Clock Ticking On Junta Party’s PM Offer To Prayuth

[webfact]

Clock Ticking On Junta Party’s PM Offer To Prayuth

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter

 

Sowing seeds of doubt? Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha shows reporters a tree he just planted today in Yasothon province

 

BANGKOK — Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha has not yet decided whether to accept the nomination to serve as prime minister, the party who extended the offer said Wednesday.

 

Although Prayuth was asked last week to be Palang Pracharat Party’s candidate for prime minister, the junta leader has not given any reply to them, party chairman Uttama Savanayana told reporters today. Friday is the last day for political parties to submit their nominations for the top job.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2019/02/06/clock-ticking-on-junta-partys-pm-offer-to-prayuth/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2019-02-06

 

[CanuckThai]

[Chang_paarp]

Only one party offering?

I thought others would give it a go to boost their chances.

[sammieuk1]

There has always something ticking in this junta is he pointing at one to????

[tracker1]

He is self appointed Prime Minister already and when Prime Minister will form his party as already done ! no need to decide

[Justgrazing]

Looks a bit like a care in the community patient pointing like that .. 

 

[webfact]

All eyes on Prayut as he mulls heading Phalang Pracharat ticket

By NATTAPHAT PHROMKAEW, 
KAS CHANWANPEN 
THE NATION

 

File photo : Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

 

HALFWAY THROUGH the week for them to submit their PM candidate lists, most political parties have lined up to report their choices to the Electoral Commission (EC), except for the closely watched Democrat and Phalang Pracharat parties.
 

It is highly likely that Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva will be the one and only prime-minister candidate for that party, though the list had yet to be officially submitted.

 

But pro-junta Phalang Pracharat, has seen their preferred candidate, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, publicly claiming to be undecided, suggesting at least the possibility that the party could be left high and dry.

 

As of yesterday, junta leader General Prayut had not made up his mind about heading Phalang Pracharat’s ticket, along with two other PM candidates. He yesterday reiterated that he had until this Friday to make the decision.

 

Phalang Pracharat’s executives yesterday could not affirm that Prayut would say yes.

 

Its leader, Uttama Savanayana, who is a PM candidate for the party, said he respected Prayut’s decision. While he declined to say how much confidence he has that Prayut would accept the offer, Uttama said he remained hopeful of a positive answer.

 

Uttama also insisted that the pro-junta party was here to stay for the long term.

 

The general view among pundits is that the party would lose a key selling point if it lost Prayut as its premier candidate. Yet Uttama said its survival was did not hinge on one person.

 

Separately, the party’s secretary-general Sontirat Sontijirawong said yesterday the party has a Plan B in the event that Prayut declined the invitation.

 

“If General Prayut rejects it, we are prepared for all scenarios,” Sontirat said.

 

Phalang Pracharat will submit its party-list MP candidates to the EC today, he said. But he was uncertain about submitting the PM candidate list, saying the party had until Friday to complete everything.

 

Meanwhile, most parties believed to be likely members of the future governing coalition or opposition have already submitted their PM candidate list to the EC.

 

Pheu Thai named Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, Chadchart Sittipunt and Chaikasem Nitisiri as their PM hopefuls.

 

Future Forward, a pro-democracy party popular among younger voters, named only its leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, to contest for the government’s top job.

 

Bhumjaithai, a medium-sized parties said to be a significant determining factor in the poll, also declared only its leader, Anutin Charnvirakul, to run at the top of the ticket.

 

Most eyes are now on Phalang Pracharat and Prayut’s decision.

 

However, political scientist Yuttaporn Isarachai, yesterday said Prayut is not necessarily the pro-junta party’s chief selling point.

 

No matter whether Prayut says yes or no to their invitation, the move could pose issues for Phalang Pracharat, he said.

 

For one thing, it could be the party’s Achilles’ heel, he said.

 

“Other parties could use the nomination for their campaign,” the expert pointed out. “They can tell voters to choose them [instead] if voters don’t want Prayut back in the government again.”

 

Prayut’s and the junta’s image is no longer as clean as it was when it took power in 2014, Yuttaporn said. They have issues such as the luxury watches involving the junta’s No 2, Prawit Wongsuwan, that remain questions in the minds of the public, he added.

 

However, even if Prayut now rejected the party’s invitation, he could return as an outside PM, Yuttaporn stressed.

 

Phalang Pracharat could exploit that to campaign if they felt a strong need to use the junta’s name to gain popularity, he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30363670

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-07

[bluesofa]

I know the PM is a firm believer in religion and luck, especially kissing/talking to frogs. Maybe Chinese New Year being Year of the Pig could be relevant.

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

File photo : Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

photo says it all, quite the smugness; his time has passed and he failed the test

[Eligius]

That photo with the article is just so funny. I think people could have a field day inventing suitable captions for that. After all, why on earth is that poor Thai 'officer' protecting his private parts in the face of a massive and surly POINT from Prayut?!!!

[bluesofa]

7 minutes ago, Eligius said:

That photo with the article is just so funny. I think people could have a field day inventing suitable captions for that. After all, why on earth is that poor Thai 'officer' protecting his private parts in the face of a massive and surly POINT from Prayut?!!!

Probably worried in case Prayut's aim was off, if he were to suffer the 'punch in the face' routine.

[ChrisY1]

Prayuth....play acting in his personal soapie....Thai politics is a painful joke!

[Ossy]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Clock Ticking On Junta Party’s PM Offer To Prayuth

Gee! The suspense is killing me. Good to see that he's justifying his insistence on ruining the country till election time, though. "That is a tree, what I just planted. Any jerk can see that."

[Eric Loh]

Something or someone must have spooked him in not deciding to join Palang Pracharat. Maybe enough to abandon all his grandeur ambition. We perhaps will know by tomorrow. 

[yellowboat]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Prayut Chan-o-cha, publicly claiming to be undecided, suggesting at least the possibility that the party could be left high and dry.

Thus giving the average Thai the chance at a prosperous and exciting future free from fear.

[klauskunkel]

I'm not gracing this man with a single thought.

[chama]

Prayuth knows exactly what he is going to do, he's just not sure how to sell it to the public....or should he just shove it down their throats. Decisions, decisions, decisions. I'm betting on the shoving down the throat option since it may be the only way he can win.

[bowerboy]

12 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Something or someone must have spooked him in not deciding to join Palang Pracharat. Maybe enough to abandon all his grandeur ambition. We perhaps will know by tomorrow. 

 

Prophetic words as it turns out

[KhunBENQ]

This "Phalang Pracharat Party" is the first and loudest campaigning here in the village.

Surprise, surprise.

 

I give them a chance for 5% votes.

With Prayut (officially) joining I give them a whopping 2%

 

But who cares, already made clear: if you elect the wrong/bad ones we will take care.

A farce.

[tomta]

It's all over now, baby blue

 

[tifino]

that smirk tells me he hasn't played all his cards quite yet...

 

[Khaeng Mak]

1 hour ago, tomta said:

It's all over now, baby blue

 

 

Yep

[BuckBee]

One can only hope uncle buck not holding a royal flush !

He new for months he be running, much the same as with the coup, it had been planned for months ...

This elections rules and party fiasco going make previous elections look squeaky clean ...

If we got see uncle buck and the chubby watch junkie after the 24th then thailand will have lost much more than just democracy ...

[Thailand]

I guess the latest candidate for the position of pm may hold the top hand.

[bowerboy]

Night of the Long Knives coming?

[Psimbo]

Interesting that his sycophants have already jumped in to question the validity of another candidate.

 

I seem to recollect that HE is now allowed to run as a sitting PM- there don't seem to be many objections to that! 

 

Just a 'misunderstanding' I'm sure.????

[Reigntax]

Prayuths ambition to be the future PM, continue to hold the country to military randsom just been slam dunked and completely out manoeuved by a certain nomination.

 

Let's see his cohorts inact another coup if this is successful.

 

Seems despite all his bias written in his Constitution, that he has once again been outmanoeuvred by the Shins.

 

For the good of the country and to ensure the best chance at a stable democracy one would have to consider it a brillant nomination.

[Artisi]

9 minutes ago, Reigntax said:

Prayuths ambition to be the future PM, continue to hold the country to military randsom just been slam dunked and completely out manoeuved by a certain nomination.

 

Let's see his cohorts inact another coup if this is successful.

 

Seems despite all his bias written in his Constitution, that he has once again been outmanoeuvred by the Shins.

 

For the good of the country and to ensure the best chance at a stable democracy one would have to consider it a brillant nomination.

it is if you don't mind the Shims running the show once again...  

[bannork]

29 minutes ago, Reigntax said:

Prayuths ambition to be the future PM, continue to hold the country to military randsom just been slam dunked and completely out manoeuved by a certain nomination.

 

Let's see his cohorts inact another coup if this is successful.

 

Seems despite all his bias written in his Constitution, that he has once again been outmanoeuvred by the Shins.

 

For the good of the country and to ensure the best chance at a stable democracy one would have to consider it a brillant nomination.

I noticed all the glum faces of the red shirt leaders yesterday when they realized they had been placed far down the party list of the Thai Raksa Chart party, and hence may well not be elected. This was in spite of them doing the donkey work for the party over the last year.

Ahead of them were friends of Thaksin's family such as Khattiya Sawatdiphol, an ex-MP and daughter of Sae Deng shot at Ratchaprasong, and Kanapoj Jomrit.

What could Nattawut Saikua say? Admit there was no democracy in the party and everything is controlled by Thaksin, as seen by recent events.

Pathetic. When will they grow a backbone and form a party where the members actually run it?

 

[BuckBee]

Shins and Uncle Buck both got faults .

One would hope the new party and PM candidate be a bit more on the righteous path, certainly nothing to loose besides uncle buck army and his timely sidekick who done nothing besides waste billions on military hardware ... They couldn't even enforce lottery ticket pricing lol ...