Ampa Santimatanedol

Chamlong Srimuang insisted his move to hand-pick a gubernatorial candidate was not a political gambit on the part of the prime minister and his Thai Rak Thai party.

``I assure you that what I am doing now has nothing to do with Thai Rak Thai. I am not politically affiliated to any political party, even Thai Rak Thai,'' said Maj-Gen Chamlong in an interview with the Bangkok Post.

Although Thai Rak Thai grew out of the Palang Dharma party, which Maj-Gen Chamlong founded, he denied Mr Thaksin had assigned him to find a candidate for the party, whose popularity in Bangkok is believed to be declining.

Maj-Gen Chamlong admitted, however, that many MPs, city and district councillors in Thai Rak Thai, unimpressed by the current field of candidates, had asked him to look for a suitable candidate for the Aug 29 election.

As a former Bangkok governor, Maj-Gen Chamlong felt it was his duty to look for an appropriate leader for the residents and local politicians who had worked with him during his six-year tenure as city governor.

``Thai Rak Thai councillors were uneasy after learning that the party leader decided not to field a candidate for the Bangkok governor race,'' said Maj-Gen Chamlong. ``They said they would throw their support behind any candidate fielded by the party. But the party opted not to field anybody. They then phoned me and asked for my help. As they needed help, I could not sit still.''

He has invited MPs, city and district councillors in Thai Rak Thai to find a suitable candidate, but said he did not mind if the candidate ran under that banner of a new political group ran than Thai Rak Thai.

He admitted several people showing interest in running as candidates for the race had sought his support. However, he had yet to promise his endorsement to any of them.

The former Bangkok governor said city residents were not happy with the qualifications of the existing candidates vying for the Bangkok governor post.

He said the most preferable candidate would be a person who could work well with city councillors and was well-versed in the city's affairs and problems.

Such a candidate could turn the capital into a tourist attraction on par with Geneva, Paris or London, he said. In his view, all existing candidates failed to meet these qualifications.