By Thai Newsroom Reporters
SOME RENEGADE Democrat MPs might probably cast a yea vote in support of Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for re-elected head of a Bhumjaithai-led government following last month’s election despite the fact that their own party will likely wind up in an opposition bloc, partisan sources said today (March 10).
Out of a total 21 Democrat MPs, nine or 10 might ironically choose to vote Anutin for prime minister whilst the others would almost certainly abstain from voting due to their becoming part of the People’s-led opposition bloc headed by former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Given the naming of Anutin for re-elected prime minister being tentatively scheduled for March 19 during a special House of Representatives session, the Bhumjaithai leader will likely see nearly 300 MPs attached to varied coalition partners endorsing his fruitful campaign to prolong his rule, albeit invariably hinged on the sway and whims of de facto party boss Newin Chidchob.
Deputy Democrat leader/MP Chaichana Dejdecho had quietly pushed for his fifth largest elected party to be brought into the Bhumjaithai-led government, albeit to no avail, whilst Abhisit, many other Democrat MPs and most members of the party’s executive board would prefer otherwise.
Most of the 10 Democrat MPs elected in constituency-based mode are anticipated to follow Chaichana, a former deputy public health minister, whilst most of the 11 colleagues elected in party-listed mode would likely be submissive to Abhisit.
Nevertheless, the current constitution bestows individual liberty to all elected lawmakers to the extent that they may not necessarily adhere to their party lines and to vote independently, albeit at the cost of losing their partisan membership under a punitive resolution of the party’s executive board. Yet, renegade lawmakers are provided by law a 60-day period to register themselves for membership of another party to keep their MP status intact.
In many cases over the past years, renegade MPs had remained as strange bedfellows among the rank and file of the parties against which they had resolutely disobeyed without being formally ousted by their executive boards, thanks to the coup junta-designed charter allegedly designed to deter and dampen the partisan strength and unity. Those defiant renegades would undoubtedly wait until a run-up to the next election to skip over to another camp and seek re-election under the new partisan banners.
Meanwhile, Abhisit, leader of the Old School conservative party who had earlier resolved to never get on the same boat with the ultra-conservative Klatham, the fourth largest elected camp under de facto party boss Thammanat Prompao, are ironically sharing the opposition bloc at parliament with his archenemy, besides the reformist People’s, the second largest elected camp.
In 2019, Abhisit quietly staged a protest against his own party’s executive board and partisan colleagues who had resolved to endorse former coup leader-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for head of a post-election government led by the military-installed Palang Pracharath by resigning as Democrat leader and MP, leaving the divided party to his successor Chalermchai Sri-on who called it quits last year but continued to send his proteges contesting last month’s election under the Klatham tickets, thus considerably dissatisfying his predecessor who was more or less prompted to publicly showcase his antagonism against Thammanat.
In another development, Prasert Chanthararuangthong, secretary-general of the Pheu Thai, the second largest partner of the potential Bhumjaithai-led coalition, has been strongly recommended as a member of the Anutin II cabinet by the Pheu Thai executive board, regardless of sustained allegations that he had perpetrated misconduct during his time as digital economy & society minister in a previous Pheu Thai-led government.
The de facto Bhumjaithai boss had been advised that the re-elected prime minister could possibly be impeached and deposed by court if any scandalous figures were named members of cabinet on charge of severely breaching the politician’s code of ethics as had been the case of the former Pheu Thai-attached, court-deposed prime minister Srettha Thavisin over the last few years.
Other prominent Pheu Thai figures are anticipated to be given ministerial seats including Yodchanan Wongsawat, nephew of de facto Pheu Thai boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra, party leader Julapun Amornvivat and the party’s electoral campaign director Suriya Juangroongruangkit, among others.
Suriya, co-leader of the Sam Mit faction inside Thaksin’s camp, who had shared burdens of campaign finance with the Shinawatra family whereas the de facto Pheu Thai boss had literally remotely directed it from jail would undoubtedly prefer to grab a major portfolio such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives since the transport portfolio where he used to run will likely be assumed by Newin’s camp.
Somsak Thepsuthin, the other co-leader of the intra-party faction with a dozen MPs at command, will likely be denied a ministerial seat at least during an initial part of a preferable four-year term for the Bhumjaithai-led coalition government which might probably last no longer than a six- to nine-month time from now. Suriya and Somsak had taken care of Pheu Thai contestants vying in upper-central, lower-central and western constituencies, many of whom were defeated by Newin’s and Thammanat’s camps.
The de facto Pheu Thai boss-turned-inmate, scheduled to be released on parole in the upcoming May after he has literally spent eight months behind bars, would probably patch up differences between the Sam Mit or other factions and his family members, namely his ex-spouse Potjaman Damapong and his sister Yaowapa Wongsawat, over the contentious allocation of cabinet portfolios and ministerial seats among the second largest coalition partner’s rank and file. Thaksin would as well contemplate the probability of promoting his nephew Yodchanan as Pheu Thai leader sooner or later in place of Julapun who is currently assuming the party leadership in an in-name-only manner.
CAPTIONS:
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul,left, with Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, right. Above photo – Thai Rath, Front Page photo – MNG Online
First insert – De facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchob. Photo – PPTVHD36
Second insert – Pheu Thai Secretary-General Prasert Chanthararuangthong. Photo – PPTVHD36
Third insert – De facto Pheu Thai boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo – Amarin TV
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