Mingkwan Saengsuwan has called it quits as leader of the New Economics party, but still retains his status as a party-list MP, claiming that he has already fulfilled his responsibilities in the party.
In his resignation letter, addressed to the registrar of political parties on Wednesday, Mr. Mingkwan said that, since his responsibilities in the drafting of the party’s economic policies and election campaigning have been completed, it was the right time to resign as the party leader.
He said that the first deputy party leader, Mr. Supadit Arkartruek, will become the acting party leader until there is an election of a new leader by the executive committee.
In his letter, Mr. Mingkwan said the party’s six MPs, himself included, would honor the promises they made to the people during the election campaign, namely that they would do their best for the country’s three pillars – the Nation, the Religion and the Monarchy.
Omitted from the letter, however, was the party’s commitment to support the Pheu Thai-led pro-democracy alliance in the formation of a coalition government.
Meanwhile, a failed candidate from the New Economics party, Mr. Angkrisda Raveenich, has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission’s Office, accusing the party’s executive committee of having reneged on its promise to refund his election campaign spending.
He claimed that each candidate had spent between 200,000-2,000,000 baht on the election campaign and the executive committee had promised to refund the spending of any candidate who won more than 500 votes in the March 24th election.
The party won a total of 480,000 votes and has been allocated 6 party-list seats in the House.
Mr. Angkrisda claimed that two failed candidates had died from stress after the party refused to refund their electoral expenses.
Commenting on Mr. Mingkwan’s resignation, he said that the he should also quit as an MP.
