May 22, 2014 coup still haunts party
The United Thai Nation (UTN) Party has landed the No.22 party-list election campaign number, which serves as a painful reminder for their election rivals in the Pheu Thai Party.
For Pheu Thai, the number harks back to May 22, 2014, when the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) launched a coup that toppled the Pheu Thai-led administration. The NCPO was led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha who was then army chief.
At yesterday’s party-list candidacy registration in Bangkok, the drawing of No.22 from the lots by the UTN apparently irked some Pheu Thai members and supporters gathered at the registration venue in Din Daeng district.
Shouts were directed towards Gen Prayut, who led the UTN registration, telling him never again to stage a coup. This immediately prompted a retort from the UTN supporters.
Meanwhile, Gen Prayut said the UTN, of which he serves as chief strategist, will be arranging for him to join the party’s campaign trail.
He insisted it was too early to discuss the prospects of what parties will form the next coalition government or whether the current coalition parties will try to re-forge the existing alliance after the next poll.
Twenty-seat target
The ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has set its sights on winning 20 House seats in the party list system, according to its leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.
Gen Prawit, also the most senior deputy prime minister, was accompanied by PPRP heavyweights as the party presented its list of candidates for registration with the Election Commission at City Hall yesterday which marked the first of four days of list candidacy registrations.
Gen Prawit said the party was confident of winning 20 MP seats via the list election method where 100 seats are up for grabs.
In the previous 2019 general election, the PPRP won 97 constituency MP seats and obtained 19 list MPs under the single-ballot election system. The upcoming election on May 14 will revert to the dual-ballot method in which one ballot will be for selecting a constituency MP and the other for voting a party into government.
At yesterday’s list candidacy registration, the PPRP drew lots and landed the No.37 election campaign number.
Magic numbers
The Thai Sang Thai (TST) Party believes it is set for good fortune after describing the campaign number it picked yesterday, 32, as being “auspicious”.
After the party obtained the number via a draw in Bangkok yesterday, TST leader Khunying Sudarat Keyurapan, who is also the party’s sole prime ministerial candidate, said No.32 bodes well for the party as it coincides with the 32 campaign policies it has in store for voters.
The number is also believed by Thais to represent a healthy physical condition. With that in mind, she took the number as a sign the party is fit and ready to win the upcoming election.
Khunying Sudarat said the public had been the “loser” during the past 17 years of power struggles in which two military coups have been successfully staged. Now it is the people’s turn to win, she said.
Suwat tops Korn
The Chartpattanakla Party has named its three prime ministerial candidates, with Suwat Liptapanlop emerging as the top contender for the post.
The candidates were chosen at a recent meeting of party executives, in which Mr Suwat was selected as the party’s main pick, followed by Chartpattanakla leader Korn Chatikavanij and secretary-general Tewan Liptapanlop.
The party will submit the names to the Election Commission today, said Mr Suwat, before stressing that Chartpattanakla is open to forming a coalition with any political party as long as they are committed to the principles of democracy.
He said the party will focus on ending the nation’s economic problem and chronic political instability as its priority.
The party’s list candidates are mostly young people, Mr Suwat said.
He said as Chartpattanakla is a small party, he did not expect to win many list seats.
Dems bank on depth
The Democrat Party submitted the names of 98 list candidates — two shy of the maximum number — to the Election Commission (EC) yesterday.
Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit led party stalwarts to City Hall 2 in Din Daeng district and presented the EC with the party’s 98 list candidates.
Political parties can each name up to 100 list MP candidates, although few have entered a full quota.
Mr Jurin also declared himself ready to rise to the challenges as the party’s sole prime ministerial candidate and suggested the tide had already turned in their favour in several constituencies.