The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has expressed confidence in its popularity, introducing six potential candidates to run for MP seats in the northern region in the next general election.
Introduced at party headquarters on Thursday were Dejnattawit Teriyapirom, Santi Tansuhat and Norapol Tantimontri who will run in Chiang Mai; Chamlong Rungruang and Pol Maj Chalerm Piyasiriwat for Mae Hong Son; and Phichit Moksri for Nan.
Mr Dejnattawit is a son of Boonsong Teriyapirom, a former commerce minister who was jailed for corruption in connection with the rice-pledging project of the Yingluck Shinawatra government.
PPRP secretary-general Santi Promphat said the ruling party was still going strong, regardless of what recent opinion surveys might say. He said the party is committed to improving people’s livelihoods and carrying out development projects to meet local people’s needs.
Mr Santi, who is also deputy finance minister, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwon received overwhelming support during their recent visits to provincial centres.
He also dismissed as pure speculation a possible mass defection of party MPs after several members turned up in Buri Ram this week to celebrate the 64th birthday of Newin Chidchob, the Buri Ram strongman and key figure behind Bhumjaithai.
Mr Santi said the party MPs were there to extend their best wishes to Mr Newin, and their attendance did not imply they were defecting.
“The party has confidence in its MPs, who have been with us and taken care of people. But, if a few members plan to leave, it’s possible and it’s normal,” he said.
In another development, Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat said the party is setting its sights on winning more constituency seats in the next election, which has tentatively been set for May 7 next year. It hopes to have representatives in every region, he said.
The opposition party on Friday will launch a pre-election campaign, with members touring seven northeastern provinces, before rolling out its first policy platform in the middle of this month, he said.
Mr Pita said MFP had started discussing the possibility of forming a post-election alliance, but stressed that its core policies must be implemented for any such alliance to happen.
He also said the party’s legal team would file a complaint against the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) if it still refuses to publish the details of Gen Prayut’s wealth following the Constitutional Court ruling on the premier’s term limit.
With the court’s ruling that Gen Prayut’s term began when the charter was promulgated in 2017, the NACC is obliged to make public the prime minister’s assets and debts, Mr Pita insisted.
Under the revised NACC law, those serving in the cabinet prior to the 2019 general election, who went on to be appointed in the same cabinet posts after the election, would be exempt from declaring their assets and liabilities to the NACC, post-election.
However, Gen Prayut volunteered to provide details of assets and liabilities post-election. The NACC has insisted it has no power to disclose the leader’s wealth under the new NACC law.
