Kittiratt made Pheu Thai deputy
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Finance minister joins party board as Charupong becomes new leader
In a surprise move, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong was elected a Pheu Thai Party deputy leader yesterday.
Kittiratt won the position when the party met to elect Interior Minister Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan as its new leader and elect a new executive board.
It was a surprise that Kittiratt was included on the board because Pheu Thai is known to use the strategy of excluding key members from the executive for fear the party may be dissolved and its executives may face a five-year political ban. The party has used this strategy since Thai Rak Thai and People’s Power parties were dissolved by court orders.
Political observers said Kittiratt’s appointment to the board could have both advantages and disadvantages.
Kittiratt is a right-hand man of Premier Yingluck Shinawatra so with him on the board, he could promote the party’s image and coordinate between Yingluck and the party.
But the drawback is if Pheu Thai is dissolved like Thai Rak Thai and People’s Power – Yingluck would lose a close ally who helps her run the country, observers said.
A party source said Yingluck decided to have Kittiratt become a deputy leader because she saw it as a win-win situation. The source said Yingluck saw that with Kittiratt on the executive, it would kill the perception of him as an “outsider” in Cabinet.
Charupong taking over as leader was not unexpected. It has been speculated that he would be the new party chief after Yongyuth Wichaidit stepped down.
During the assembly, party-list MP Apiwan Wiriyachai and chairman of the meeting nominated Charupong, who was party secretary-general in the previous board, to the position of party leader. No other candidates were nominated and Charupong was elected with 332 votes.
The party also elected Phumtham Wechayachai, a former Thai Rak Thai executive who has recently finished a five-year political ban, as Pheu Thai’s new secretary-general.
Thani Yisarn and Danuporn Punnakan were elected as deputy secretary-generals.
Apart from Kittiratt, Plodprasob Surassawadee, Viroj Pao-in, Worawit Chinnawin and Kriang Kultinan were elected as deputy leaders.
The caucus also elected Thawesak Anakkhaphan as the party’s treasurer and Ekthanat Inrod as the party’s registrar.
Prompong Nopparit, who was the party spokesman in the previous board, retained his position yesterday.f
Other members of the new executive are Chalong Somjai, Phakin Sommit, Kamol Bandaiphet, Pitthaya Pukkaman, Wimol Janjirawutthikul, Preecha Khananan and Worawee Makudee.
