By Thai Newsroom Reporters
FORMER PRIME MINISTER Chuan Leekpai said today (Aug. 28) he was undaunted by the near-certainty of his partisan colleagues eagerly jumping onto the Pheu Thai bandwagon of a coalition government whilst he himself is ultimately opposed to it.
Chuan, a current Democrat MP and former Democrat leader, reconfirmed that he will by no means back down from his persistent standpoint against the long-awaited plan laid out by Democrat leader Chalermchai Sri-on for the Democrats’ long-awaited entry into the Pheu Thai-led government.
But the former prime minister declined to tell how he would finally react in protest of the near-certainty involving fellow Democrat MPs who will endorse the partisan resolution to join the Pheu Thai-led government during or after tomorrow’s meeting between all 25 Democrat MPs including himself and 28 executive board members of the country’s oldest party.
Chuan has been earlier quietly threatened with an immediate ouster as partisan member if he could practically keep the Democrats from joining the new government under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra.
The former prime minister concluded that he cannot “betray the people”, especially those in southern constituencies, who had voted the Democrats for MPs in previous elections primarily due to their sustained antagonism against Thaksin’s regime.
If ever ousted as a Democrat member by the party’s executive board, the former prime minister/former party leader would be given a 30-day period to skip over to another party and keep his MP status intact as provided by law.
A written invitation has been delivered to the Democrats to join the Pheu Thai-led government following the anticipated dumping of the Palang Pracharath out of it.
More or less anticipated to endorse Chuan’s anti-coalition stand, albeit to no avail, are former Democrat leader Jurin Laksanavisit and former deputy Democrat leader Banyat Bantattan.
Under Chalermchai’s command, 21 out of the total 25 Democrat MPs will almost certainly accept the invitation to join the Pheu Thai-led government in return for a couple of ministerial seats with one being meant for Democrat secretary-general Det-it Khaothong and the other for the party leader.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page: Former prime minister Chuan Leekpai, left, holding talks with former Democrat leader Jurin Laksanavisit, former deputy Democrat leader Banyat Bantattan and Democrat MP for Songkhla Sanphet Boonyamanee at Parliament today. Both photos: Thai Rath
Also read: Chuan threatened ouster as Democrat MP
Palang Pracharath dumped out of Pheu Thai-led coalition in ‘double-crossing’ act
Pheu Thai-led govt to have more MPs including Democrats
Thaksin calls Pheu Thai-dissolution-seeking lawsuit ‘baloney’
Another landslide in Phuket but no casualties
Two brothers held for producing deadly moonshine
