Veteran politician for Ang Thong, Somsak Prissanananthakul, has turned his back on politics and severed his longstanding ties to the Chartthaipattana Party (CTP) as speculation grows about his two sons' future with the party.
His departure from the CTP, his political home for over three decades, comes amid reports that one of his sons, Paradorn, is not happy with the party's new executives.
The party has recently named Kanchana Silpa-archa and Prapat Photasuthon as party leader and secretary-general respectively in what is widely seen as "straying from the original plan".
Mr Somsak, the right-hand man of the late former prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa who was also the party's patriarch, said yesterday he was ending his role in the party to pre-empt any move that might lead to the party being dissolved.
He said he is serving a political ban and any engagements with the party may prompt an investigation that can lead to a party dissolution -- something the Pheu Thai Party is facing over its alleged connection with fugitive prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mr Somsak said he would let his sons, Paradorn and Koravee, decide whether they wish to continue their political future with the party. He admitted several parties are looking to approach his sons to join them.
Chartthaipattana is a reincarnation of the Chart Thai Party which was dissolved in late 2008 by the Constitutional Court for electoral fraud.
Mr Paradorn said yesterday he feels uncomfortable working with the new executives. However, he was not aware Mr Somsak was leaving the party.
The appointments of Ms Kanchana and Mr Prapat were unexpected. Varawut Silpa-archa, Ms Kanchana's brother, was tipped to head the party which was to be driven by young politicians.
"As of now I'm a party member. But I can't say what will happen tomorrow. If my goal is to be an MP and vote in parliament, I don't have to go anywhere. But I want to build a political party that offers people an alternative," he said.
Ms Kanchana yesterday dismissed reports that Mr Somsak's departure had something to do with the party's restructuring, saying every party "needs old timers as well as young politicians".
Meanwhile, the Thai Raksa Chart Party yesterday elected Preechapol Pongpanich, the former MP for Khon Kaen, as its leader and Mitti Tiyapairat, son of former parliament president Yongyuth Tiyapairat, as party secretary-general.
Mr Preechapol thanked the party members for their trust and support.
The Thai Raksa Chart, which registered its English name of "Thai Safe the Nation Party" with the Election Commission, is reportedly to be closely aligned to the Pheu Thai.
Many Pheu Thai members, however, denied the Thai Raksa Chart was its "spare part" party.
Other key executives picked at the Thai Raksa Chart at the party's general-assembly yesterday included Patchara Naripthaphan, son of former enery minister Pichai Naripthaphan; Wassamon Pengdith, wife of former Department of Special Investigation (DSI) Tarit Pengdith; and Ton na Ranong, son of former finance minister Kittirat na Ranong.
