By Thai Newsroom Reporters
LABOUR MINISTER TRINUCH Thienthong is contesting for prime minister under the Palang Pracharath tickets in the Feb.8 general election in lieu of party leader Prawit Wongsuwan who has stepped aside for health reasons.
Deputy Palang Pracharath leader Paiboon Nititawan confirmed today (Dec.24) Trinuch who concurrently acts as the Palang Pracharath secretary-general is running as the No.1 partisan contestant for prime minister with former finance minister Thirachai Puvanatnaranubala vying as the No.2 contender for head of a post-election government whilst Prawit has decided to no longer contest due to unspecified health reasons.
Meanwhile, Paiboon downplayed speculation that Prawit might probably call it quits from politics for good as soon as he has finished formally verifying the Palang Pracharath electoral candidacy for those vying in both constituency-based and party-listed modes under the banners of the disintegrating camp.
Neither did he confirm or deny the possibility that Trinuch might be sooner or later named Palang Pracharath leader in place of Prawit who had desperately run as the sole Palang Pracharath candidate for prime minister in the 2023 election.
De facto Klatham boss/Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Agriculture & Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompao had earlier orchestrated an en masse departure of 20 ex-MPs including himself from Prawit’s camp for his own with intent to seek re-election under their new party’s tickets.
Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed today a trio of current cabinet members under the Bhumjaithai-led caretaker government will definitely stay put with the same ministerial seats if the ruling party remains as core of a coalition government after the Feb.8 election.
That referred to Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapat, Commerce Minister Supajee Suthumpun and Foreign Minister Sihasak Puangketkaeo.
The caretaker prime minister was apparently responding to news reports that neither Ekniti nor Supajee had eventually agreed to being named his running mate vying for prime minister in the nationwide election. Anutin who concurrently acts as the Bhumjaithai leader had contested as the sole partisan contender for head of government in the previous election.
However, it remains to be seen very shortly whether he may have a running mate or two to contest alongside for the top post of the executive branch whilst an official registration for electoral candidacy in party-listed mode is scheduled for the upcoming Sunday, following that in constituency-based mode provided for the upcoming Saturday.
Thailand’s electoral rules provide without compulsory effects for each political party to name a maximum of three persons as partisan contestants for prime minister in case that either one could possibly be deprived of power at any given day due to any legal battles in which he or she might possibly be found guilty and punished by law, thus warranting the naming of another one on the list to replace the deposed person as had been the case of a couple of former Pheu Thai prime ministers, namely Srettha Thavisin and Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Both Srettha, who was personally close to former, fugitive prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and Paetongtarn, daughter of de facto Pheu Thai boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra, were deposed of their elected premiership at the orders of the Constitutional Court on charges of evidently perpetrating a severe breach to the politician’s code of ethics pertaining to last year’s naming by the former of an ex-convict, namely Pichit Chuenban, for a member of cabinet and last June’s detrimental cellphone conversation between the latter and senior Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
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Top and Front Page – Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan with Labour Minister Trinuch Thienthong. Photos – Thai Rath
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