Most Democrat Party MPs-elect have agreed the party should join the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) to form the next government, said former party deputy leader Thavorn Senniam.
Mr Thavorn, who stands to be re-elected as MP in Songkhla in the March 24 election, wrote on Facebook saying the majority of the party's constituency MP-elects thought the Democrat Party should be part of the next government if the PPRP leads the governing coalition.
The party should be included in the PPRP-led government to push for the implementation of its campaign policies, he wrote, before adding the Democrat Party would be unable to fully take care of its constituents if it took on the role of the opposition.
Also, should there be a snap election, the party would have no achievement to speak of that could be used to advertise itself in election campaign if the party had joined the opposition, according to Mr Thavorn.
Last Friday, Mr Thavorn and 30 Democrat members met at the party's headquarters in Bangkok to discuss their stance on the matter.
He insisted that his group is not betraying the party's ideology by openly supporting an alliance with the PPRP.
Now, he said, most of the party's MPs-elect have also decided to back the group's stance on the issue of forming a coalition with the pro-military camp led by PPRP.
However, former Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai, who is widely respected by party members, immediately poured cold water on the group's plan, saying last week that it is "premature" to decide if the party should be part of a PPRP-led government. "The issue should be left for the new party executives to consider," he said.
The Democrat Party is planning to vote in a new executive board and party leader, after Abhisit Vejjajiva announced his resignation following the Democrats' defeat in the March 24 polls.
The former deputy party leader said some party members were anxious that Mr Thavorn's group had announced a stance which could confuse Democrats' supporters. He also stressed the group members were merely expressing their personal opinions, which may not reflect the new executives' decision.
He said the Democrats can still make a great deal of difference while serving as the opposition, as the party can still be a part of the checks-and-balances system.
