Snoh agrees to lead new political party
Veteran politician Snoh Thienthong hands out copies of the fourth volume of the book ‘Ru Tan Thaksin’ (‘Stay One Step Ahead of Thaksin’) to reporters as a souvenir of the Songkran festival at his house yesterday. He also gave blessings to the reporters an
|
|
Veteran politician Snoh Thienthong yesterday announced he had cancelled his plan to retire, saying he would take up the leadership of a new political party, the Pracharaj Party.
Snoh said he agreed to take the role of founding party leader to bring together leading figures from various professions to become members. When he left the Thai Rak Thai Party, Snoh said he would wash his hands of politics. But yesterday, he said his supporters had asked him to stay on the scene to lead the new party. "So I may become an interim party leader as it is being started, and then the next party leader will be decided by a party assembly," Snoh said. Boonthueng Pholphanit, a leading member of Snoh's Wang Nam Yen group, said the party was registered with the Election Commission in December and the EC had approved its establishment, to become effective on May 10. Boonthueng said the party was registered by his secretary, who was now officially registered as the party leader. He said the party's name means "the people who are loyal to the monarch", and the party's logo, which depicts the red flame of a candle, symbolises the "pure force" of the people. Snoh and Boonthueng said Pracharaj would be formally announced to the public after the expected round of political reforms. "But if the current Constitution remains in use, we will not unveil the party because [an unreformed charter] would go against what we stand for," Snoh said. A founding member of the party who asked not to be named said many Thai Rak Thai MPs-elect had called him to ask about the new party. He claimed the Thai Rak Thai members promised to join Pracharaj once it was formally announced.
|
