Pheu Thai Party flexes muscles at local contest in Roi Et

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

THE PHEU THAI PARTY today (Sept. 18) flexed their muscles contesting for head of a provincial administration of Roi Et in what was largely viewed as a warm-up to the next general election for MPs.

Though the election for head of the northeastern provincial administrative organisation, scheduled for next Sunday, merely involves local politics, such a local race is practically seen as a curtain raiser to the next general election for MPs with fierce tugs of war going on among three major contenders who are more or less closely associated with and supported by various nationally famed figures, partisan sources said.

That refers to the contestant for head of the provincial administrative organisation, better known in Thai as Nayok Or Bor Jor, under support from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party against one endorsed by the Move Forward Party and the other by the Pheu Thai Party, the latter two of which being in the opposition bloc.

A former Pheu Thai MP, namely Seksit Wainiyompong, is vying against the two archrivals including one quietly endorsed by Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and the other closely related to former MP/former Nayok Or Bor Jor Ekapap Polsue.

Thanathorn who had earlier led the Future Forward Party which was dissolved by court and practically turned into the Move Forward Party has rooted for Jureeporn Sindhuprai running for Nayok Or Bor Jor whilst Ekapap who had been defeated as candidate for MP under the tickets of the Palang Pracharath Party in the 2019 election and was elected Nayok Or Bor Jor the following year has sent his spouse, Ratchanee Polsue, vying for the top post of the provincial administration.

Though the Progressive Movement-backed Jureeporn carries the same family name as Pheu Thai MP Jiraporn Sindhuprai, they are practically not riding on the same bandwagon when it comes to local politics, the sources said.

In the previous election, Seksit, a five-time former MP, had opted to not contest for MP to avoid vying against partisan colleagues, given a reduction in the total of Roi Et constituencies from eight to seven.

Whilst Jiraporn has performed as legislator in the opposition bloc at parliament, Ratchanee has been given an administrative post in the Office of the Secretary to the Prime Minister at Government House.

Highlighting the local election in Roi Et today was Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and head of “Pheu Thai Family” who has already spearheaded the Pheu Thai Party’s electoral campaign alongside former Red Shirt leader Nattawut Saikua during the running up to the nationwide race to parliament largely speculated between later this year and early next.

It remains to be seen whether Paetongtarn will finally be named a Pheu Thai candidate for head of a post-election government, however.

All the three parties currently lending support behind the contests of the locally prominent contenders for Nayok Or Bor Jor would almost certainly hope for sweeping wins in all eight constituencies of the northeastern province in the next election for MPs if next Sunday’s local race in Roi Et landed either one a successful prelude to the national-level victory.

In the previous election, six Pheu Thai candidates were elected MPs of Roi Et among many others throughout the 20-province Isaan region which comprises most of the country’s 400 constituencies.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and head of “Pheu Thai Family”, in Roi Et today. Photo: Matichon

First insert: Caretaker Prime Minister-cum-Palang Pracharath Party leader Prawit Wongsuwan in Nongbua Lamphu province yesterday. Photo: Matichon

Second insert and Front Page: Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. Photo: INN News

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