Pheu Thai shrugs off poll defeat
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The Pheu Thai Party is playing down its defeat to the Democrats in the weekend by-election in Pathum Thani, saying the loss doesn't mean the ruling party's popularity is fading.
Voter turnout was just 35 per cent compared with 75 per cent in the general election, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said. She believed people were weary of having to go to the polls less than a year since the election.
“People have different views for the general election and a by-election. They think of who will be the government for the general election. But for a by-election, they might also look at the details and factors in the area. Anyway, the party accepts the election results and will use the information for improvement,” she said.
Yingluck did not answer reporters’ question if the results were an indication of anything.
The by-election on Saturday took place to fill in the seat of Pheu Thai MP Sumeth Ritthakanee, who resigned to run for the post of Provincial Administrative Organisation chairman on Sunday.
Pheu Thai lost both ballots. Democrat Party candidate Kiatisak Songsang won the MP seat.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the party’s candidate lost by only 3,000 votes, and might have won if the turnout had reached 50 per cent.
Another factor was that the election was on Saturday. Pheu Thai’s base supporters were either labourers or employees of private companies but they worked on Saturdays.
“People might ask why the MP resigned after eight months of being an MP and why they must go to vote again. We understand their feelings. They might think the by-election wasn’t so important as Pheu Thai has enough MPs in Parliament and that it would still be all right if they did not come to vote,” Prompong said.
Pathum Thani residents were still angry at the government over last year’s flood, he said.
Prompong said a Pheu Thai Party meeting resolved yesterday to prohibit its MPs from resigning to run for local administration offices. It would not field Sumeth in other MP elections.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said that despite the defeat he was confident that Pheu Thai would win in the MP by-election in Chiang Mai and in the next general election, especially in the North and the Northeast.
Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Mai Chinnicha Wongsawat was disqualified last week for filing a false assets report.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday hailed the victory as proof his party is more popular in Pathum Thani. He said Kiatisak frequently visited residents there even though he lost the election earlier. Kiatisak also helped out during the flood, he said.
