Democrat Party set for structural shake-up

This embarrassing loss spurred the 67-year-old party to review itself and consider a revamp of its policies, structure and personnel so it has a better chance of leading the government again. 

 

Alongkorn Ponlaboot, deputy Democrat leader and a member of the party reform panel, said the goal was to ensure that the Democrats capture another 60 seats in addition to the 161 it already has, and make it the strongest party in Parliament. 

 

A source explained that the 60-seat figure was set as the party wants 15 more party-list MPs, plus 15 MPs in the Northeast, 15 more in the Central region, 10 more in the North, four more in Bangkok and one more in the South. 

 

In order to achieve this goal, Alongkorn says the party requires drastic changes so it can convince voters it would be better bet at the helm of the country next time around. 

 

For this change, the party’s advisory council would need to be dissolved and new central committee set up – made up of specialists from different fields, plus representatives of the people from across the nation. 

 

The party would also set up people’s assemblies at the national, regional and provincial levels in order to come up with ideas. 

 

Alongkorn said panels would also be set up to supervise the country’s 375 constituencies. He added that the party would also look to expand its branches to cover all the constituencies, from its current 174 offices.

 

The party is also planning to use a primary candidate selection system for at least 20 constituencies in some provinces in the North, Northeast and Central region where there are no Democrat MPs so it can win 45 more constituency-based seats.

 

Alongkorn said the reform would take shape by December once a new party executive board has been elected. 

 

He admitted previous efforts to introduce changes led to serious conflicts as several party members insisted on sticking by individual and factional ideas, but said this attitude would have to change. 

 

Speculation has it that outsiders would be brought in to add freshness to the party. Some people have even floated the names of Supachai Panitchpakdi, the former secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), and Surin Pitsuwan, president of the Future Innovative Thailand Institute, as possible new party leaders.

 

However, Alongkorn said if the party was powerful, anybody could become a leader. 

 

“It is not traditional for the party to be led by an insider ... the party’s leader will still have to be elected in a party caucus,” Alongkorn said.

 

While Alongkorn is pushing for reform, Satit Wongnongtaey – a party executive and member of the reform panel – said the election defeats were not the main reason for the reform. 

 

He said the Democrat Party was a political institution that had to be changed to respond to a changing situation. 

 

He said a central committee was being considered, so big names like Supachai, Tarin Nimmanahaeminda and Surin could step in to help run the party.

 

He also played down talk of internal conflict, saying the reform had not been initiated by Alongkorn but by Abhisit himself, who set up the panel led by Asawin Wipoosiri.

 

Satit said Alongkorn’s comments had led to a misunderstanding that there were conflicts. 

 

Democrat party-list MP Rachadaporn Kaewsanit also said there were no conflicts and that Alongkorn had said at a party meeting that he loved the party and had no harmful intentions toward it. 

 

From now until November 29, when the party’s executive board will endorse the reform plan before a party caucus is held in December to elect a new executive board, nobody can tell whether or not there will be any more changes to the reform plan. 

 

But, the Democrats are sticking by one common goal – their repeated electoral defeats must come to an end.