Many groups which have registered as political parties with the Election Commission (EC) on Friday made clear they would not shun the possibility of supporting an "outsider" to become prime minister after the election.
A total of 42 groups submitted applications to establish political parties along with their names and logos on the opening day of registrations at the EC. The registration period will run until the end of this month.
No one appeared on behalf of street protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday. However, affiliates of his have already announced plans to set up a party supporting Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha's bid to return as prime minister after the election expected in February next year.
Among the 42 groups which registered, at least three have announced their support for Gen Prayut. They are the Palang Chart Thai, Prachachon Patiroob and New Palang Dhamma parties.
Samphan Lertnuwat, who served as a minister during the Chavalit Yongchaiyudh administration in 1997, and 16 former Pheu Thai MPs, registered a new party called the "Citizen Power Party".
Asked whether the party would support Gen Prayut's return after the election, Mr Samphan said his group had not yet thought about candidates for prime minister, and would not do so until a formal meeting of the party takes place, he said.
According to the charter's Section 88, before general election campaigns begin, every party must declare up to three prime ministerial candidates to the EC.
But Section 272 in the provisional section states that in the event the Lower House cannot reach a consensus on who should be prime minister according to the list of candidates, Section 88 can be exempted if at least half of the MPs petition a national assembly of the Senate and the House.
MPs can then nominate someone else, or outsider, as prime minister.
There is speculation that Gen Prayut will ultimately be proposed as an outsider to return as premiership through this channel.
"We are not shunning the chance for those on the list [to become the prime minister] since the constitution allows either option," Mr Samphan said.
Asked why his party, of mostly former Pheu Thai members, had not stayed with their old parties, Mr Samphan said they were weary of political conflict, but affirmed the relationship between these former MPs and their old camps is not strained.
"We are not a backup party for anyone. When the election comes, the competition will play out as normal," he said.
Members of several would-be parties said they are ready to support those on party lists to become prime minister, but if that is not the case, they would also entertain the idea of a capable outsider.
These included the group who registered as the Thai Nation Power Party, which some have speculated is a proxy for the military regime.
The group's leader is Maj Gen Songklod Thiprat, a former member of a team working on the national reforms under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
Maj Gen Songklod did not turn up at the EC on Friday, but his wife, Boonyapon Natathanapat, and Weerapol Raktham, an anchor for the Thailand Moves Forward TV programme, which is affiliated with the NCPO, attended to register the party.
They said they would not object to an outsider prime minister, but he or she needs to assume the role through constitutional channels.
Meanwhile, a group registered as the Pheu Chart Thai Party, led by Amphaphan Thanetdejsunthorn, the common law wife of the late military strongman Gen Sunthorn Kongsompong, who staged a coup that seized power from the Chatichai Choonhavan government in 1991.
Ms Amphaphan did not turn up in person on Friday, but was represented by Maj Kornpot Runghiranwat, who said the group would not reject an outsider becoming premier.
A pro-Prayut group, led by former senator Paiboon Nititawan, registered as Prachachon Patiroob (Reform People Party) on Friday.
Mr Paiboon has clearly announced that he supports Gen Prayut returning as premier.
EC member Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the parties need to seek NCPO approval for their meetings to deal with their internal administration.
Each new party is obliged to secure the required 500 party members, who must pay party fees, and a seed fund of at least one million baht.
The process must be wrapped up within 180 days of the organic law on political parties taking effect, which means it needs to be undertaken by April 5.
Boonyou Khorpornprasert, a communication arts lecturer at Krirk University, said most new political parties are made up of familiar old faces from the Thai political scene.
Any parties which back the military will likely make clear their stance as the poll approaches, the lecturer said, adding that the country looks set to return to a democratic system of sorts, albeit one where people's participation might be more marginal than many are hoping for.
"I do not believe we will gain something new from these emerging parties. Look at the corruption which is currently prevalent and has still not been addressed," Mr Boonyou added.
