Factions went crazy at thought of Kowit leading party

Was it just a common power struggle or some kind of double-dealing?

The Opposition Pheu Thai Party's effort to change its party leader that ended up seeing Yongyuth Wichaidit re-appointed has raised many eyebrows over what is going on with the country's biggest political party.

An investigation by The Nation has found that what transpired was the result of a mixture of policy adjustments on the part of Thaksin Shinawatra and deep-rooted factionalism in the party.

With Yongyuth being a virtual rubber stamp for the party with little de facto power, it was no wonder he started the move to change the party leadership. This was not the first, but rather the fourth time Yongyuth tried to quit this post.

Last week he found the opportunity when the party reached a unanimous resolution to expel two MPs who clearly displayed a stance to defect to other parties. To him it was the best time to quit and pave the way for a party restructuring. Under his plan, more MPs must be appointed to the party executive board and oppose the current board, which is made up mainly of outsiders.

A source in the Pheu Thai said be-fore making the announcement to quit, Yongyuth consulted not only party leaders but also family members of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra who have positions in the party- and everyone agreed to his restructuring idea.

Yongyuth also managed to get the nod from the real party leader — Thaksin, who at that time happened to be toying with his idea of "national reconciliation" and wanted to replace Yongyuth with someone who could play his reconciliation game. Kowit Wattana, the former national police chief and former interior minister in the Samak Sundaravej government, came to Thaksin's mind as a sole candidate because Kowit has been seen as a fierce loyalist to the high institution.

Thaksin believed hand-picking Kowit would boost his reconciliation game because being disloyal to the monarchy is among the serious charges haunting Thaksin's camp.

But as Yongyuth was packing up to pave the way for Kowit to step in, many factions in the Pheu Thai Party "went crazy" opposing the move. That left Thaksin with no other option but to shelve any long-term plan and plead with Yongyuth to return.

"Yongyuth and Kowit have a totally different mindset over the premiership. We all know that Yongyuth does not want to be party leader, nor premier, but Kowit would come in with the intention of stepping up as PM. That is why many factions that hoped to see their leaders assume the premiership could not allow this to happen," the source said.

Pheu Thai MPs went to Russia to meet Thaksin because so many PM candidates in the party were upset with the plan - including Pheu Thai Party MPs chairman Chalerm Yoobamrung, Pheu Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the-would-be Pheu Thai Party economic chairman, Mingkwan Saengsuwan and Deputy House Speaker Apiwan Wiriyachai, who has the support of the red shirts.

Upon Thakin's request, Yongyuth had no choice but to return to the "rubber stamp" post he has been unhappily holding for two years. Yongyuth regards Thaksin as a "boss'' whom he can never pay back with gratitude.

"The party's direction is clear - the party leader and party executive board are supposed to carry out secretarial and ceremonial jobs. The person who will take up the PM's post will be announced later. It could be Party MP chairman Chalerm, the Party chairman Chavalit, the Party economic chairman Mingkwan or the party chief adviser General Chetta Thanajaro," the source said.

The source added that the party did not see the importance of having an opposition party leader since Chalerm had been carrying out this task smoothly. "Even in the US, party leaders do not necessarily become president,'' he said.

After the reappointment of Yongyuth, national reconciliation efforts go on, but Thaksin has not accepted the condition that he must stop inciting reds because he felt cutting ties with the party and the red shirts would not do him any good.

Thakin's desire for clemency, one of his important conditions for reconciliation, is not only to gain amnesty for the reds charged with terrorism, but also to help the 111 and 109 banned politicians, and to "kill" any cases brought by the coup-installed government.

In the name of bargaining, it is common each side seeks the most they can think of - but negotiation will dictate how both settle their demands.