The Pheu Thai Party remains firmly committed to the coalition government under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, party leader and Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat said today.
He was speaking in response to a report that former party leader Cholnan Srikaew will join a panel discussion organised by opposition parties tomorrow.
Julapun told the media that he spoke with Cholnan yesterday and was told that the former party leader had been invited by the opposition to join the panel discussion, along with several other former opposition leaders, including Abhisit Vejjajiva, the incumbent leader of the Democrat Party.
He said he holds Cholnan in high regard as a senior party member and trusts his judgement. He added, however, that he would try to meet with him today to ask about his decision to take part in the forum, titled “Thai Politics in the Middle of a Crisis of Confidence”.
“The Pheu Thai Party is open-minded and does not forbid its members from participating in political activities or seminars,” Julapun said, adding that it would be fine if the forum was simply an exchange of opinions, but he did not want the event to be exploited for political gain.
As far as the coalition is concerned, Julapun said the relationship between the Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai parties remains strong. He added that he had told the prime minister that the two parties are part of a people’s government, rather than a coalition government.
Cholnan resigned as leader of the Pheu Thai Party in August 2023 after the party decided to join the military-linked Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties to form an 11-party coalition government led by then-prime minister Srettha Thavisin.
