Pheu Thai plans image make-over in bid to win more public acceptance

The opposition Pheu Thai Party is going to adopt new strategies aimed at improving its image and winning greater public acceptance, a member of the working group charged with the matter said yesterday.

Sakda Noppasit, who is on the party's working group on strategy, said that in the New Year the party would go full steam ahead in implementing the strategies.

"After the government delivers its policy statement, the Pheu Thai Party will go ahead with new strategies to improve its image and make it more acceptable to society," he said.

Pheu Thai is the reincarnation of the People Power Party, which was disbanded recently after the Constitution Court found it guilty of electoral fraud.

There were some "differences of views" between party executives and MPs following its loss to the Democrat Party in the race for the prime minister's office, according to Sakda, though he declined to call them a rift or infighting.

Some party MPs blamed certain party executives and senior figures for the failure to grab the chance to form another coalition government.

Sakda said yesterday that his working group agreed that party MPs should play roles outside Parliament as well, regularly visiting their constituents in a bid to create a better understanding of the party and to boost its popularity.

He said, however, that MPs would not be informed about every important party decision.

Pheu Thai, which is the main opposition party, agreed yesterday about sharing responsibilities among the party's MPs in this week's House debate on the new government's policy statement.

It was agreed that there would be four teams debating political ethics and economic, legal and social issues, said MP Witthaya Buranasiri.

Among the party's chief speakers will be Chalerm Yoobamrung, Jatuporn Phrompan, Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Manit Jitchanklub, Piraphan Palusuk and himself, Witthaya said.

He said Pheu Thai would also focus on suspicions that the ruling Democrat Party, which states in its party regulations that it is against all forms of dictatorship, was allowing the military to intervene in politics. He added that Jatuporn would speak on the allegation that Abhisit had dodged military service when young.

In a related development, Pheu Thai will file a police complaint against Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul and Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat for exercising ministerial authority before they were entitled to do so.

MP Somchai Phetprasert said Chaovarat had issued an order allocating the responsibilities between his two deputy ministers and that Boonjong had during a videoconference instructed provincial governors to regularly report on the movements of "red shirts" ahead of their planned rally in Bangkok tomorrow.

Somchai, speaking at a press conference at party HQ, said that according to the Constitution a Cabinet member may exercise full authority only after the government's policy statement has been delivered before Parliament.

He said the two would be accused of violating the Constitution and the Penal Code.