Just two days ago, political veteran Sanan Kachornprasart, now with the Chart Thai Party, suggested the 111 former executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party, who were banned from taking up political posts for five years, should “really” stay away from politics, as he was forced to do some time ago.

Sanan has a long record of surviving fierce political battles over a number of decades and his words appear credible. However, the fact is what he said did not truly happen.

In 2000, Sanan was banned by the Constitution Court, which ruled that he, as a minister in the Democrat-led government, intended to conceal assets that should have been reported to the National Counter Corruption Commission.

He protested his innocence but bowed to the verdict and resigned.

However, Sanan did not totally surrender to his fate. He kept holding his regular Saturday press briefings of his views on political issues.

His comments made head¬lines because reporters knew Sanan still had influence in the Democrat Party through members of his faction.

His “guidelines” would affect the party’s management directions.
In mid-2004, while Sanan was serving the ban, Democrat secretary-general Pradit Pataraprasit, one of his close aides, approached him to become director of the party’s 2005 election campaign. The post was contrary to the five-year ban, but Sanan accepted the “invitation”.

Shortly afterward, he had a row with deputy leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who opposed his re-entry to the Democrats due to an earlier dispute over the party leadership when Abhisit lost to Banyat Bantadtan, whom Sanan backed.

Sanan decided to quit the new post and broke away with Democrat deputy leader Anek Laothamatas to found the Mahachon Party.

Anek became the party leader because Sanan could not run for Parliament as he was still serving the ban. But he was known as the party’s real master.

Sanan even wore a Mahachon jacket and walked door-to-door to help party candidates, including his son Siriwat, in the 2005 poll.

Mr ONE just wants to remind Sanan that all of this happened while he was serving the five-year ban. Can he really say he stayed “away from politics”? And should the 111 executives follow what he did?