MFP told not to meddle in Pheu Thai post-poll efforts

Seri Ruam Thai chief makes position clear

The leader of the Seri Ruam Thai Party, Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, is warning the Move Forward Party (MFP) and other parties in the coalition not to interfere with Pheu Thai’s efforts to garner support for its PM candidate.

Pol Gen Sereepisuth said the MFP and the six other parties in its alliance should let Pheu Thai do the job, saying the priority right now is to ensure the bloc’s candidate has the support required to become Thailand’s next prime minister, not forming a government.

Seri Ruam Thai is one of the eight parties allied with the MFP.

He said when he previously said the MFP has to make sacrifices, he meant the MFP should step aside and let the other parties take charge in the process.

“I didn’t mean the MFP should be an opposition party. If they’re not going to help their friends out, must they also hold their friends back?” he said.

“Step aside and let Pheu Thai have a shot at having its candidate elected as PM. If [Pheu Thai] fails, then it will be on them. Don’t meddle in their efforts,” he said.

“If the people believe Pheu Thai isn’t acting properly, then don’t vote for it in the next election. But it’s wrong to hold demonstrations. That’s too much,” Pol Gen Sereepisuth said.

He was referring to a group of protesters who gathered outside Pheu Thai’s head office on Sunday while the party’s executives were meeting the Palang Pracharath Party.

The protesters demanded Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew honour the promise he made on behalf of Pheu Thai on the day it came together with seven other parties to sign a memorandum of understanding agreeing to work together.

Meanwhile, Chaowarit Kachornpongkirati, a list MP and leader of the Plung Sungkom Mai (Social New Force) Party, which is part of the eight-party bloc, said that since Pheu Thai is now in charge of forming a government, the MoU signed by the eight parties should be annulled to give Pheu Thai the freedom to do so.

He said he will raise the issue at a meeting of the parties on Tuesday.

He also said two other micro-parties — the Thai Teachers for People Party and the New Party — would back a Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister as long as the lese majeste law is left alone.