South-East Asia (Page 764)

Inclusion of PPRP, UTN parties in alliance is ‘main reason’

Red-shirt co-leader Nattawut Saikuar, secretary-general of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), has declared an end to his role as director of the Pheu Thai Family, citing the inclusion of Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties in the coalition government proposed by the Pheu Thai Party as the main reason.

“For me, the decision to end my role as director of the Pheu Thai Family is an injury in my heart. This is my home. I was born here, grew up here and have been fighting here. All the people in this house are my brothers. But when the time comes, I have to make a decision,” he said.

Mr Nattawut was speaking during an online news programme on YouTube hosted by TV presenter Sorayuth Suthassanachinda on Monday morning.

He said he had informed senior figures in the Pheu Thai Party of his decision. They included Paetongtarn Shinawatra, head of the Pheu Thai Family, Srettha Thavisin, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, and former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra.

Asked whether his decision was a result of Pheu Thai having included the Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties in the coalition it is forming, Mr Nattawut replied, “That is the main reason.”

He said he was confident Mr Srettha would finally get parliamentary endorsement as prime minister.

Mr Nattawut reassured red-shirt members of the UDD who remain staunch supporters of Pheu Thai that his decision would not cause any damage to the party.

He said he had waited before announcing his decision, until he was sure the party had managed to garner sufficient votes for Mr Srettha to be elected prime minister.

Mr Nattawut said he would also ask Move Forward, with 151 MPs, to support the push for amendment of the constitution and legal action against those responsible for dispersing past UDD protests, resulting in deaths and injuries.

Srettha Thavisin, Pheu Thai’s main prime ministerial candidate, on Sunday defended his business track record and expressed hope that his nomination would be endorsed by parliament during a vote on Tuesday.

The property developer-turned-politician was recently accused by whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit of unethical business dealings, including land deals, while working with real estate developer Sansiri, raising the question of whether Mr Srettha can be trusted running the country.

In response, Mr Srettha said that as a political figure, he is open to criticism.

However, he is confident that he and Sansiri never engaged in any shady land purchases, noting he had adhered to good corporate governance for over three decades. He denies Mr Chuvit’s claims.

Mr Srettha resigned from all positions at Sansiri in April ahead of the May 14 general election to pursue his political ambition with the Pheu Thai Party.

He said he had clarified the matter raised by Mr Chuvit and believed MPs and senators would use discretion when voting. He said he had complete trust in the Pheu Thai Party, which was negotiating with prospective coalition partners.

He added that key policies of every potential partner would be incorporated into government policies and Pheu Thai’s controversial digital wallet programme would be accepted and implemented by its allies.

He declined to disclose information on the allocation of cabinet seats, an issue being discussed on social media. “Don’t be hasty. Let’s take it step-by-step. But I’m confident that Pheu Thai and its partners will propose qualified people,” he said.

Pheu Thai list-MP Sutin Klungsang said on Sunday the party has met all conditions raised by MPs and senators, and that he sees no reason why Mr Srettha will not be elected on Tuesday.

He said Mr Srettha’s qualifications were examined before he was named as candidate. The party also looked into the allegations made by Mr Chuvit and found them to be untrue, he added.

In other news, the Democrat Party, with 25 MPs, will hold a meeting today to decide how to vote in the PM selection, a source said.

One group of MPs who opposed joining the Pheu Thai-led bloc might ask the Democrat Party to abstain from voting or allow a free vote on the matter, the source said.

Other reports say that as many as 21 Democrat MPs want to support a Pheu Thai candidate so the party is invited to join the government.

A source from the Pheu Thai Party said there is lobbying for the defence portfolio to be set aside for the Palang Pracharath Party, which has yet to join the Pheu Thai-led alliance but has shown support.

Senators want to hear him at meet

Senators now expect Pheu Thai Party’s prime ministerial candidate Srettha Thavisin to respond in parliament to questions about his ethical standards following various accusations made against him.

They want to hear from him before they decide whether to support him in tomorrow’s prime ministerial vote. Mr Sretta has previously expressed some reluctance to show, as he is not an elected member of the House or Senate.

Pheu Thai needs about 60 votes from the 249-member Senate for its prime ministerial candidate to win the parliamentary vote and become Thailand’s next prime minister.

In the case the candidate nominated for Tuesday’s vote fails to muster enough support from the Senate, that candidate cannot be re-nominated, in line with the precedent set on July 19, when the nomination of Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat for a second vote was rejected.

Senator Somchai Sawangkarn on Sunday said he wanted a clear answer from Pheu Thai as to which of its three prime ministerial candidates will actually be nominated.

He was responding to rumours that the party was considering swapping Mr Srettha with either Paetongtarn Shinawatra or Chaikasem Nitisiri, after accusations by whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit against Mr Srettha raised questions over his business dealings.

If Pheu Thai wants to switch to a new candidate, the Senate should be informed in advance so it will have enough time to prepare to scrutinise the candidate’s qualification before the vote takes place, said Mr Somchai.

“If senators are left with insufficient time to examine the new candidate’s qualification, they might not vote for him or her,” he said.

“If Pheu Thai insists on nominating Mr Srettha, he should come to Tuesday’s joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate to deliver a statement demonstrating his vision as a would-be prime minister, and respond to questions which may be asked before the vote,” Mr Somchai said.

Mr Srettha’s response to Mr Chuvit’s accusations was not enough to address the questions the public may have about the alleged misconduct, said Mr Somchai.

He added that many senators who had already promised to throw their weight behind the party are now doubting their position because of the accusations made by Mr Chuvit.

He was referring to alleged tax evasion carried out by Sansiri Plc, the property development company for which Mr Srettha had served as CEO prior to throwing his hat in the political ring.

“The chances [of Mr Srettha winning the support of the senators] stand at fifty-fifty.

“It will largely depend on how the party handles the situation in the days to come,” he said.

Sen Seree Suwanpanont said if Mr Srettha doesn’t show up to answer questions in person, the senators will have to base their decision only what Mr Srettha’s representative has to say.

In addition to questions surrounding Mr Srettha’s ethics, a number of senators are eager to ask the Pheu Thai’s candidate about the party’s plan to implement its 10,000-baht digital wallet policy, to ensure the policy won’t hurt the country’s finances, he said.

Meanwhile, Sen Direkrit Jenklongtham said he believed most MPs and senators will base their decision on two factors — the candidate’s qualifications and whether or not the candidate’s party has the support of the lower House.

Aside from these two factors, the Senate will also take into consideration the candidate’s ethical and moral standards, along with his or her vision on how to implement the government’s core policies, said Mr Direkrit.

With regards to Mr Srettha’s vow to rewrite the constitution immediately after the government takes office, the senator said he will have to explain why the charter needs to be rewritten in such a rush, and what benefits the amendment would bring the public.

He encouraged Mr Srettha to attend Tuesday’s meeting, calling it a good opportunity for him to convince MPs and senators that he is suited to be the next prime minister.

Meanwhile, Ms Paetongtarn said Pheu Thai still hopes to see Mr Srettha win the forthcoming vote.