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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024399

Thaksin’s daughter rejects rumours of a secret deal for his return to Thailand

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2023

Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday dismissed rumours of a political deal between the opposition Pheu Thai Party and the ruling Palang Pracharath Party to facilitate her exiled father’s return to Thailand.

“Honestly speaking, there has been no such deal. Pheu Thai is now focusing on campaigning to win a landslide victory [in the upcoming general election,” she said.

Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of Pheu Thai patriarch and former premier Thaksin Sinawatra, said that she would focus on addressing people’s problems, and not on “bringing Thaksin home”, as that was a different matter.

“My dad has been abroad for 17 years already. He should have his own method and process [of returning to Thailand]. I respect his decision. And he already has said that he would not involve any political party,” Paetongtarn said.

She was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the party’s first electoral campaign in the northeastern province of Loei.

Paetongtarn, who holds the position of Pheu Thai Family head, told party supporters in an earlier rally that it was time for her father to “return home” so that he could meet his grandchildren in Thailand.

There were rumours that a secret deal was reached between Pheu Thai and Palang Pracharath to form a coalition government after the election to pave the way for Thaksin’s return to Thailand without having to serve his prison terms.

Thaksin, who was deposed in a military coup in 2006, has been sentenced to at least 10 years in jail for abuse of power and other charges stemming from his time in power. He has lived in self-imposed exile since 2008.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai leader Chonlanan Srikaew said on Friday that the party already has finalised names of three prime ministerial candidates for the next election. However, Pheu Thai has no need to announce its nominations as the party was already following the “voice of the people” by listening to its supporters and the results of opinion surveys, he added.

Paetongtarn is expected to be one of the three PM candidates. Property tycoon Srettha Thavisin is tipped to be the second PM nominee. It remains unclear if Chonlanan will be its third candidate.

The election is tentatively scheduled for May 7 after the current House of Representatives’ four-year term ends on March 23. However, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has the power to trigger an early election with a House dissolution.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024394

Prawit named as Palang Pracharath’s sole PM candidate

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2023

Palang Pracharath leader General Prawit Wongsuwan will be the party’s sole prime ministerial candidate at the next general election, it was announced on Friday.

The ruling party became the first to clearly announce its PM candidate.

Deputy party leader Paiboon Nititawan said on Friday that Palang Pracharath decided to announce its PM nominee before the electoral decree is issued because it wanted to “do things in a transparent manner”.

Prawit, who currently serves as deputy prime minister, was voted Palang Pracharath’s sole PM candidate at its general meeting on Friday.

“General Prawit is the suitable person to be the party’s only prime ministerial candidate. We believe that he will definitely become the country’s 30th prime minister,” Paiboon said.

If his prediction comes true, Prawit will replace the current prime minister, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the country’s 29th leader.

Prayut was Palang Pracharath’s sole PM candidate for the previous election in 2019 despite being neither an MP nor an executive member of the party.

However, Prayut joined new party Ruam Thai Sang Chart (United Thai Nation) early this month and is expected to become its sole PM candidate for the next election.

The Election is tentatively scheduled for May 7 after the current House of Representatives’ four-year term ends on March 23. However, Prayut has the power to trigger an early election with a House dissolution.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024374

House meeting collapses again due to lack of quorum in tit for tat by opposition

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023

Another meeting of the House of Representatives collapsed on Thursday due to a lack of quorum just as the lower House was about to start its debate on whether to endorse a report on the development of the Thai bureaucracy.

MP Ubolsak Bualuang-ngam, from the opposition Pheu Thai Party, sought a count, arguing that the number of participating lawmakers was unlikely to form a quorum.

Deputy House Speaker Suphachai Phosu, who was chairing the meeting at the time, dismissed his request, saying that the current House’s term was running out and that MPs should work as much as possible during the remaining time.

Ubolsak’s fellow-Pheu Thai MP, Pichet Chuamuangphan, later rose to back his call for a quorum count. Pichet said that ruling coalition MPs had failed to attend the House meeting on January 25 when the opposition had moved a motion.

“Today, coalition MPs have to take the responsibility of forming a quorum. It’s not that opposition MPs have to attend while coalition MPs are absent,” Pichet said.

Suphachai, the meeting chair, said that both opposition and coalition MPs are equally responsible for their parliamentary duties. He asked Ubolsak to withdraw his request.

However, Ubolsak refused to do so, prompting the meeting chair to call a quorum count.

Deputy House Speaker Suchart Tonjaroen, who took over from Suphachai as the meeting chair, announced that 153 MPs had registered their attendance during the quorum count, 62 short of the required number of 215.

Suchart later declared the meeting adjourned, only six minutes after he took over from Suphachai.

Many lawmakers were present inside the chamber but reportedly did not electronically register their attendance.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024357

No House dissolution to escape showdown with opposition: Prayut

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has vowed not to dissolve the House of Representatives to escape a showdown with the opposition, a top official said on Thursday.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri quoted Prayut as saying that he was ready to participate in the debate with the opposition and he was confident of answering all their questions.

The opposition has invoked Section 152 of the Constitution to seek a general debate without voting at the end of the debate.

The coalition and opposition whips have agreed to hold the debate on February 15 and 16.

When submitting the motion late last month, the opposition vowed to “unmask” Prayut, who is regarded by his supporters as a “good man”. The opposition also vowed to “cleanse” Thailand of “contamination” in politics caused by Prayut.

Anucha said on Thursday that Prayut would use the debate as an opportunity to inform the public of the achievements of his administration.

“The prime minister has affirmed his readiness to answer all the questions, especially about the government’s performance,” Anucha said.

He said Prayut would take the chance to inform the public of the progress of the government’s 12 urgent policies.

“The prime minister has been working with transparency, integrity and accountability as well as good governance. The prime minister always gives priority to the people’s and national interests so he is confident that he would be able to respond to all issues raised,” the spokesman said.

Related story:

Opposition leader vows to cleanse Thailand of ‘contamination’ as rhetoric turns extreme ahead of next election

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40024355

No way for Thaksin to escape jail if he returns, says ex-minister and legal expert

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023

An ex-Democrat MP and legal expert taunted fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Thursday, declaring he could fly anywhere in the world but would land in jail if he returns to Thailand.

“Khun Thaksin is still a rich man who can fly anywhere in the world – except Thailand,” said Nipit Intarasombat, an eight-time MP for Phatthalung.

“He can’t land here yet. All he can do is look down on his motherland when his plane flies past,” Nipit, a former culture minister and deputy Democrat leader, said in a Facebook post.

Nipit was responding to Thaksin’s bold announcement on Tuesday night that he would “definitely return” to Thailand this year.

Thaksin, who was ousted by the 2006 coup and then fled a corruption case ruling in 2008, said his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, would announce his return.

Paetongtarn is tipped to become the Pheu Thai Party’s prime ministerial candidate and is the most popular choice for PM in almost all recent public opinion polls.

Nipit said his legal knowledge offered no solutions on how Thaksin could return to Thailand without having to serve jail terms for multiple corruption cases. The former PM has been sentenced to a total of 10 years in jail.

Nipit said he could not figure out how Pheu Thai, which is known to be under Thaksin’s command, could provide a no-jail solution for Thaksin even if it scored a landslide victory in the upcoming election.

Most legal verdicts against Thaksin involved corruption, he said.

“No one would dare to pass a bill absolving him of these crimes since it would also free many other convicts jailed for corruption, including permanent officials and politicians,” Nipit said.

The public would not tolerate such an amnesty, he added.

Nipit also speculated that Thaksin may want to seek a royal pardon. However, in this scenario the former PM would have to wait for verdicts in several pending cases against him before he could receive a pardon.

In this case, Thaksin would have to re-enter the judicial process in Thailand.

“But when the court prepared to convict him, wouldn’t he flee again?” Nipit asked.

Related story:

Thaksin says daughter will announce his return to Thailand this year