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Published on September 1, 2007

He said the group had changed its priority from possible mergers with other groups to campaigning for the election.

"Today we have to talk about the election first, otherwise Ruam Jai Thai group may lose the election. We have already prepared our policies to be published later in the media outlets," Pradit said.

He said the group had decided to declare its campaign platform for the capital on Tuesday.

Following its merger with the Bangkok 50 group, led by Kunthon Prachuabmoh, on Thursday, Bangkok will be the main constituency for Ruam Jai Thai.

Pradit said the plan to transform the political group into a party would be completed at the end of this month. "We will campaign under the party name, which we expect to register at the end of the month," he said.

Pradit said it might be possible for his group to register as a party and become an ally of the Matchima group, if it also becomes a party, instead of merging with it as planned earlier.

Meanwhile, Matchima group leader Somsak Thepsuthin said he would stop talking for a week if he received a clear answer about the merger.

"We have time to handle a merger; in the meantime our group will continue holding activities," he said.

He insisted his group was still in talks with Ruam Jai Thai and hinted that the merger negotiations might involve more than two groups.

Somsak said Matchima would work on its policies, whether the merger

with Ruam Jai Thai actually materialised or not.

The Nation