Several former Pheu Thai MPs have officially joined the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) as the deadline nears for them to switch parties while still being able to contest in the coming election.
Monday is the last day that politicians can change camps if the poll is held on Feb 24 as planned. The law requires that they stay with the parties that field them for at least 90 days.
Among those who applied to become PPRP members on Saturday were Pai Leeke, a former MP for Lop Buri province and a close friend of Panthongtae Shinwatra; Pol Lt Col Waipoj Apornrat, Prinya Rerksarai, Anant Pol-amnuay and Surasit Wongwittayanan.
They are from the faction known as Kamphaeng Petch in Pheu Thai, led by Varathep Ratanakorn, a former prime minister’s office minister during the Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra governments. Varathep had been given a suspended two-year jail term in 2009 for malfeasance in a lottery case during the Thaksin government and is therefore banned from competing in the coming election.
Suriya Juangroongruangkit and Anucha Nakasai, the former allies of the Shinawatras who formed the Three Allies group to join PPRP earlier, led them to the new party on Saturday. They were warmly greeted by PPRP leader Uttama Savanayana and secretary-general Sontirat Sontijirawong.
Mr Pai said he resigned from Pheu Thai not because of any conflict. He said PPRP had an ideology he supports and that it works for the people.
“I’m convinced I’ll win in my constituency,” he said but declined to compare the popularity of the two parties in the area.
Others who switched from Pheu Thai on Saturday were Dejnattawit Teriyapirom, a son of former commerce minister Boonsong; Tanit Thienthong, a nephew of veteran Sa Kaeo politician Sanoh Thienthong; Wanchai Jongsutthanamanee, a former Chiang Rai mayor; Rattana Jongsuttanamanee, a former chairwoman of the Chiang Rai Provincial Organisation; and Amnuay Klangpa, a former government whip.
Mr Dejnattawit, whose father is serving a 42-year jail term in the government-to-government rice deals case, said he was uncomfortable about staying with Pheu Thai after Yingluck’s lawyer linked his father’s illnesses with politics.
He was referring to the lawyer’s claim that a bigwig from the National Anti-Corruption Commission had visited Boonsong in prison several times and started pursuing another rice-deals case against people “higher up”.
“I consulted with my father before making the decision. He told me to talk with Mr Suriya and Somsak [Thepsuthin, another key member of Three Allies] and we found we could work together so I decided to join the new party unconditionally. My priority is to keep my father healthy,” said Mr Dejnattawit, who made his political debut a few months back with Pheu Thai.
Mr Uttama said the entry of several Pheu Thai members was not the result of threats involving court cases against them or any other reasons. “They have joined us because we have the same ideology.”