Ex-parks chief registers party

Ex-parks chief registers party

Former parks chief Damrong Pidech has registered a political party aimed at reclaiming illegally occupied forest land.

Mr Damrong, as announced earlier this month, appeared Wednesday at the Election Commission to officially register the Tuang Kuen Puen Pa (Thai Forest Land Reclamation) Party, whose main goal was defined as seizing state land from encroachers and "return forest land to the country."

Mr Damrong was chief of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department until October. He earned a reputation for taking aggressive measures against forest encroachers. He will be the party leader, with former department inspector-general Titi Kanoktaweekan as secretary-general.

The leadership of the party was listed as former civil servants with the department.

“None of the party’s founding members are former politicians and most of them are retired DNP civil servants," Mr Damrong told reporters at the registration. "I’m not sure yet if we will be able to earn a minimum number of party members required by the law in order to establish this party,” Mr Damrong said.

“The party now has only a 17-member executive board and has no budget. Whoever wants to compete for MP positions under the party banner will have to use their own money [for the election campaign]. 

“I think no politicians want to join my party because I have no money to give them and the party policies deal with the reclamation of forest lands, which is the opposite of those of other parties that give them away.”

Tuang Kuen Puen Pa will not focus on winning constituency seats but aim to have some list-MPs, he said. 

“We will see it as successful if at least one party member is selected as an MP because we will use this opportunity to clarify [problems about forest land encroachment] in parliament.” Mr Damrong said.  

Aram Promthep, director of the EC’s political parties’ affairs department, said the EC will take about 30 days to verify the party’s documents and approve the registration.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (4)