On the RECORD

FILLING NEWIN'S SHOES

bPeople Power candidate Songsak Thongsri speaks to supporters in Buri Ram.

Songsak Thongsri told Bangkok Post reporter Supawadee Inthawong that he has no fears about filling the shoes of his cousin, banned Thai Rak Thai executive Newin Chidchob, in heading the People Power party's campaign in the Northeast. The challenge, however, is to carefully walk the line with authorities who are recording the party's every campaign speech.

Do you feel any pressures from taking over the Northeast from Mr Newin?

No. My style differs from Mr Newin's. With many prominent politicians absent from the political scene, we have to brainstorm for new ideas. This is not a one-man show as was the case with Thai Rak Thai.

With the PPP likely to make a clean sweep of 10 seats in Buri Ram, our only concern is not to trip over ourselves. With the PPP under close watch, we must play by the book to avoid being red- or yellow-carded later on by the Election Commission.

Does it add salt to the wound competing with many Thai Rak Thai (TRT) defectors in the Northeast?

Of course, our candidate pool has shrunk. But the exodus has not posed much of a problem because the public knows it is the PPP which has adopted TRT's stance.

In our campaign activities, we always point out to voters that a stable government must be made up of one party. In a coalition government, the PPP might not be able to push forward Mr Thaksin's [Shinawatra] policies.

In my opinion, the PPP is like a defending champion with the upper hand over the ''Muay Wat'', poorly-trained boxers.

Will any mention of Mr Thaksin in the PPP's campaign speeches and other activities lead to the party's dissolution?

It is unavoidable because the PPP has pledged to carry on with the TRT policies. We have to highlight what Mr Thaksin has accomplished. What is wrong with our goal to bring Mr Thaksin back to Thailand so he can fight a legal battle?

But the harm has been done, with Buri Ram said to be the centre in distributing the controversial CDs featuring Mr Thaksin's speech.

I have never seen it. I believe they are old CDs made during the post-coup rallies at Sanam Luang by various groups. The producers may be the Love Thaksin Group, the Saturday Voice Against Dictatorship or any others.

How has the PPP put up with the authorities' close watch?

In fact, we are the only party under close watch. Our canvassers cannot make any moves. So we have resorted to delivering campaign speeches to small groups of people.

Even so, police have video-taped our campaign speeches and many soldiers have shown up to listen. So we took their photos and video-taped them too.

However, the situation now is much better than [in the build up to] the August referendum on the new charter when military Humvees were deployed in a campaign to boost voter turn-out. I saw it as a military threat.

Many locals see internal conflict in the Chidchob family; Mr Newin's wife and his elder sister, Usanee, are competing for the chairmanship of provincial administration organisation. Has this shaken voters' loyalty?

A little. It is also good in a way, showing the Chidchobs do not hold a political monopoly in Buri Ram. Family members have different political ideologies.

I pitted a team against Mr Newin's in the past as well.

 

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