PUBLISHED : 30 Jul 2024 at 13:26
Key members of the coalition-member Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) are angered by two songs one member posted supporting party leader Prawit Wongsuwon for the job of prime minister.
Party secretary-general Thamanat Prompow on Tuesday gave the songs by Samart Janechaijitrawanich the thumbs-down and strongly reprimanded him.
Mr Samart released the two songs on Sunday. The first is “Uncle Tu Starts, Uncle Pom Follows Up” and the other is “From the Heart of Uncle Pom to All Thais“.
“Tu” is the nickname of former prime minister and privy councillor Prayut Chan-o-cha and “Pom” is Gen Prawit’s nickname.
The lyrics of “Uncle Tu Starts, Uncle Pom Follows Up” include “What Uncle Tu has left unfinished, Uncle Pom is ready to carry on”.
The lyrics of “From the Heart of Uncle Pom to All Thais” include “Come rain or come shine. He still stands by our side to make our dreams come true”.
Mr Samart called on fans of Gen Prawit to support the two songs, but only 14 people had shared them and few comments had been posted beneath them as of Tuesday.
PPRP member for Kamphaeng Phet, Phai Lik, was quick to explain on Sunday the songs were not the party’s idea and were by a member who is not on the executive board.
The two songs were posted after a song praising Gen Prayut, “Missing Uncle Tu”, went viral days earlier. The former prime minister was appointed to the Privy Council on November 2023.
Some PPRP members said Mr Samart was trying to ride on the popularity of the tune eulogising Gen Prayut and at the same time pointing to his own party’s current lack of initiative.
Mr Phai said PPRP was the party in the former Prayut government that initiated policies such as the state social welfare card system for the poor and giving poor farmers land title deeds.
Mr Samart is now in the firing line, with party members furious because he was seen as criticising the current government even though PPRP is part of the coalition.
Capt Thamanat, who is agriculture and cooperatives minister, on Tuesday warned him to stop what he was doing and threatened to have him expelled from the party if the warning is ignored.
Mr Samart is seen as a close aide to the party leader and has pushed for Gen Prawit to be prime minister.
Secretary-general Thamanat said his own ties with Gen Prawit remain strong, as does the unity of all executive members.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is himself under pressure, with a group of senators demanding his departure over the appointment of Pichit Chuenban to the cabinet in the latest reshuffle despite his having served a prison sentence for electoral fraud. Mr Pichit later resigned.