The Move Forward Party (MFP) yesterday insisted the war of words between its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, secretary-general of the Progressive Movement, was over.
The two men have made up and are now back on speaking terms, the MFP said, adding they decided to put their differences aside so they could concentrate on the election.
Mr Piyabutr was banned from politics when the Future Forward Party (FFP), of which he served as secretary-general, was dissolved by a Constitutional Court ruling on Feb 21, 2020, over the party’s procurement of an illegal loan extended by then-FFP leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
Its demise marked the birth of the MFP, with Mr Pita as its leader.
Mr Piyabutr had taken to social media to air his frustration with the way the MFP was being run, warning that the party was not winning any new voters and had little chance of scoring a major election victory in the next poll.
Mr Pita hit back at Mr Piyabutr on his Facebook page by describing the legal academic as unhelpful and a hindrance to the party’s progress.
After their heated online exchange, Mr Thanathorn posted a message on social media, reiterating his support for Mr Pita to run as the next prime minister.
Hours later, a video clip was released showing Mr Pita and Mr Piyabutr embracing and declaring they had resolved their differences.
In the same clip, which was tweeted by Surachet Pravinvongvuth, an MFP list-MP, Mr Pita and Mr Piyabutr were seen together at a party said to have been organised specifically for them to clear the air.
Mr Piyabut said: “We’ve talked it over, and we totally understand each other now. My apologies to everyone [in the party].”
In three months from now, everybody will be focusing mainly on the election, he said in the video. The two men promised there would be no more spats between them in the future.
Mr Thanathorn, chairman of the Progressive Movement, was also spotted at the party. He said yesterday the conflict between Mr Pita and Mr Piyabutr stemmed purely from a misunderstanding, which he described as nothing extraordinary.
The MFP and the Progressive Movement now share the same goal — to stop parties that are products of the 2014 coup from clinging to power, said Mr Thanathorn.
Rangsiman Rome, an MFP list-MP who previously urged Mr Piyabutr and Mr Pita to settle their dispute, dismissed criticism that the two men staged the rift for the purpose of raising the MFP’s profile.