By Thai Newsroom Reporters
CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER Anutin Charnvirakul cannot yet find a couple of running mates to contest alongside him for prime minister under the Bhumjaithai tickets in the Feb.8 general election.
Anutin admitted today (Dec.19) that nobody else has been so far named Bhumjaithai contestants for prime minister in addition to himself though Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapat and Commerce Minister Supajee Suthumpun have been enthusiastically persuaded to be his running mates in the nationwide election.
Neither Ekniti nor Supajee has formally responded to the sustained approaches made by Anutin who concurrently acts as leader of the Bhumjaithai, core of the caretaker coalition government under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob.
Anutin declined to tell how soon they will eventually make their decision and let it known in regard to their political future whilst, he said, the Bhumjaithai has been undoubtedly looking to become core of a post-election government again.
Nevertheless, the caretaker prime minister confirmed that both Ekniti and Supajee as well as Foreign Minister Sihasak Puangketkaeo will definitely continue to work for a future Bhumjaithai-led government in their respective commands of financial, commercial and foreign affairs.
He remarked that he had been persistently pressed by members of the media to proclaim a couple of his running mates for prime minister and that such matters might probably take time to publicly unravel.
Meanwhile, all other major camps have already unveiled their respective, partisan contestants for head of a post-election government including the neo-conservative Pheu Thai and the reformist People’s whilst the ultra-conservative Bhumjaithai remains far from certain for the time being.
In the 2023 election, the Pheu Thai had named a trio of partisan contenders for prime minister whereas the People’s and Bhumjaithai had only named a single one namely Pita Limjaroenrat and Anutin respectively for the top post of the executive branch. Two of the Pheu Thai trio had been named prime minister namely Srettha Thavisin, known as personally close to fugitive former prime minister Yingluck Shinwatra, and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of de facto Pheu Thai boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra, though they had only run the country for barely a year and 10 and a half months respectively.
In the Feb.8 election, the trio of Pheu Thai candidates vying for head of a post-election government are Thaksin’s nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat, former transport minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit and Pheu Thai leader Julapun Amornvivat whilst the People’s trio are People’s leader Nattapong Ruengpanyawut, Sirikanya Tansakun and Veerayooth Kanchoochat.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Above photo – PPTVHD36, Front Page photo – Amarin TV
First insert – Pheu Thai’s candidates for prime minister, from left, Julapun Amornvivat, Yodchanan Wongsawat and Suriya Juangroongruangkit. Photo – Amarin TV
Second insert – People’s trio in the race, from left, Veerayooth Kanchoochat, Nattapong Ruengpanyawut and Sirikanya Tansakun. Photo – Amarin TV
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