• 
• 

Published on December 1, 2007

A short time after she joined, the party chose Chompoonuch, who has a degree in psychology, to run as its candidate in Nong Khai province in the December 23 poll.

"I have no prior experience in elections, but it is an honour to contest the national ballot," she said.

Thanks to her parents' influence, Chompoonuch has followed politics since she was young. Her father served as secretary-general of the Samakki Tham Party, while her mother is a friend of Charoen Kanthawong, a key figure in the Democrat Party.

Chompoonuch's decision to pursue a political career has her mother's support. "Khun Charoen approached me to join the party. He is like my teacher because he has educated me in everything relating to politics," she said.

After deciding to contest the poll, she started introducing herself to people in Nong Khai.

"After campaigning and visiting areas in Nong Khai for more than two months, I know that people hardly pay attention to policies from other parties. They remain strongly tied to the old power group."

The Democrats' image is of a party linked to people in the South, so people in Isaan had little confidence in the party, she admitted.

However, Chompoonuch believes if she can prove she has good intentions to help the constituency progress, people will give her a chance one day.

She admires Democrat deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij because she is familiar with his career, but her idol is US senator and former first lady Hillary Clinton.

Chompoonuch said that, if elected, she would push labour laws and individual cases in order to achieve greater social equality.

Yossawadee Hongthong, The Nation