Leading opposition party Pheu Thai has promised not to sit on its laurels after an opinion poll showed Paetongtarn "Ung Ing" Shinawatra was the people’s choice for prime minister by a considerable margin.
The survey by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) showed the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had the support of 25.28% of respondents, followed by 13.24% for Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Current prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had just 11.68%, while 18.68% said no-one is suitable for the post.
The Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties together command the support of more than half the population, according to the opinion poll. Palang Pracharath came third with just 7.00%, followed by 6.32% for the Democrat Party.
Anussorn Iamsa-ard, deputy secretary of Pheu Thai’s committee on political strategy and direction, thanked the people for having shown their support for Ms Paetongtarn and Pheu Thai via Nida Poll.
He said the party would not get carried away or become complacent over the survey result. Instead, it would work hard to develop new policies to solve the problems of the country and the people.
Mr Anussorn said any parties can write their policies in a way that attracts support in political campaigns. But only Pheu Thai can truly put its policies into practice.
He suggested that Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the prime minister and defence minister, examine himself and explain to the people why he has been unable to push for true implementation of his policies.
It is now time for Gen Prayut to return power to the people and let them elect a new prime minister through the MPs they vote for in a new election, he said.
Senator Wanchai Sornsiri wrote on his Facebook page that the phrase "landslide victory" used by Pheu Thai may sound exciting and encouraging, but it is highly doubtful that it can be achieved.
The senator said Ms Paetongtarn seems to want to follow in the footsteps of her aunt, Yingluck, who managed to leapfrog other into the prime minister’s chair in 49 days.
Ms Paetongtarn fails to admit the fact that many of her family members had been driven away in different directions because they made politics a family business, he said.
If she repeated what her family had done, she could find that both she and Pheu Thai meet the same fate, the senator continued.
Mr Wanchai said the post of prime minister cannot just be grabbed by anyone, unlike the post of company chairman or manager, which can be given to any individual. Ms Paetongtarn still has a long way to go and there is no need for her to act prematurely, he added.
He said Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew should be the candidate for prime minister in the next election - with the Shinawatra family playing other roles, either openly or in the background.
