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Published on September 13, 2007

 Pracharaj Party leader Snoh Thienthong said yesterday that he believed United Nations Conference on Trade and Develop-ment secretary-general Supachai Panitch-pakdi would become its new chief.

The veteran politician said he had asked former Cabinet member Korn Dabbaransi to approach Supachai because they had been close since they studied at Saint Gabriel's College.

Snoh said he wished Supa-chai would agree to head the party as he believes it would be able to form the government.

"Supachai is in the process of making the decision and now the possibility is getting higher. I think Unctad will find it acceptable that Supachai will be serving his country," Snoh said.

Snoh said on Tuesday during the launch of the Pua Paendin (For the Motherland) group that he was willing "for the sake of the country" to sacrifice his party.

The party could be revamped to include a new line-up of executives as well as a new leader at a normal convention on September 20. He said the party's annual convention would be postponed from September 20 to September 27 or early next month.

Snoh said he would step down as party leader on September 20 to pave the way for the election of an entire executive board. However, the annual meeting itself would be postponed.

He said he was giving the party over to the country so that politicians could serve the people, not themselves.

He had previously said he would work with any political group "except the People Power Party" after leader Samak Sundaravej announced he was a "nominee" of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Snoh yesterday also explained he did not deceive Chat Thai leader Banharn Silapa-archa, who earlier said the Pracharaj Party had decided to be a political ally with the three former opposition parties.

"It was misunderstood that I would dissolve my party and move to join the three parties. I just told them I would attend the meeting. I was upset when it was said I left to join with Pua Paendin."

But while Snoh would not entertain the idea of joining the other three parties, he said he could be an ally with them.

Banharn yesterday side-stepped any controversy by saying he had no problem with the Pracharaj leader switching to a new political bloc. "Do not think too much about it. We will still be political allies," the Chat Thai Party leader said.

Banharn said he did not think Supachai would quit his current post and enter politics.

The Nation