The opposition Pheu Thai Party’s first priority is to pursue the restoration of true democracy in Thailand and to join with all political groups to amend the Constitution, announced Mr. Sompong Amornvivat, following his re-election as the party’s leader at a general meeting of party members today (Thursday).

The meeting also elected 10 deputy leaders, a Secretary-General, 5 deputies and just 4 executive committee members. Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, former strategic chief of the party, was not elected to the party’s new structure.

The Deputy Party Leaders are Anudit Nakorntap, Kittirat na Ranong, Chusak Sirinil, Kriang Kaltinant, Yutthapong Charassathien, Pichai Naripthapant, Suthin Klangsaeng, Chaiya Promma, Pol Gen Somsak Chathanping and Anusorn Iamsa-ard.

Elected as the new Secretary-General is Prasert Chanthornruangthong, while the newly-elected Deputy Secretaries-General are Chakkapol Tangsutthitham, Jirawat Siripanich, Paopoom Rojanasakul, Kunakorn Preechachanachai and Nop Chivanant.

Ms. Arunee Passayanont is the new party spokesperson.

The party’s executive committee has been downsized to just four members. They are Chavalit Vichanasut, Soravong Thienthong, Ong-art Wongprayoon and Pornthep Visutwattanasak.

Sompong said that it is necessary for the party to restructure its executive committee to cope with the present circumstances, in which Thailand is facing political and economic crises.

The second priority, said Mr. Sompong, is to alleviate the hardships of the people, especially those of low-income earners and the unemployed, affected by the deepening economic crisis.

The next thing that the Pheu Thai Party will do, said the party leader, is to mobilize all the resources, both within and outside the party, to implement its policies, citing some which have been successfully implemented since the time of the Thai Rak Thai Party, the predecessor of the Pheu Thai Party.

He also stressed the importance of cultivating close relationships between party members, the people in general and civic groups, to promote public participation and to make everyone feel that they are part and parcel with the Pheu Thai Party.

Mr. Sompong went on to say that the last mission, of the restructured Pheu Thai Party, is to promote the use of technology as a tool to enhance communication between the party’s MPs and their constituents and to support the learning process of the people, so they can solve their own problems.