By Thai Newsroom Reporters
NUALPAN LAMSAM, better known as Madam Pang, might probably be named Democrat secretary-general in a party caucus to pick a new leadership of the Old School conservative camp scheduled for the upcoming Saturday, a partisan source said today (Oct.13).
Madam Pang, the current president of the Football Association of Thailand, might probably be named Democrat secretary-general in place of Dej-it Khaotong who is speculated to depart for the Klatham, one of the Bhumjaithai-led coalition partners, whilst former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is largely expected to return to the country’s oldest party and be named party leader again.
Besides Abhisit who used to be a Democrat leader over the last several years, Madam Pang, daughter of former deputy Democrat leader Pothipong Lamsam, is more or less anticipated to help bolster the exponentially-ebbing popularity of the divided camp to some extent if she was given the post of the party’s secretary-general.
Abhisit has been so far reportedly unrivalled in being named a replacement for Chalermchai Sri-on who resigned as party leader last month, automatically rendering the partisan seats of secretary-general and all other executive board members vacant, pending Saturday’s party caucus.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen to what extent Abhisit and Madam Pang could possibly revive and restore the Democrat popularity among constituents nationwide, especially those in Bangkok and southern provinces, given a general election which might probably take place as soon as in the upcoming February or March.
The Democrat had been largely defeated in a few previous elections resulting in a sharp decline in the number of their MPs from 52 in the 2019 election to only 25 in the 2023 race to parliament three of which had been won by party-listed contestants, all being former party leaders namely Chuan Leekpai, Jurin Laksanavisit and Banyat Bantattan.
Despite Abhisit’s anticipated partisan leadership, the Democrat might probably fail to mark a significant increase in the number of their elected lawmakers in the next election since most of the Democrat MPs currently representing southern constituencies especially those headed Dej-it are more or less expected to leave for the Klatham under de facto party boss Thammanat Prompao and the Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, among other camps.
Following the 2019 election, Abhisit resigned as Democrat leader and MP in lone protest of the phenomenon in which Chalermchai, the then-Democrat secretary-general, took a twist in the party’s ideological principles from an anti-coup-junta stand to a pro-coup-junta one by aligning his camp into a Palang Pracharath-led coalition in support of former army chief-turned-coup leader-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as head of an elected government after he had named himself prime minister following the 2014 coup.
Whilst the anticipated roles of Abhisit and probably those of Madam Pang in the Old School conservative camp could be considered an uphill task, an electoral success will not only hinge on partisan popularity and hype but on what is called “ammunition” for campaign finance.
“Financially speaking, this old party has no money to fund their electoral candidates in the general election unless the likes of Madam Pang come along to help with it,” the partisan source said.
The Lamsam family is invariably known as founders of Kasikorn Bank, one of the country’s giants, with Bantoon Lamsam, a nephew of Madam Pang’s father, previously playing the family’s latest role in the bank as CEO.
CAPTIONS:
Ms. Nualpan Lamsam, aka Madam Pang. Top photo – Thai Rath, Front Page photo – PPTVHD 36
Insert: Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Photo – PPTVHD 36
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