Pheu Thai Party heavyweights on Sunday denied speculation that Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra, ex-wife of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will step in and take the helm at the party, though party sources said Khunying Potjaman has played a key role in the ongoing changes in the party's executive structure to end the internal conflict among party factions.
Political observers believe Khunying Potjaman's public appearance late last week is linked with the current dissarray of the main opposition party's executive board.
After years of keeping a low profile, Khunying Potjaman stepped into the spotlight for the first time at a social function on Thursday before Pheu Thai leader Sompong Amornvivat tendered his resignation on Saturday. The resignation of the party leader resulted in the termination of the current executive board.
Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan also resigned as the party's chief strategist, along with a handful of other key members who quit the Pheu Thai strategic committee.
Chusak Sirinil, acting Pheu Thai leader, yesterday denied media speculation that Khunying Potjaman will step in and run the party's affairs. He said Khunying Potjaman is respected by all in Pheu Thai, and she is always careful with her actions. Mr Chusak said the acting executive board will meet today to fix the date for a party general assembly to select the new executive committee. The general assembly is expected to take place on Thursday, he said.
Anusorn Iamsa-ard, acting Pheu Thai spokesman, brushed aside reports of an internal rift within Pheu Thai leading to the resignation of Khunying Sudarat and Mr Sompong. Their hard work and contributions have been recognised by party members, he said.
He also said speculation that Khunying Potjaman would take the helm at the party was not true. The party's affairs are collectively run by its executive board, he added.
Chief opposition whip and Pheu Thai MP Sutin Klungsang said it is not clear if Khunying Potjaman will take charge of Pheu Thai. However, she is concerned about the party like any member, Mr Sutin said, and if necessary, she may give advice on how to run party affairs because she also has experience with political parties, he added.
However, sources said Mr Sompong still has a chance of being reinstated as party leader since he is still leader of the opposition coalition. The constitution stipulates the opposition leader must be a party leader. Mr Sompong is the most senior MP and a respected figure in the Pheu Thai Party.
Jade Donavanik, a legal expert and former adviser to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), said the resignation of Khunying Sudarat and other key members of her committee was not surprising as it is widely known there has been disagreement between two rival camps inside the party -- the party executives who are not MPs, and the current MPs.
"If the conflict drags on, it won't be a positive thing for the party. The reshuffle [of executive members] could be the best way to end disharmony inside the party. To make that happen, they need someone who commands respect from both rival sides and that's why Khunying Potjaman has come on the scene," he said.
Mr Jade believed the new Pheu Thai executive board will comprise mainly those from the group of current MPs as they now have more bargaining power. "Those who resigned are familiar faces and many of them were co-founders of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, but the situation has changed. I think current MPs will demand party executive posts," he said
He added some of the outgoing Pheu Thai executives might also feel they have had enough at Pheu Thai and want to part ways and form their own political group.
Chaiyan Chaiyaporn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said it is still unclear why many senior Pheu Thai executives resigned, but he believed the changes inside the party will not affect its support base in the North and Northeast.
Mr Chaiyan said the Khunying Potjaman's re-appearance could signal many things. One is that the new leadership of Pheu Thai may want to distance itself from the student-led anti-government demonstrators.
The new leadership may also want to restructure the party to reach out more to the younger generation to compete with the Move Forward Party, Mr Chaiyan said.