawit Wongsuwan.

Whilst it will be very unlikely for 250 senators, all of whom had been handpicked by the 2014 coup junta, to vote for a Pheu Thai partisan contender for prime minister, the Palang Pracharath boss who is running as sole partisan contestant for head of a post-election government is largely speculated to be given solid support from among the unelected lawmakers.

CAPTION:

Sam Mit group leader Somsak Thepsuthin and former industry minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit being warmly welcomed at Pheu Thai Party headquarters. All photos: Thai Rath