By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE PEOPLE’S TODAY (Dec.18) named four partisan contestants who are merely running for deputy prime ministers whilst People’s leader Nattapong Ruengpanyawut will only vie for head of government in the Feb.8 election.
During a two-day seminar of People’s electoral candidates at a Bangkok hotel, Nattapong formally unveiled the four People’s candidates predestined as deputy prime minister with himself contesting for head of the executive branch on condition that the reformist camp wins most MP seats in the nationwide election and consequently has the opportunity to set up a government of their own.
Those partisan contestants proposed as future deputy prime ministers include ex-MP Picharn Chaowapatanawong in charge of democratic rule and national security matters, ex-MP Sirikanya Tansakun in charge of bureaucratic reforms, Veerayooth Kanchoochat in charge of economic policies and Dejrat Sukkamnerd in charge of life quality matters.
However, Nattapong, Veerayooth and Sirikanya have been earlier publicly introduced as a trio of People’s contestants for prime minister after the Feb.8 election. Now Nattapong is the only People’s contestant for head of a post-election government.
The People’s who have invariably launched an electoral campaign slogan which says “We Do Without Grey Elements” happened to be the first party to have unambiguously predestined certain persons for deputy prime ministers with the supposed roles of overseeing varied portfolios of cabinet if they become government after the general election whilst others may or may not follow suit prior to the nationwide race to parliament.
In political jargon, “grey” refers to any rogue wheeler-dealers who may be clandestinely involved in the perpetrating of crimes such as transnational, money-stealing scams and money-laundering activities, among other illegal dealings.
Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul today declined to either confirm or deny speculation that Acting Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Acting Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapat and Acting Commerce Minister Supajee Suthumpun might eventually turn down a sustained offer for them to contest the general election as his running mates among a trio of Bhumjaithai candidates for prime minister.
The caretaker prime minister who concurrently performs as acting interior minister and leader of the ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai, core of the caretaker coalition government under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob stopped short of confirming whether other persons will be named among a trio of partisan contenders for prime minister if Ekniti or Supajee or both finally refuse to jump onto Newin’s bandwagon and become his running mates.
Anutin only reassured that he himself and not any of his running mates will certainly be named prime minister if the Bhumjaithai continues to be core of a post-election government.
In the meantime, the neo-conservative Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra has not yet publicly unveiled who among a trio of partisan contenders for prime minister will be eventually named head of government if they eventually manage to set up a post-election government either with or without the Bhumjaithai and any others as coalition partners.
The trio of Pheu Thai contestants for prime minister are Thaksin’s nephew/former Mahidol University rector Yodchanan Wongsawat, Sam Mit Group co-leader/former transport minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit and Pheu Thai leader Julapun Amornvivat.
Suriya who has been earlier named the party’s electoral campaign director was not viewed to be very prepared with “resources” to provide for most Pheu Thai candidates vying in constituency-based mode, thus leaving the sustained, decisive roles of hush-hush campaign finance to the Shinawatra family and seeing his chances of becoming head of government very slim and overshadowed by Yodchanan, son of Thaksin’s brother-in-law/former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and sister Yaowapa Wongsawat, whilst Julapun who undoubtedly assumes the post of a powerless, only-in-name party leader could possibly be the third man after the two others to be picked as prime minister by the de facto party boss.
It remains up to anyone’s guess whether the ultra-conservative Klatham, a caretaker coalition partner, will have a couple or trio of partisan contenders for prime minister in addition to de facto party boss Thammanat Prompao who currently performs as acting deputy prime minister-cum-agriculture & cooperatives minister. Klatham leader/Acting Education Minister Naruemon Pinyosinwat confirmed Thammanat will certainly be the party’s first candidate vying for head of a post-election government.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page – People’s Party leader Nattapong Ruengpanyawut speaking at the camp’s seminar today, Dec. 18, 2025. Photos – Naewna
First insert: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul speaking to reporters this morning, Dec. 18, 2025. Photo – Amarin TV
Second insert – Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister Yodchanan Wongsawat. Photo – PPTVHD36
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