The Democrat party, the country’s oldest, will meet this Sunday to elect new party leader, after suffering the biggest loss in its history in the May general election.
The new party leader will replace Jurin Laksanawisit, who resigned shortly after the initial results of the general election showed the party’s big loss, particularly in Bangkok where it won no parliamentary seats at all.
Since the party announced the date for the election of a new party leader, rumours, criticism and speculation have been spreading. Political observers have even detected internal rifts ahead of Sunday’s meeting.
So far, only Alongkorn Polabutr, a former Democrat deputy leader, has announced that he will stand for the party’s top job.
This will be the second time he has run for the position, after losing to Abhisit Vejjajiva in 2018.
Alongkorn recently said that the new party leader should have the right experience to run the party and bring it into the new era.
Widespread rumours have it that Abhisit, a former prime minister and the party leader from 2005-2019, wishes to run again for the leadership and that many senior party members, including Chuan Leekpai, are supporting his candidature.
Abhisit is, however, keeping his cards close to his chest and has not said whether he will run.
Abhisit stepped down from the leadership in 2019, after the Democrats lost in the general election, particularly in the southern region which had been the party’s stronghold for decades. He was replaced by Jurin.
Another candidate reportedly wishing to take the helm is Decha-it Khaothong, a Songkhla MP and acting deputy leader of the Democrat party responsible for the southern region.
He campaigned hard in the general election, which led to the victory of 17 MPs in the southern region.
The latest reports claim, however, that he may become the party’s secretary general first and wait for the right time to become the top dog.
Reports that Suchatvee Suwansawat, a former Bangkok gubernatorial candidate under the Democrat banner in 2022, may stand for party leader surprise many, as he is new to politics.
He managed a distant second place in the Bangkok election, losing to Chadchart Sittipunt.
Suchatvee admitted that senior Democrat members have asked him to stand in Sunday’s election, but he has not made a decision yet.
A party rule for party leader candidates is that they must have been a party member for more than five years. Suchatvee has been a member for less than that. That rule could, however, be set aside if he decides to stand.
His educational background abroad, and as president of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, have led some to think that he could bring a new direction to the party.
With less than 48 hours before the election, there is no clear picture for who will run for leader. Chuan, a former party leader, seems upset with the situation, as it has revealed internal problems at a time when the party has hit the rock bottom.
He said many people are talking to the media, which he said caused unnecessary conflict.
No one has come out publicly to declare their intention to stand, but Chuan says that “Some people wrote letters to me, while some approached me, saying they want to be the party leader.”
The party should be humbled by only managing to win 25 seats in the House this time, Chuan said, adding that, in the southern region, the party’s stronghold, they lost to Prayut Chan-o-cha, of the United Thai Nation Party.
“We have to recognise our real situation first, and then think who should be our party leader,” said Chuan.
The Democrat party has been around for 77 years, Chuan said, and it will continue to adhere to its long held principle of honesty.
He said he wants the new leader to rebuild unity among the members, mix the old and new generations and salvage the Democrat party.
by Marisa Chimprabha
