Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra remains a Democrat Party member and intends to carry out his duties and complete his term, one of his deputies said on Friday.
A day after the party disowned MR Sukhumbhand, his aides met at City Hall on Friday, with their boss joining in by telephone from Lisbon, to map out a counter-attack.
Deputy Governor Pussadee Tamthai said after the meeting that the Democrats' latest move would not disrupt his work and that MR Sukhumbhand would complete his term, while retaining party membership.
MR Sukhumbhand is a deputy party leader and his term at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ends in March next year. The two-time popular vote winner is in the Portuguese capital and due to return to Bangkok on Saturday.
The rift between the governor and his party became a chasm on Thursday when the Democrats announced the decision to cut ties with him after trying in vain to talk to him about alleged irregularities surrounding the BMA. Party secretary-general Juti Krairiksh announced that the party would no longer be responsible for MR Sukhumbhand's decisions and actions.
The Democrats in recent months had grown increasingly frustrated with the Bangkok governor's lone-wolf approach. Many members were furious recently when he refused to even take calls from party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva. The party had tried to call a meeting of executive members to purge the BMA chief before but the National Council for Peace and Order denied its request to relax the ban on political gatherings for the occasion.
Party members have resorted to asking the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate three BMA projects: the installation of closed-circuit televisions across the capital, a contract extension granted to Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc to operate the elevated train for another 13 years, and the expensive "Bangkok Light of Happiness" New Year illumination event.
Mrs Pussadee said MR Sukhumbhand and all team members from the Democrats still remained with the party but she declined to speculate on their future after they finish their four-year term at City Hall.
Wasant Meewong, a spokesman for the governor, said MR Sukhumbhand's message to the meeting was to continue with the status quo.
"How can we cut off relations? We're all in the same family and we will soon go back to being on good terms again," he said when asked about the move by the party.
Mr Wasant, who is also an aide to the governor, earlier questioned the Democrats' position against MR Sukhumbhand as it was not the decision of the executive members.
But deputy party leader Ong-art Klampaiboon argued that the statement released on Thursday by him and Mr Juti to disown MR Sukhumbhand represented the stance of the executive committee although it could not call a formal meeting.