Former Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin says he is confident that Pheu Thai, currently the main opposition party, stands a “99% chance” of forming the next government.
“There is only a 1% chance that it will end up in the opposition bloc again,” predicted Somsak, a veteran politician who recently left the ruling Palang Pracharath Party to join Pheu Thai.
Somsak is part of the so-called “Sam Mitr” political clique, which helped Palang Pracharath to make significant gains in the 2014 election. Somsak and other members of the group left the party last week.
Somsak tried to justify his departure with his belief that Pheu Thai will be able to form a post-election government with an absolute majority, which would allow it to implement its policies unhindered.
“Unlike the current ruling coalition, which is comprised of various parties and factions, making it difficult to push through policies,” he said.
Somsak said that his entire political career has always been connected to parties winning in elections. “I am not used to being in opposition,” he said.
Somsak has previously held a number of Cabinet portfolios and is known to be closely linked to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
He said Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn, who is tipped as a potential prime ministerial candidate of Pheu Thai, deserves to be given a chance to go for the country’s top executive post.
“She may lack experience, but she will certainly have a lot of people in the party to advise her,” he said.
