Only 1 in 25 Democrats confirm party membership

Only 1 in 25 Democrats confirm party membership

In March, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva demonstrates how to confirm party membership via a mobile application. The app is called ‘D-Connect’ and is aimed at making registering and joining the party simple. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
In March, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva demonstrates how to confirm party membership via a mobile application. The app is called ‘D-Connect’ and is aimed at making registering and joining the party simple. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

Fewer than 100,000 of the Democrat Party's 2.5 million members reconfirmed their memberships with the party by Monday's deadline, said Nipit Intarasombat, the party's deputy leader.

Despite the low count, the party retains the support of those who failed to reconfirm, he added.

Mr Nipit said the reconfirmation procedures were quite complicated, which had caused a number of problems. The situation was exacerbated, he said, by the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) refusal to allow parties to communicate messages about reconfirmation to members, and the fact that most members are not prepared to pay a membership fee. However, he said these issues would not dampen party prospects at the next poll.

"This wouldn't have happened if the NCPO had not issued an unfair rule to reset membership in the first place," he said.

Mr Nipit dispelled critics' doubts as to whether the Democrat Party actually has 2.5 million members. He said the figure was based on its most recent update and insisted no names had been duplicated.

The new law on political parties requires party members to verify their memberships to secure their role in selecting the party's MP candidates in the primary vote.

Responding to reports of former MPs being sucked into a new political party the regime was backing to bolster its chances at the next poll, Mr Nipit warned that the country could end up being ruled by "bandits".

"Some people say we need bandits to fight bandits. By that logic, we will be left with no choice but to be governed by bandits," he said.

He also criticised Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who said last week the practice of former MPs being "sucked in" by parties has existed for a long time and that this kind of thing was normal in a democratic society.

However it also runs counter to national reforms the government has championed, which are supposed to lift the country out of longstanding problems and bring about radical improvements, he added.

If the prime minister sets out on the wrong foot, he will struggle to achieve any of his goals, according to Mr Nipit.

Media reports claim the Pracharath Party, which is among the new parties applying to register with the Election Commission, is being backed by the regime. At the same time, many former MPs have either left their respective parties to set up their own or are defecting to other parties, including newly established ones.

Political sources agreed the biggest "magnet"' to draw defectors would be the Pracharath Party on account of it possibly being supported by the regime.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon denied Monday that the NCPO was behind the move by some former MPs to close ranks with a military-backed party.

When asked if he was prepared to go on the record and say the NCPO had no role in their decision, Gen Prawit said: "How can I [go on the record] for something we didn't do?"

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