The Democrat party is waiting for reconfirmation from the Palang Pracharat party over acceptance of its three pre-conditions, which were earlier agreed upon by the two parties.
Failing that, the Democrat party will not join the coalition and may nominate former party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as their candidate as Prime Minister’s on June 5th, according to a well-informed party source.
The source insisted that talks, over the allocation of cabinet seats for the Democrat party, were over and the party now is waiting for a positive response from Palang Pracharat, after which it will call a meeting of the executive committee and MPs to decide about joining their coalition.
The source disclosed that, under the deal which was earlier agreed by the two parties, the Democrat party was promised eight cabinet portfolios as follows, namely one deputy prime minister, who will also assume a ministerial post, three ministerial posts, including agriculture, commerce, social development and human security and four deputy ministerial seats, including interior, transport, education and public health.
The party’s three pre-conditions, which must be accepted by the Palang Pracharat party, include:
- The government must amend problematic issues in the constitution and this must be stipulated in the government’s policy statement.
- The Democrat party’s policy on the price guarantee for farm produce must be included in the government’s policy statement.
- The cabinet seats to be allocated to the party must enable the party to implement its policies on farm produce price guarantees, poverty eradication programs and human development.
The source said that both the Palang Pracharat and the Democrat parties must issue a joint statement regarding the agreement on the three pre-conditions before the election of the Prime Minister in parliament on June 5th.
In case the Palang Pracharat refuses to accept any of the pre-conditions, the source said that the Democrats have a Plan B wherein Abhisit will run against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and other candidates for the Prime Minister’s post.
Meanwhile, an informed source in the Palang Pracharat party said that Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan had reassured the Democrats that the party would honor its earlier agreement.
The influential Sam Mitr group, in the Palang Pracharat party, reportedly wants to keep the agriculture portfolio within the party in exchange for the education portfolio. This was flatly rejected by the Democrat party, which called off its scheduled meeting of the executive committee and MPs last week.
