Former Democrat MP Sathit Wongnongtaey, who has won seven constituency elections in Trang province, has resigned from the party effective Monday, following in the footsteps of former party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva who quit on Saturday.
In his Facebook post today, Sathit said that he had been thinking for two days and had discussed quitting the party with his teammates, adding that, although he remains committed to the party’s ideologies, he had come to the conclusion that it has lost its soul.
The former MP, who lost in the May 14th general election this year, said that he found the Democrat party under the new leadership, led by Chalermchai Srion, is not the party with which he was familiar and is “lacking its old soul.”
He explained that he understands why Abhisit decided to quit the party, because he thought his presence in the party could cause “suspicion” among members of the party’s new executive committee.
Sathit said he will not join a new party, but will remain on the side lines, watching how the new leadership runs the party. He also said he believes that more party members will quit in the near future.
Sathit, who claims to have spent about 40 years with the party, railed against some members of the new leadership, who had described those who left the party as being disloyal.
He said he does not know how the new leadership will be able to salvage the party if they cannot figure out why several veteran members, including himself, have decided to resign.
Besides Abhisit, former deputy leader Sathit Pitutecha has also resigned.
