By Thai Newsroom Reporters
WHETHER THE BHUMJAITHAI may continue to be part of the Pheu Thai-led coalition government or depart for the opposition bloc will ultimately depend on de facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchob and not titular party leader Anutin Charnvirakul.
Though Anutin, the current deputy prime minister-cum-interior minister, has recently threatened to leave for the opposition bloc if he was removed from the interior portfolio, the Bhumjaithai leader could by no means turn his word into action whilst the de facto Bhumjaithai boss will most certainly have the final say to such political developments, a partisan source said over the weekend.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s father/de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra would not be worried about Anutin’s comments made in response to his having earlier designed to take the interior portfolio from Newin’s camp and hand out another one for the Bhumjaithai leader to assume in an imminent cabinet lineup.
“Anutin has had no power to literally tell any Bhumjaithai MPs to do anything, let alone any Bhumjaithai members of cabinet, without prior consent from Newin. Anutin is virtually more bark than bite and nobody would take him very seriously when it comes to significant decisions which the de facto party boss may make such as matters about new cabinet lineups,” the partisan source said.
That the Bhumjaithai leader has bluntly said he would somehow turn the second largest coalition partner into an opposition party if he was denied the interior portfolio which he currently holds in the cabinet lineup speculated later this month would merely be viewed as an empty threat to the power-playing, de facto Pheu Thai boss.
A hush-hush talk and quietly-made agreement between the de facto Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai bosses would effectually render results in regard to the anticipated cabinet reshuffle and definitely nobody would need any decisive role by Anutin when it comes to the choosing between staying in government or staying out, the partisan source concluded.
Newin who managed to take complete control of all Bhumjaithai MPs and members of cabinet and steer their legislative and executive chores need not consult with Anutin about such inter-party activity in the first place and would almost immediately dismiss Anutin’s whims of his ultra-conservative camp being kicked out from the coalition government into the opposition bloc at any given time.
“In traditional Thai politics, one would habitually pay personal respect for another purely on the basis of superior ranks and positions despite the fact that the latter may definitely have nothing to overpower the former,” the source said, adding that that is a tacit reason for titular leaders to be invariably overpowered by de facto party bosses.
CAPTIONS:
De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, left in above photo and right in Front Page photo, and de facto Bhumjaithai boss Newin Chidchon. Top photo: Thai Rath Front Page photo: Naewna
Insert: Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul. Photo: Thai Rath
Also read:Bhumjaithai will shift to opposition if stripped of interior portfolio: Anutin
Eknath shrugs off Suchart-led renegade MPs’ move
2nd army Commander to Cambodia: If you want the land you have to fight for it
Storm knocks down tree killing boy at Trat while typhoon lands in China’s Hainan island
Air India airplane resumes flight after bomb threat with a suspect questioned
