By Thai Newsroom Reporters
SAM MIT GROUP, a faction of former MPs headed by Somsak Thepsuthin and Suriya Juangroongruangkit, will likely continue to stay with the Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra and seek re-election under the tickets of the neo-conservative camp in a general election tentatively scheduled for Feb.8, a partisan source confirmed today (Dec.13).
The latest decision of the duo of the Sam Mit Group leaders to stick around with Thaksin’s camp and to not depart for another camp was made after Suriya, a former transport minister and a former Pheu Thai secretary-general, had been named the party’s electoral campaign director whilst the Shinawatra family is more or less expected to stay on the sidelines when it comes to campaign finance, according to the partisan source.
Sam Mit Group, known to have several ex-MPs representing upper-central constituencies at their command, had been earlier speculated to skip over either to the Bhumjaithai, currently core of the caretaking coalition government under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, or the Klatham under de facto party boss/acting Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Agriculture & Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompao.
Remarkably, Suriya will likely be one of a trio of Pheu Thai contestants for prime minister in the nationwide election alongside Thaksin’s nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat and Pheu Thai leader Julapun Amornvivat.
Yodchanan, a deputy rector of Mahidol University, is son of Thaksin’s brother-in-law/former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and his sister Yaowapa Wongsawat who is largely known to have several northern MPs at her command.
Nevertheless, Somsak and Suriya could possibly change their mind at the last minute and leave Thaksin’s camp for another in regard to the foreseeable circumstances surrounding partisan campaign finance since the former transport minister would almost certainly not have enough “resources” to provide for hundreds of Pheu Thai candidates running in the Feb.8 election.
In another development, Thaksin who is expected to be released on parole in early March will likely take part in hush-hush talks among leaderships of certain parties on the setting up of a post-election coalition government, the partisan source added.
The de facto Pheu Thai boss is currently spending a one-year jail sentence at Klong Prem prison after the Supreme Court had ordered for his return to jail to serve his term which had originally amounted to eight years and then been curtailed by royal decree to only one year. After literally spending six months behind bars, his release on parole is anticipated by early March.
That Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has recently dissolved the House of Representatives to call a general election has ultimately denied Thaksin the opportunity to go on the Pheu Thai stumps and spearhead their electoral campaign nationwide.
Meanwhile, former Chart Thai Pattana leader/former social development & human security minister Varawut Silpa-archa is leading an exodus of 10 ex-Chart Thai Pattana MPs including himself and the party’s former secretary-general Prapat Bhothasuton to the Bhumjaithai and seek re-election under the banners of Newin’s camp.
Most have represented central constituencies of Supanburi, the Chart Thai Pattana’s largest stronghold founded by Varawut’s late father/former prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa.
Several former Democrat MPs led by ex-Democrat leader Chalermchai Sri-on and ex-Democrat secretary-general Dej-it Khaotong are largely anticipated to skip over to the Klatham and seek re-election mostly in southern constituencies under the tickets of Thammanat’s camp.
CAPTIONS:
Former Pheu Thai MPs Somsak Thepsuthin, centre left in above photo and left in Front Page photo, and Suriya Juangroongruangkit. Above photo – MNG Online, Front Page photo – Naewna
Insert – De facto Pheu Thai boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo – PPTVHD36
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