Sudarat leads pick for PM, says poll

If an election were held today, Pheu Thai and its core member Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan (left) would get the most votes - says the Nida Poll. Trailing Khunying Sudarat are Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), Future Forward's Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.
If an election were held today, Pheu Thai and its core member Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan (left) would get the most votes - says the Nida Poll. Trailing Khunying Sudarat are Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), Future Forward's Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The Pheu Thai Party, still reeling from party heavyweights jumping ship to join a pro-regime party, has been buoyed by a poll result which shows key party figure Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan is the number one choice for prime minister.

According to the Nida poll, Khunying Sudarat, chairwoman of the party's election strategy committee, is top on the list of 10 people who are popular favourites for prime minister.

The Pheu Thai Party also comes top among voters for the next general election tentatively slated for Feb 24.

The poll result gives Pheu Thai some comfort following recent mass defections.

Anusorn Iamsa-ard, a party spokesman, said Sunday it was heartening to know that the people still have confidence in Khunying Sudarat, who is tipped to be among the party's prime ministerial candidates.

Mr Anusorn said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha came second in the poll despite having been in power for more than four years and attempting to muzzle the media.

Still, the poll result showed his popularity was lower than that of the Pheu Thai.

Even though Pheu Thai has been rattled by defectors moving to a pro-regime party, the people were still confident in the party's ability to govern, Mr Anusorn said.

He was referring to the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) led by Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana, to which a number of Pheu Thai members have defected.

The PPRP has made it clear it will support Gen Prayut reclaiming the premiership after the poll.

The National Institute for Development Administration, or Nida Poll, conducted the 5th and latest survey on the people's favourites for the post of prime minister on Nov 20-22.

The poll questioned 1,260 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education and occupations throughout the country.

The four previous polls were conducted in March, May, July and September this year.

Asked who is their favourite for the post, Khunying Sudarat was on top of the first 10 with 25.2%, followed by Gen Prayut 24.1%; Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the Future Forward Party leader, 14.5%; Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrat Party leader, 11.7%.

Khunying Suradat came second after Gen Prayut in the four previous surveys.

Asked to name the party they want to win the highest vote to form the core of the next government, the Pheu Thai Party came in first with 31.8%, followed by the Palang Pracharath Party 19.9%; the Democrat Party 17%; the Future Forward Party 15.6%.

Khunying Sudarat remarked on the continued mass exodus of Pheu Thai politicians to join the PPRP, saying she wished them the best of luck.

Still, Pheu Thai would never be short of people wanting to join the party, she said.


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Vocabulary

  • candidate: a person who is trying to be elected - ผู้สมัครรับเลือกตั้ง
  • chairwoman: a woman in charge of a meeting, a committee or an organisation - ประธานที่เป็นผู้หญิง
  • defection: leaving a political party, organisation or country to go to another one - ย้ายพรรค
  • defector: a person who leaves a country, political party or organisation for another one - ผู้ละทิ้ง
  • exodus: a situation in which a lot of people leave a place or activity at the same time - การจากไปของผู้คนเป็นจำนวนมาก
  • govern: to control the way that things happen - ควบคุม, บังคับ, ครอบงำ
  • mass: large amounts or numbers - ปริมาณมาก จำนวนมาก
  • muzzle (verb): to prevent somebody from expressing their opinions in public as they want to - ปิดปาก
  • premiership: the position of prime minister - นายกรัฐมนตรี
  • rattled: nervous or frightened - ว้าวุ่น, กระวนกระวายใจ
  • regime: a government that controls a country, especially in a strict or unfair way - รัฐบาลที่ขึ้นมาปกครองโดยการยึดอำนาจ
  • short of: not having enough of something - ขาดแคลน
  • slate: to plan that something will happen at a particular time in the future - วางแผนสำหรับสิ่งที่จะเกิดขึ้นในาในอนาคต
  • tentatively: not definite, or not certain - ที่ยังไม่แน่นอน

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