Reds want decisive say in the choice of Chiang Mai candidate

Pichit Tamoon, a leader of the red-shirt group in Chiang Mai, said they wanted the party’s candidate for the Constituency 3 by-election to first win the backing of most party supporters in a candidate-selection process similar to the primary voting system of major political parties in the United States.
He said the party’s supporters should be allowed to decide whether they would vote for a red-shirt candidate or one who is selected in the Pheu Thai headquarters.
“If Pheu Thai wants to walk along the masses, they need to heed the people’s desire. The party has to ask the people who they want to be their representative,” Pichit said.
“Pheu Thai belongs to the people. It is not a private company. If they want to make the party a stable political institution, Pheu Thai must consider this request,” he said.
He warned that if the party ignored this request and went ahead with fielding a candidate who is unacceptable to the red shirts, the party could end up suffering a humiliating loss like it did in Pathum Thani last Sunday.
“I believe the party does not want that to happen in Thaksin Shinawatra’s hometown,” he added.
Meanwhile, Thaksin’s son made a rare public comment yesterday, defending Pheu Thai Party against claims its popularity was waning, following double election losses in Pathum Thani.
On his Facebook page, Panthongtae Shinawatra also defended his cousin Chinnacha Wongsawat, a Pheu Thai MP from Chiang Mai who lost her parliamentary seat and faces a five-year ban from politics. The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders ruled last week that she had submitted false financial statements with the National Anti-Corruption Com-mission.
“In just one week, the Pheu Thai Party lost two constituency MP seats. This is regretful. I think party MPs will learn some lessons from what happened. If possible, it should not happen again, and I think nobody wants it to happen again,” Panthongtae’s Facebook message said.
He criticised Sumet Ritthakani, without naming him, for resigning as Pheu Thai MP from Pathum Thani to contest last Sunday’s election for the provincial administrative organisation’s chief. Sumet lost to the incumbent office holder.
Last Saturday, Pheu Thai also lost to the opposition Democrat Party in a Pathum Thani by-election to fill the MP seat left vacant by Sumet. In last year’s general elections, Pheu Thai won all six MP seats in Pathum Thani.
Panthongtae yesterday also lectured Pheu Thai politicians about the need to respect their voters.
“Any MP candidate who wants to change his mind after getting elected should not have volunteered to work for the people in the first place. Be reminded that part of the votes you get is from the party’s popularity. When you decide to abandon your duty, the people act to show you that they disagree with your decision. The party’s image is affected as a result,” Panthongtae said. He added that he did not think Pheu Thai’s popularity was falling, as claimed by its rivals and critics.
Panthongtae, 32, is a senior executive of the satellite-based television Voice TV, a family business.
Thaksin’s only son also urged Pheu Thai supporters to “come out in full force” to vote for a party candidate in Chiang Mai in order to ensure a “landslide victory” and “get rid of the insult that the party’s popularity is falling”.
He said it was “nonsense” to accuse the party of employing “the might of money and the state power” to defeat its competitors.