Many people showed up at the party headquarters yesterday to submit their membership applications, and more are expected to apply at the party’s general assembly at Shangri-La Hotel on Sunday.

Also, many of the new Palang Pracharat members come from the previously ruling Pheu Thai Party, including Chalong Riewrang, Thawee Suraban, Wichai Chaijitwanitkul and Wiang Worachet.

Chalong explained he had chosen to join Palang Pracharat because this government was implementing projects he considered beneficial to the people, especially those in his Nonthaburi constituency. He also said he was confident that all Palang Pracharat candidates will get elected in Nonthaburi.

Meanwhile, Wichai said he believed the middle-class and the grassroots people will find the party’s policy platform pleasing. Also, he said, though his Udon Thani constituency was generally seen as the “capital of the red shirts” – main supporters of Pheu Thai – he is still convinced that Palang Pracharat will fare well in the elections.

“We aim to win four MP seats from the eight [Udon Thani] constituencies,” he said.

Thawee, who had been a Democrat Party MP before defecting to Pheu Thai many years ago, said yesterday that he believed Palang Pracharat would “win substantially” in the South, which has long been a stronghold for the Democrats.

“The old party’s popularity has dropped in all 14 southern provinces,” the politician said, obviously referring to Democrat Party.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the Sam Mit (Three Friends) group, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, said that more than 50 politicians will join the Palang Pracharat on Sunday.

Among them are many former Cabinet members and ex-MPs, including Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Somsak Thepsuthin, Pinyo Niroj, Monthien Songpracha, Pirom Polwiset and Boonying Nitikanchana, the spokesman added.

New party ‘has earned trust of locals’

He said that Sam Mit, led by Somsak, has visited electorates in many areas over the past five months and earned the trust of local residents.

“So, we are confident Palang Pracharat will win the election,” the spokesman said.

Also submitting membership applications yesterday were Ekkaraj Changlao and his son Wattana, who are both executives of Khonkaen United football club. Ekkaraj is a former member of the now-defunct post-coup National Reform Council, while Wattana is deputy chief executive of Khon Kaen’s Provincial Administrative Organisation.

Former manager of Thailand’s national football team, Watanya Wongopasi, also known as “Madame Dear”, is also expected to apply for Palang Pracharat membership today, a source familiar with the matter said.

Separately, the director of Nida Poll said yesterday that he has given up his position at the survey unit after taking up Palang Pracharat membership.

Napong Nophaket, director of Nida Poll at the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida), said he tendered his resignation on Tuesday to avoid a conflict of interest and maintain the credibility of the university’s survey unit.

Also yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also defence minister, was asked to comment on opinion surveys showing that Palang Pracharat was almost as popular as Pheu Thai. In response, he said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has gained a lot of public support, though he did not know if he would join Palang Pracharat.

Palang Pracharat is expected to nominate General Prayut as its prime ministerial candidate in the run-up to the next election.

Speaking at the Defence Ministry, General Prawit, who is in charge of security affairs, also reiterated that elections would be held on February 24, dismissing concerns of possible “foul play” by the junta aimed at delaying the election.

Political parties are prohibited by law from seeking outside influence and may face dissolution.

EC secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma, however, said on Wednesday the agency did not have enough reason to say the party is violating the law, and that it was gathering more facts and information.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday denied any knowledge about Thaksin’s movements or if Pheu Thai could be found guilty of allowing outside influence.

However, he did say that there was no chance of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha running into Thaksin in Singapore because the former is there to attend the Asean summit, while the latter is there for pleasure.

But he remained silent on whether he would continue with Pheu Thai or move to its spinoff party, Thai Raksa Chart.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Chaturon said his colleague Watana Muangsook may have misunderstood him in a conversation about him running for a lower house seat to represent his hometown of Chachoengsao in place of his younger sister.

“I talked to [Watana] over the phone and he asked which constituency I would run for if I had to, and if it would be Bangkok or Chachoengsao. I told him Bangkok was not my stronghold. Running for Chachoengsao would also be problematic because my sister already did,” Chaturon wrote.

Previouisly, Watana had written on Facebook that Chaturon would not leave Pheu Thai and would run as a constituency MP instead.

Because of the new election method the former coalition leader’s party is facing the threat of getting fewer Lower House seats. In the upcoming election, if Pheu Thai already wins a large number of constituencies, it might not have any seats left for list MPs.

A number of Pheu Thai’s former list MPs have migrated to other parties, including Thai Raksa Chart, in the hope that the could still have a place in Parliament.

Chaturon is see to be among those that could leave Pheu Thai because of this threat.

The Rohingya issue was discussed in almost every forum of leaders of Asean and their partners from the Asia Pacific during the summit this week in the city-state.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told his Asean colleagues that Thailand, which will chair the regional grouping next year, viewed Asean as capable of playing an important role in addressing the situation in Rakhine state in a constructive, tangible and sustainable manner.

The group should enhance the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) in providing humanitarian assistance to affected people, support the commencement of credible repatriation on a meaningful scale and the improvement of the quality of life for all communities in Rakhine state, a source quoted Prayut as telling the meeting.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that he was upset with the situation in Rakhine and urged the group to make collective efforts to help Myanmar end the humanitarian crisis.

Myanmar State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi (L) adjusts her headphones beside Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte (R) during the 21st ASEAN-Japan Summit at the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related meetings in Singapore, 14 November 2018. // EPA-EFW PHOTO

Earlier, the Malaysian senior leader slammed Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi as trying to defend the indefensible. “They are actually oppressing these people to the point of killing them, mass killings,” he said on the sidelines of the Asean business forum on Tuesday.

More than 700,000 people have taken refuge in Bangladesh since violence broke out in August last year when a militant group attacked security outposts prompting a harsh reaction from military’s clearance operation.

Investigations by the United Nations human rights body indicated that genocide and crimes against humanity occurred in Rakhine and called for the case to be referred to the International Criminal Court.

Suu Kyi said during a meeting with her Asean colleagues that her government understood the international concerns over the situation in Rakhine state and she had tried to fix the problem through peaceful ways for reconciliation and unity within her country, according to a source at the meeting.

While many Asean leaders such as Mahathir used strong words in discussing the Rohingya crisis, most of them expressed their support to and provided a comfort level to the Nay Pyi Taw government to resolve the problem, the source said.

Asean has mulled dispatching representatives to Myanmar to oversee the repatriation and resettlement of the refugees after Myanmar and Bangladesh reached an agreement at the end of October to send thousands of them back beginning today. But the team to be dispatched has not yet been settled, a source said.

In a meeting with Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the Asean Summit, US Vice President Mike Pence said the violence committed by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) was inexcusable.

Leaders of Asean and its partners from Asia and the Pacific gathered this week to also discuss the contentious issue of the South China Sea, as many members of the group are at loggerheads with China.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang proposed during the summit that Beijing and Asean should finish negotiations on the Code of Conduct (CoC) to regulate the contentious sea within three years.

The joint working group is now preparing a draft text of the CoC for negotiations, according to an Asean official who added that the text would be ready for deliberations by next year.

The CoC will not settle territorial disputes between claimants but Asean aims to have a legally binding instrument to guarantee freedom of navigation and flyover rights as well as ensure peace and stability in the region.

Mahathir told his Asean colleagues at the summit that the group was not in a position to confront China and the CoC was the way to avoid conflict and live with the giant neighbour in peace.

Thai Raksa Chart’s leader Preechapol Pongpanit welcomed the newcomers yesterday, saying he believed the new policies created by experienced politicians will make his party a good choice for voters.

More Pheu Thai politicians have shown interest in joining Thai Raksa Chart, Preechapol said, though he rejected speculation that the move stemmed from internal conflicts in Pheu Thai.

He said both parties shared the same ideology – upholding democracy.

Khattiya Sawasdipol, a former core leader at Pheu Thai, was also said to be applying for membership in Thai Raksa Chart.

However, Pheu Thai’s key figure Chaturon Chaisang has decided to stay even though he had previously said he was reviewing his political future, prompting speculation that he might move to the sister party.

Besides, in a Facebook post yesterday, Pheu Thai’s core leader Watana Muangsook said Chaturon will contest as a constituency candidate in his home province of Chachoengsao.

Watana said Pheu Thai politicians had to either run in a constituency or move to another party if they wanted to ensure they have a seat in the Lower House.

The new election method might limit the number of party-list MPs, especially if Pheu Thai wins a large number of constituency seats. If Chaturon runs as a party-list MP, he may not get a seat.

Watana said he will also stay with Pheu Thai and run in a constituency in Bangkok’s Bang Khae district. He said some people had shifted to Thai Raksa Chart because they wanted to be elected, but were not comfortable with running as constituency candidates.

He added that their ideology against a non-democratic regime remains unchanged.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha delivers his speech during the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on the sidelines of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related meetings in Singapore, 13 November 2018. Singapore is hosting the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings under the theme ‘Resilient and Innovative’ this year. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

THAILAND has proposed to host the first Asean Summit of the year in June instead of April when Bangkok chairs the group in 2019, as the country is worried about a delay in the next general election, sources said yesterday.

It is an obligation of the chair country to host two summit meetings of its leaders, one limited only to 10 members early in the year and another one with partners later in the year.

While the Thai Election Commission has denied the possibility of delaying the election tentatively scheduled for February 24, there is the possibility of the poll being held any time between February and May.

People take pictures with Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (C-R) during the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on the sidelines of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related meetings in Singapore, 13 November 2018. Singapore is hosting the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings under the theme ‘Resilient and Innovative’ this year. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Timing the first Asean Summit during the Thai chairmanship for June would be rational in case the election was delayed until May. That would leave sufficient time for the new government after taking office, an official said on condition of anonymity.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who has made a commitment to the international community to hold an election almost every time he has travelled abroad, avoided any mention of the election while delivering his speech at the Asean business forum in Singapore. “It is a great honour for Thailand to assume the chairmanship of Asean in 2019 after Singapore,” he said in his keynote speech in Thai on the second and final day of the Asean Business and Investment Summit.

“I give you my word that Thailand will continue to push for connectivity among Asean members in both the public and private sectors in order to strengthen businesses and investments in Asean, making Asean an outstanding destination for trade and investment for the global business community,” he added.

Leaders of 10 Asean members, together with counterparts from Asia and the Pacific, gathered in the city-state to discuss a wide range of regional and global issues, including the Rakhine crisis, the South China Sea conflict, the situation in the Korean Peninsula as well as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) regional integration scheme.

The leaders of the group yesterday explored the possibilities of their involvement in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to the strife-torn Rakhine state, but as of press time there remained no clear solution on the matter.

Under the agreement reached at the end of October between Bangladesh and Myanmar, 485 Rohingya families – a total of 2,260 people – are to be returned to Myanmar starting on November 15. Myanmar has said that it will process 150 returnees per day.

The Asean members stressed the need to have voluntary repatriation and wanted Myanmar – a bloc member – to address the root cause of the issue. The group wanted to have a mechanism to deal with the Rakhine crisis with participation of past, current and future chairs of the group, as well as other concerned countries.

Unless the group can reach a consensus on the solution, Thailand as the next chair must carry on the mission, an Asean official close to the matter said.

Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi delivers her keynote speech at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on the sidelines of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related meetings at  in Singapore, 12 November 2018. Singapore is hosting the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings under the theme ‘Resilient and Innovative’ this year. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was in Singapore for the summit, made no public statements on the Asean proposal, but a source said Myanmar badly needed an Asean hand to cope with the Rakhine crisis.

“We need to solve the problem within the regional framework, before it can be brought to the United Nations Security Council,” an Asean official said.

More than 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled from violence in Rakhine since August last year when militant groups attacked security outposts, prompting a disproportionate reaction framed as a “clearance operation” by the Myanmar military.

Investigations conducted by the United Nations and many others including NGOs and media found signs of ethnic cleansing and atrocities against Rohingya, and the UN human rights body called for referring the case of “genocide” to the Internal Criminal Court or other international tribunals.

As the next chair, Thailand will need to carry on negotiations on the RCEP as Asean and the six partners from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand are unlikely to reach substantial conclusions on various disputed issues, including chapters on competitive policy, during the summit this week.

Launched in 2012, the RCEP negotiations have faced slow progress due to the differences in the stages of economic development of the members.

Their remarks came after Election Commission (EC) secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma refused to confirm the tentative date on Monday, which has in effect fuelled speculation that the national poll will be put off.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam pointed out yesterday that the government had not mentioned any other date apart from February 24.

“So far there has been no cause to postpone [the election]. Other sides have talked about several possible causes, but the government has never done so,” Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, said at Government House.

When asked if the election calendar he announced last week meant there was no chance of a delay, he said: “Don’t assume the calendar will make a delay impossible. Whether it is possible or not is another matter.”

However, he added, that the calendar would not have been announced if the government knew beforehand of the election getting delayed.

Wissanu also dismissed concerns by many politicians that the EC’s failure to complete the designation of constituencies would result in the election getting delayed, saying it still has time to complete this job before the new law on MP elections goes into effect on December 11.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday there were no security concerns that could delay the national vote.

He told Government House reporters that the schedule still followed what the EC secretary-general had said.

“[Jarungvith] said the EC was ready to organise an election from February 24 onwards. So, that’s that,” the deputy PM said. “As of now, there are no factors for an election delay.”

However, he did not rule out the possibility of “an emergency” affecting the schedule.

“I don’t know if there will be any emergency in the future, but so far things are still fine,” said Prawit, who is in charge of security affairs and also a leader of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order.

Jarungvith reiterated his earlier remarks yesterday, saying the EC was ready to hold an election any time between February 24 and May 9, the 150-day timeframe after the new law on MP elections goes into effect on December 11.

“Whether the election is held on a date later than February 24 depends on the five existing election commissioners, who have the authority to set the date,” he said.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday called on the EC and the NCPO to clarify whether they were sticking to February 24 as the election date. “This is for the sake of people’s confidence in the country,” he said.

The ruling junta is empowered through its own order to “work with” the EC in scheduling the next election.

Abhisit, who was just elected for another term as Democrat Party leader, disagreed with suggestions that the election be delayed because certain new political parties were not ready.

“There are new parties before every election. Do we really need to keep postponing the election so everybody is ready?” the veteran politician asked.

Pheu Thai Party also demanded yesterday that the election be held on February 24, especially since Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had told international leaders of the date at the recent Asia-Europe Meeting in Belgium last month.

“Thai people are waiting for the next election and are actively preparing to exercise their voting right on February 24,” Pheu Thai spokesperson Ladawan Wongsriwong said, as she called on the EC to announce whether the election would be held on that day.

She also said that “it is not right” for the EC to not be specific about the election date, adding that certain parties’ lack of preparedness should not be a reason for the election to be delayed.

A total of 121 people applied to become members of the Palang Pracharat Party on the first day of application, said the party’s registrar, Vichien Chavalit.

Three Cabinet members who earlier were elected by a general assembly of the party as its executives were among people who applied to become lifetime members of Palang Pracharat.

They are Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana, who is the party leader; Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, the secretary-general; and Prime Minister’s Office Minister Kobsak Pootrakool, the party’s spokesman.

Other party executives also applied to become lifetime members.

A fourth Cabinet member who is an executive of the party, Science and Technology Minister Suvit Maesincee, was not present on the first day of application at the party’s headquarters in Soi Ratchadaphisek 54 of Bangkok’s Chatuchak district.

A number of well-known figures were among those who submitted their applications.

They included lawyer Songkan Atchariyasap, actor Chatthawut “Buai” Watcharakhun and Nida Poll director Napong Noppaket.

Former MPs from different political parties also were among the applicants.

More celebrities and “big names” from certain circles are going to apply later this week, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Uttama, the party’s leader, said at its HQ that Palang Pracharat had yet to invite Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to become one of its candidates for the next head of government.

“The party will nominate the persons we believe are suitable [to become prime minister]. Please wait and see if there will be any surprises,” Uttama said.

“For me, General Prayut is suitable to lead the country. But the final decision will rest with the party members,” he added.

He said February 24 was the earliest date the agency would be ready to hold the general election, citing a conclusion of an EC meeting held many months ago in Pattaya City.

“The election commissioners, however, have not scheduled February 24 as the election date,” he said.

Jarungvith added that according to its order, the ruling National Council for Peace and Order is also empowered to “work with” the EC in scheduling the election date.

The official noted that after the law on the election of members of Parliament takes effect on December 11, the national vote will be held within the next 150 days but not later than May 9 in accordance with the legislation. Jarungvith’s remark caused politicians to conclude yesterday that the election will not be held on February 24.

Paiboon Nititawan, leader of the pro-junta People Reform Party, said he was convinced the next election would not be held on February 24, as many political parties would not be ready by then. He added, however, that he saw no problem with that.

A former senator and member of the post-coup National Reform Council, Paiboon said he expected political parties to raise the issue of their lack of preparedness for the election at a meeting with the EC scheduled for November 22.

He noted that the law requires election candidates to be members of a party for at least 90 days to be eligible to run under its banner.

Varawut Silapa-archa, who heads the Chartthaipattana Party’s policy and strategy committee, said he was not surprised by Jarungvith’s remark.

“Many people in the political circles who I talked to agreed that there would be no election on February 24. There are many factors that would cause the postponement,” Varawut said.

However, he added that he believed the next election would be held within the legal limit of 150 days after the new law on MP elections takes effect.

“I can wait if the election will be postponed for a month or two. But it must be not later than 150 days. We have been waiting for four years already,” he said. The young politician blamed the EC’s failure to designate constituencies early for the lack of preparedness of political parties. He said parties need to know which districts and areas are in which constituency so that they can field suitable candidates. Also, parties are required by law to select their candidates based on the results of primary voting among party members, he added.

Meanwhile, provincial officials of the EC have become worried that a delay in designating constituencies might cause the election to be postponed beyond February 24, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Election directors from many provinces have asked the EC to announce new constituencies in accordance with the current Constitution. The EC implementation plan calls for designation of constituencies to be completed by November 9.

Pheu Thai politicians yesterday also called on the EC to complete the designation as soon as possible in order to prevent further delays in the election timing.

Meanwhile, Suthin Klangpha, a politician from the anti-junta Pheu Thai Party, said yesterday that he suspected the junta government was plotting to further delay the next election.

He claimed that pro-junta political parties would seek postponement by arguing that they were not prepared for the election on February 24.

On Sunday, red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan said he was “100-per-cent sure” the election would not happen on February 24.

Jatuporn, a former member of the Pheu Thai Party, said that more than 30 parties were still waiting to be endorsed by the EC’s party registrar. In response, Jarungvith yesterday said that of the 37 groups of people applying to be registered as political parties under the new Political |Parties Act, 25 had been given approval by the EC. That left only 12 to be officially registered, which Jarungvith said would be completed within a week or two.