NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: More than 2,000 people in this southern province have applied for membership of the Thai Raksa Chart Party at the opening of the 4th party branch (South Region) on Sunday.
A party meeting, held at a hotel in Muang district to elect the party branch committee, was attended by party leader Lt Preechapol Pongpanich and core party members including Sutham Saengprathum and former United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leaders Veerakan Musikapong, Korkaew Pikulthong, Nattawut Saikuar and Wiphuthalaeng Pattanaphumthai.
The party's core members were greeted with a long-drum procession and marigold garlands. They took turns to speak to new party members, stressing the party's determination "not to yield to dictatorship".
Lt Preechapol said he was glad to see as many as 2,000 people, far surpassing the target of 500, join the party in a region that is not a traditional stronghold for the red shirts.
He vowed to use modern technology to solve people's problems. The party would field only carefully-selected candidates in the forthcoming election, not people for hire, he added.
The Thai Raksa Chart leader said the party would not meet with the National Council for Peace and Order on the grounds that the NCPO should not interfere in the election, which should be handled by the Election Commission.
Moreover, the fact that four cabinet ministers of the present government have set up a political party clearly shows their intention of perpetuating the NCPO's power, he said.
"Since our stand regarding democracy is clear, we will not attend the Dec 7 meeting with the NCPO," Lt Preechapol said.
Mr Nattawut, a former deputy commerce minister in a Pheu Thai-led government, said all core party members will work as hard as they can for the southern people as there are now no signs of their problems being solved, particularly the economic slump.
At the meeting, Prachakorn Boriboon was elected chairman of the party branch.
