Dr Cholnan Srikaew has kept his word and resigned as the leader of the Pheu Thai Party because of its decision to form a government with military-linked parties.
The veteran politician from Nan told a news conference at Pheu Thai headquarters on Wednesday evening that on April 28, during the campaign for the May 14 election, he made a promise to resign if his party formed a coalition with the Palang Pracharath Party.
Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, an outgoing deputy prime minister and brother-in-arms of former premier Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, leads Palang Pracharath and his brother is expected to have a seat in the new cabinet.
Dr Cholnan, a 62-year-old physician and former hospital director in Nan, said his resignation would have no impact on his MP status. He is widely expected to be named to the cabinet as the minister of public health.
Chusak Sirinil, the deputy leader of Pheu Thai, will head the party for now, while an election to pick a new leader and executive board would be held in 60 days, said secretary-general Prasert Chanthararuangthong.
Dr Cholnan said now was the right time for his resignation because the government formation has been completed with Pheu Thai getting 17 cabinet positions.
“The mission is accomplished. I, Dr Cholnan Srikaew, am keeping my promise that if the Pheu Thai Party and its executive board resolved to form a government with the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and seal a deal with Uncle Pom (Gen Prawit’s nickname), I as the party leader would resign,” he said.
Political rivals had been pressing Dr Cholnan to step down immediately after Pheu Thai announced its new coalition alliance on Aug 21. However, he said he wanted to stay on for a few more days until the cabinet selection process was complete.
Pheu Thai, which came second in the May 14 election, withdrew earlier this month from its previous coalition alliance with the election-winning Move Forward Party, which was unable to get its leader elected as prime minister in parliament.
Dr Cholnan said he was proud of the role he had played as the leader of Pheu Thai and dismayed by the verbal attacks on him and the party.
A native of Nan, Dr Cholnan was first elected to the House in 2001 under the Thai Rak Thai banner. He served as deputy minister of public health in the Yingluck Shinawatra government in 2012 and 2013. He was elected leader of the Pheu Thai Party in October 2021.