MP steps down to contest Udon Thani presidency
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The Pheu Thai Party has named Vichien Khaokham as its candidate for president of Udon Thani's Provincial Administrative Organisation.
Pheu Thai MPs held a press conference to announce that Vichien would resign from his current position as a list MP and compete for the PAO of Udon Thani province.
Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, who led the press conference, said that Vichien was capable and suitable for the position. He added that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had already acknowledged the MP’s entry.
Vichien replaced Prasop Busarakham, former Udon Thani MP, who was previously deemed as the party’s candidate for the post after Prasop pulled out due to health issues.
Vichien stated he was phoned recently by the party’s seniors, asking him to run for the post in order to limit damage that might spread after the shock defeat of the Pheu Thai Party in Pathum Thani province.
The party lost the recent PAO election and the by-election in Pathum Thani, the area which up till then had been regarded as the red-shirt’s stronghold.
Pheu Thai suffered two successive blows when Sumet Rithakhani failed to win Pathum Thani local PAO election after he had stepped down from the district’s MP post.
Before that, Pheu Thai candidate Somchai Rangsiwatanasak had already lost to the Democrat candidate in the by-election for Sumet’s replacement as Constituency 5 MP, in Pathum Thani’s Lum Luk Ka district.
Vichien’s resignation to compete in the local election will not lead to any by-election like Sumet’s. Being a list MP, the next person in line will automatically be promoted as a new list MP.
Asked if he was worried of a repeat defeat, Vichien said he was uneasy at first but felt relieved after his seniors confirmed the action would not result in any by-election or budget loss.
“I’m at a crossroad. I’m worried – but we have to stop the damage that may spread after the Pathum Thani defeat. Udon Thani is a stronghold of the red shirts. I’m a red shirt so if I lose there [the fallout] will be worse than Pathum Thani,” said Vichien.
Vichien added he had confidence in his red-shirt supporters in Udon Thani who were more unified than those in Pathum Thani.
