Battle beckons on Democrats’ turf

Published on December 15, 2004

Trang province – the stomping ground of former Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai – has long proven invincible to other political parties.

But this general election could be different. Six-time Democrat MP Tawee Surabarn has defected to Thai Rak Thai and his former party will field its party-list MP Sathit Wongnongtoey in retaliation.

However, Tawee will not contest his old Constituency 2 – comprising Wang Wiset, Huay Yot and Rassada districts – because he will run on the Thai Rak Thai party-list ticket.

Instead, his younger brother Thawat will carry the Thai Rak Thai banner. This year alone, Thawat, as Huay Yot district chief, has won the province’s “district chief of people” award and best civil servant award.

Thawat’s educational background is in no way inferior to Sathit’s as both carry master’s degrees in public administration from the National Institute of Development Administration.

However, Sathit seems to have the initial upper hand having already served the province as an MP for two terms in 1995 and 1996 before becoming a party-list candidate in the last general election in 2001. Plus Sathit can draw on the full support of his mentor Chuan, who will help launch his campaign at the end of this month. As the chief Democrat spokesman during Chuan’s administration, Sathit is steeped in tactics to sway residents to cast their ballots for him.

Although Sathit had represented another constituency, he is well-known throughout this southern province.

However, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his electioneering stump to Huay Yot yesterday expressed full confidence that his party would clinch the seat.

A billboard battle has already broken out, with Thawat landing the first punch. “Whether the general election changes anything or not, people will be the one to answer”, is his slogan.

Sathit has countered with two messages: “The only answer from people today is the Democrat Party”, and “Trang’s dignity cannot be bought with money”.

Thawat is not relying solely on the people’s faith in the 16 years of work of Tawee, who has recorded the highest vote of any MP in the country. He would also reach out to people from all walks of life to explain his policies and present himself as the people’s representative, he said.

“Although the area is a Democrat stronghold, I believe everything can change as people see that the government has worked in the right direction,” Thawat said.

Sathit, however, said that according to the people he met during a recent rally, the momentum was still with the Democrats. Southerners had also found unacceptable the defections of five MPs in the three southernmost provinces to Thai Rak Thai.

He said that yesterday’s mobile Cabinet meeting in the province would not affect the Democrats much because Trang residents were smart enough politically to make their own judgements.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation

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