Taking up the mantle

Published on October 24, 2005 - The wife of former PM Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is favourite to grab one of Nakhon Phanom’s two Senate seats; the race for the other looks wide open

Khunying Phankrua Yongchaiyudh, wife of former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, has become a favourite to win next year’s senatorial election in Nakhon Phanom, political observers say.

The northeastern province is entitled to two representatives in the senate and many analysts are placing their bets on Phankrua to win one of the seats because the province has long been Chavalit’s political stronghold.

Supachai Phosu, a Thai Rak Thai MP from Nakhon Phanom, said the campaigning in the province was not as active as in previous elections because candidates have learnt that winning is not easy.

“Candidates who are former government officials or those who are new to politics feel they have an uphill task,’’ he said.

There could be only seven to 10 candidates for Nakhon Phanom’s two seats next year, compared to 12 in the previous election in 2000.

The current Upper House’s six-year term ends in March next year.

Paijit Srivorakan, another Thai Rak Thai MP from Nakhon Phanom, said he expected campaigning to become more active later because there are no candidates trying to “outshine one another”, apart from Phankrua. They will compete aggressively to win the seat.

Thai Rak Thai MP Attasith Kankai Subphayasit said that although Phankrua was expected to win, she, Chavalit and former New Aspiration Party MPs have been campaigning hard to make sure of her victory.

Prompan Kulapa, a radio programme producer and moderator who is another of the candidates, said he is confident of winning because he has been campaigning for two years and has distributed more than 90,000 campaign leaflets.

Local people know him through his radio programmes over the past 14 years, he said.

“I have spent more time than other candidates in the campaign and I am better prepared, although there may be dark influences and dirty tactics in the run-up to voting,’’ he added.

Opas Mumanat, a former election commissioner from Nakhon Phanom, said he had quit his post last month to join the senatorial race because he is interested in drafting laws to help improve the people’s livelihood.

Former Nakhon Phanom MP Mana Kusakul said he is not confident of joining the race because there has not yet been a public response to the question of whether he should run in the election.

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan
The Nation