No regrets on Bhumjaithai MOA: People’s Party leader

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party, on Friday (December 12), held a press conference at the headquarters of the party, regarding the party's direction following the Dissolution of the House of Representatives and their readiness for the upcoming general election.

The Imperative for a New Constitution

He stated that since the 2023 election, despite the former Move Forward Party winning the most seats and forming an MOU with the Pheu Thai Party, they were unable to form a government with Pita Limjaroenrat as Prime Minister due to the votes of the Senators and the subsequent termination of the MOU.

Over the past two years, Thailand has seen two Prime Ministers removed from office by Constitutional Court rulings. The former Move Forward Party was dissolved and became the People's Party.

He emphasised that after enduring numerous legal and political battles, the People’s Party believes that Thailand cannot progress further without addressing the political system and the country's supreme rules to align with international democratic standards. The focus must be on drafting a new Constitution.

Apology for Failure to Deliver a New Constitution

Natthaphong explained that this commitment was the basis for the party’s Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Bhumjaithai Party.

However, in light of the final vote in the joint parliamentary session and the latest situation of the House dissolution, he, as the People’s Party Leader, and the party are disappointed that they were unable to succeed in this endeavour.

He apologised to the public that, despite their utmost effort under the existing political constraints, they could not achieve their ultimate objective of successfully drafting a new Constitution alongside the next election.

Nevertheless, he noted that the joint sitting of Parliament at least passed a resolution for the first referendum question.

This is now a legal obligation under the Referendum Act and has been sent to the Cabinet.

He hopes the caretaker Cabinet will proceed according to the law by organising the next election and conducting the first referendum to allow the drafting of a new Constitution to move forward.

Rallying for a Landslide Victory to Prevent Further Betrayal

Regarding the People’s Party's readiness for the next election, he shared the latest information from the party's Secretary-General this morning, confirming they are ready to field candidates in all provinces nationwide.

He stressed that the People's Party, tracing its journey back to the Future Forward Party, did not enter politics merely to be in government or for their MPs to hold seats for the sole purpose of bargaining for ministerial positions. They entered politics to create change.

Reviewing the political context from the 2019 to 2023 elections and the present, he observed that the voice of the people is still not strong enough.

While the People’s Party is the vehicle to gather that voice, it has not been strong enough to overcome the existing political rules and obstructions. Therefore, they remain fully hopeful for the next election, believing that only the people will not betray each other.

"The People's Party's next mission in the upcoming election is to lean on the people as much as possible, asking them to entrust us with their confidence. This involves our policies, the unveiling of our executive team, and the announcement of our readiness to have candidates in every province. The message to the people is to let the People's Party grow so we can steer the direction of the next government and allow Thailand to move forward," said Natthaphong.

Countering the Prime Minister: Ask Who Broke the MOA Conditions

When asked about the Prime Minister's statement that the events did not violate the MOA, and the People’s Party’s view that they did their best but failed to amend the Constitution, leading to today’s situation, the People’s Party Leader responded:

He addressed the issue of whether or not the MOA was violated in two points:

If one looks at the written MOA, it supports the PM’s reasoning. However, in practical terms, it was impossible to detail the exact content of the new Constitution.

If one reviews the minutes of the Scrutiny Committee (KMC), there were wide-ranging disagreements among MPs and Senators.

Practically, the MOA had to set broad principles with the ultimate goals of dissolving the House as quickly as possible and moving forward with a new Constitution draft.

In practice, one must look back at the majority draft of the Scrutiny Committee, which excluded the requirement for a one-third vote from Senators (which was later overturned).

The ruling coalition whip's resolution also aligned with the Bhumjaithai Party, agreeing to the majority committee’s draft.

This is the practical aspect, not just the written MOA.

Natthaphong revealed that he was informed around noon on Thursday that the Bhumjaithai Party's stance might not be to vote according to the government whip’s resolution.

He questioned this action and urged the media and the public to directly ask the Prime Minister why Bhumjaithai voted against its own government whip's resolution.

He reiterated the People’s Party's consistent position throughout the Scrutiny Committee process: they could not accept a draft constitution that maintained the power of one-third of the Senators.

He insisted that the question of whether the MOA was violated should be directed to the Prime Minister regarding the practical actions.

Acknowledging the Likelihood of This Outcome

When pressed on whether they knew the situation would likely unfold this way, Natthaphong confirmed that when they signed the MOA with Bhumjaithai, they had indeed assessed the possibility of this scenario.

They decided to use their available votes to push for a constitutional amendment. He believes that, looking back, since the MOA signing, the process for drafting a new Constitution was the most realistic it had been in the past two years.

However, he admitted that the practical situation on the ground was well known and needed no further detailed explanation.

He stressed that the next process, as required by the Constitutional Court's ruling, is the first referendum question, which Parliament has already passed as a resolution.

This is a legal obligation for the caretaker Cabinet. He affirmed that they have not abandoned the hope of drafting a new Constitution and will continue to pursue it fully.

The stronger the public's vote in the next election, the more they can push the constitutional reform forward.

No Regrets Over Signing the MOA with Bhumjaithai

When asked if the party regretted signing the MOA with Bhumjaithai, the party leader firmly stated, "No regrets whatsoever."

He affirmed that the decision was made after listening to the opinions of the party members, who are the true owners of the party.

He admitted there were diverse opinions at the time, but the majority concluded that this action was necessary to advance Thailand and the concurrent drafting of a new Constitution.

He acknowledged that no one could predict future events, and they had to act to the best of their ability with the votes they possessed.

However, following Thursday's vote, he asked the public to recognise that they had tried to their last breath to achieve the new Constitution as a way out for the country.

Regarding the impact on the party's popularity, Natthaphong said they understand and are watching the public’s reaction.

He believes their actions and work will prove their worth.

He expressed confidence that the People’s Party, with its strong policies and excellent executive team and candidates, will earn a landslide victory in the next election.

People’s Party is Not Naive, Ready to Rebuild Political Image

On how the party plans to restore its image from these political games, the People’s Party Leader responded that their work is based on straightforward politics.

He viewed the MOA, even though it was ultimately broken, as an attempt at transparent politics. The agreement outlined why they would use their votes to support the Prime Minister, and this was fully publicised.

"Regarding the past political actions, the People's Party and I do not consider ourselves naive at all. We are trying to let the people judge what happened. They (referring to the other party) might say they fully honoured the MOA, but some interpret it as a violation. This is for people to analyse. But ultimately, the people are the final judges in the ballot box," the People’s Party Leader said.

When asked how the People’s Party can assure the public that its decisions in the next election won't put the people at a disadvantage, given the experience of the past two elections, Natthaphong asked the public to consider if the election results under the 2017 Constitution truly reflected the people's will.

He admitted that from Future Forward to Move Forward and now the People’s Party, they have yet to win an election with a voice strong enough to defeat the old powers intent on holding the country back.

However, he recalled the trajectory of the Future Forward Party, which was predicted to get fewer than 10 seats but won over 80, and the Move Forward Party, which was not expected to win but came in first.

Therefore, the People’s Party's objective in the next election is singular: to lean on the people, earn their maximum confidence, grow large enough to lead the government formation, and steer its direction without being betrayed by politics. He believes the people's voice is the strongest and, if heeded, no one can betray them.

Upcoming Election is the Turning Point for Change

Touching upon the MOA with Bhumjaithai, Natthaphong noted it had two key points: the dissolution of the House and the drafting of a new Constitution, which he likened to two pieces of a “patongko” (Chinese fried dough).

He believed that the full effort they put in had led to the House dissolution and the new election, along with at least the first referendum question passing Parliament, which opens the door to a new Constitution.

He stated that he has never accepted the situation and has always utilised every parliamentary mechanism, through the Scrutiny Committee and the media, to check power.

He believes the next election is the opportunity to create better change.

No Regret Over Not Calling a Prior No-Confidence Debate

Regarding the decision not to call a no-confidence debate earlier, Natthaphong said they had used every possible channel for scrutiny.

He did not regret the decision. The debate yesterday was to show the public the extent of Bhumjaithai’s sincerity in pursuing constitutional reform.

He and his colleagues knew since noon Thursday how the Bhumjaithai Party would vote, but their political work is transparent. They wanted the public watching the live broadcast to see the truth.

"Our standing was clear: if the Bhumjaithai Party had voted according to the majority draft, the new Constitution would have moved forward, and there would have been no reason to submit an interpellation because we still believed it had a chance to pass the third reading. But when given the opportunity, Bhumjaithai did not take it; they voted in favour of the minority draft, restoring the one-third Senator power, and the Prime Minister chose to dissolve the House. Therefore, we do not regret not having an interpellation. We tried our utmost, focusing on the country's benefit, not on political games, to keep things moving. If anyone is to be asked, it should be the Prime Minister and Bhumjaithai as to why they made this decision," the People’s Party Leader said.

Attempted Call to the Prime Minister

When asked if he had communicated with the Prime Minister or talked to him after the dissolution announcement on Thursday, Natthaphong said he spoke with Bhumjaithai members since they were in Parliament together.

However, he confirmed he attempted to call the Prime Minister once, but the PM did not answer.

He did not speak with the Prime Minister.

Asked about the Prime Minister claiming the dissolution was based on Natthaphong ’s suggestion, the People’s Party Leader referred back to his parliamentary debate.

He had stated that if Bhumjaithai insisted on voting for the minority draft, they could not allow it to proceed to the third reading and would request the PM to dissolve the House.

He noted that he spoke before the vote. Even after the initial card-press vote failed, he insisted on a roll-call vote to give them a final chance to decide.

He posed the question back to the PM: Given such an opportunity, why did he choose this course of action?

When pressed on whether the Prime Minister was using this as an excuse, Natthaphong said he could not answer on the PM's behalf but urged that the facts be put directly to the PM as to why Bhumjaithai made this decision.

Trust is in the MOA Framework, Not Individuals

Reiterating his answer on the trust in the MOA with Bhumjaithai, Natthaphong stated simply: "We never make political decisions based on personal trust."

He said they believed in the publicly announced MOA framework.

The only constraint binding Bhumjaithai and all political groups is the agreement made with the people, as the public will judge all parties in the next election.

No Coalition with Bhumjaithai if "Grey" Elements Exist

When asked if they would not cooperate in the next election, Natthaphong said one of the People's Party's core principles is: "If we are in, the grey is out" ('Where there is us, there is no grey').

They will not tolerate any coalition partner or minister genuinely associated with a 'grey' network. As for the coalition formula, the People's Party's goal is singular: to ask the people for votes, earn their confidence, and become strong enough to form a government and steer its direction so that no one can betray the people's will again.

Ready for NACC Inquiry, Focus on Election

Regarding the case of 44 MPs currently under investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), Natthaphong stated they are fully prepared legally, and this will not distract them.

He is preparing to meet with his teams to focus on the next election. His sole focus is on securing the most votes and confidence from the people.

On the MOA's failure to amend the Constitution, the party leader repeated his apology to the public for failing to pass the new Constitution through three readings.

However, he urged everyone to remain hopeful.

Their growth is rooted in hope; politics is about possibilities. If the people are on their side, the next election is a crucial turning point.

"Regarding the matter of betrayal, I want people to consider whether the Bhumjaithai Party acted as the public expected. If there was a betrayal of the MOA, the document and the public expectations regarding the dissolution of the House, the drafting of a new Constitution, and stopping legal warfare are all public knowledge. Beyond asking the Prime Minister, let the people decide in the next election," Natthaphong said.

Denial of the Delaying No-Confidence Motion Request to Pheu Thai

When asked if there had been any communication with the Pheu Thai Party,  Natthaphong said he spoke with all parties in Parliament yesterday.

He was then asked about the rumour that the People’s Party had asked Pheu Thai to delay submitting a no-confidence motion. The People’s Party Leader strongly denied asking Pheu Thai to delay.

He said while there were discussions, it was like laying out the political chessboard to see what the country would gain or lose if Pheu Thai submitted the motion now.

He emphasised it was Pheu Thai’s right to submit it, and if they did, the People’s Party was ready to join the debate. He never asked Pheu Thai to delay the submission.

"Julapun (a Pheu Thai representative) is entitled to his opinion. Pheu Thai might say, 'See, we can't be trusted based on experience.' But Pheu Thai's and Bhumjaithai's way of working in the coalition might differ from the People's Party, which voted for  Anutin based on the MOA, and let the people decide. I won't comment on  Julapun's opinion. I want everyone to see the different working methods between Pheu Thai and the People's Party," Natthaphong said.

Reiterating the party's decision-making process for the next election, Natthaphong concluded: The People’s Party will not forget.

Every political decision is never based on personal trust.

To ensure the People’s Party is not betrayed again, they must work hard, unveil their executive team, policies, and candidates, and secure enough votes so that no one can betray the voice of the people again.