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Published on December 8, 2007

Some candidates from the Matchima Thipataya Party have become discouraged since their leader was found guilty of stock manipulation and have stopped campaigning.

Party leader Prachai Leophairatana was yesterday sentenced to one month in jail for contempt after criticising his conviction on Monday for stock manipulation as an unfair decision influenced by the "old power clique", a euphemism for the former Thaksin Shinawatra government. He received temporary release by posting Bt20,000 bail in cash.

Candidates admitted that the case had hurt their campaign.

Natawan Phommata, a Khon Kaen candidate, said he knew many candidates in the Northeast who had stopped campaigning because they had no financial support from the party.

"But I will fight on, even without financial support," he said. On Thursday Prachai convened a high-level party meeting to sort out party affairs ahead of his appearance in court. He reportedly told candidates that they would have to campaign on their own without his financial support while he tried to resolve his legal problems.

One candidate said the party would lose seats now the party leader had been convicted. "We may have a better chance in the next election," he said.

He said the party might be broken up if key members ran it as a company.

Seksan Saenphoom, a runner for Surin constituency 2 said he and a group of 20 other candidates in the Northeast had never received any financial support from the party to campaign on.

"The party has abandoned us. We want to tell the leader about our problems. We never approached him because we were blocked. However, we're packing it in if Prachai will not meet us," he said.

Yet some candidates from anti-Thaksin groups still receive financial support from Prachai.

Maleerat Kaewka, a party executive member and party-list candidate admitted that Prachai supported her as head of party list group 3 but his financial assistance was not enough. Her brother, also a candidate, does not receive money from the party.

"Prachai knows that our group has no money. We have never asked for anything from others; we joined Prachai in the anti-Thaksin rallies. So it was a surprise that he wouldn't support us," she said.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn,

 Kesinee Tangkhiew

 The Nation