Pheu Thai-Palang Pracharath coalition ‘impossible’ if Prayut endorsed for PM again

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

THE PHEU THAI PARTY will never join in coalition with those who may look to help Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha prolong his rule beyond the next general election, said Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew today (Oct. 23).

The Pheu Thai Party, de facto led by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra who has been taking self-exile overseas following the 2006 coup, will definitely find it “impossible” to join in partnership with any others who may merely look to endorse the tempted prolonging of rule of the current premier after the nationwide race to parliament, expected early next year, according to Chonlanan.

His comments were apparently made in response to speculation that a number of Palang Pracharath MPs would offer to endorse Prayut’s proclaimed design to retain power for another two years after the general election to complete an eight-year rule maximumly provided by law until 2025 and then be succeeded as prime minister by Palang Pracharath top leader-cum-Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan for a subsequent two-year period to completely meet the House of Representatives’ four-year term.

Unlike the 2019 general election when Prayut was the sole Palang Pracharath candidate for prime minister, the next one would probably see the naming of a trio of Palang Pracharath contestants vying for the top post of government, partisan sources said.

The speculated trio of Palang Pracharath candidates for prime minister would almost certainly include Prayut and Prawit, plus another partisan contestant.

Nevertheless, Prayut might possibly opt out from the planned naming of a Palang Pracharath trio and turn to another camp such as the brand-new Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party where he would likely emerge as the sole candidate for prime minister, the sources said.

In the meantime, the Pheu Thai leader reassured that the largest opposition party which has been constantly opposed to the Prayut regime since the 2014 coup orchestrated by the former army chief-turned-premier might possibly join hands with the Palang Pracharath Party in a concerted effort to set up a coalition government after the next general election on condition that Prawit’s camp no longer support Prayut as prime minister again.

According to Chonlanan, possibilities of the Pheu Thai Party joining hands with the Palang Pracharath Party to set up a coalition government of their own would not be entirely ruled out if the latter no longer named Prayut for prime minister after the next election.

The Pheu Thai Party has reportedly planned to name a trio of candidates for head of a post-election government as they did in the previous election with Thaksin having repeatedly encouraged their rank and file to manage to score a “landslide” victory nationwide so they could possibly become core fo a post-election coalition government, either with or without the Palang Pracharath Party to join in.

The Pheu Thai trio of contenders for prime minister reportedly includes real estate tycoon Settha Taweesin, known to be closely associated with former premier Yingluck Shinawatra, a younger sister of Thaksin’s who has been as well staying in self-exile overseas following the latest coup, and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of Thaksin’s.

CAPTIONS:

Top: Pheu Thai Party logo, left, and Palang Pracharath Party logo, right. Photo: Matichon

Front Page: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, left, and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, right. Photo: Matichon

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