Chamlong’s reincarnated party could support Prayut, rejects ‘Western-style democracy’
A NEW political party has been launched with an apparent reliance on the reputation of the now-defunct Palang Dharma Party, which was popular in Bangkok 30 years ago with its anti-corruption stance and high standards.
Members of the “New Palang Dharma” announced yesterday that the party could support General Prayut Chan-o-cha as an outsider candidate for prime minister after the next election.
New Palang Dharma leader Rawee Maschamadol yesterday vowed to lead the country towards “dharma-cracy” and reject Western-style democracy.
Chamlong Srimuang, the founder of the original Palang Dharma (which means “the power of virtues”), has kept his word and washed his hands of politics and will have no role in this rebirth of the party, said Rawee.
Anti-corruption is the number one policy platform for the party, he said.
The new party’s founders announced its establishment and direction at a press conference in the Asia Hotel yesterday. They intend to request the official founding of the party with the Election Commission when registration starts today.
The new party is believed to have won the blessing of Chamlong, once a Bangkok governor whose party dominated Bangkok elections for years. The soldier-turned-politician later became a protest leader.
Palang Dharma was founded in 1988 by Chamlong. The party was very successful in its first general election in 1992, winning 32 out of 35 seats in the capital.
Billionaire-turned-politician Thaksin Shinawatra began his political career officially with Palang Dharma before founding his own political party, Thai Rak Thai. Palang Dharma leaders, including Chamlong and Rawee, played a major role in the right-leaning movement against the Shinawatra camp.
Rawee yesterday said the new party, despite being on a budget, would field candidates in all 350 constituencies all over the country.
He refused to disclose the three candidates for prime minister that it would submit to the EC but said people could expect to be impressed by the names.
New Palang Dharma will support anyone who is honest and capable of leading the country to become the next government head after the election, Rawee said.
The party would first try to support its own candidate to contest for premiership, Rawee said, but he did not rule out that it would back Prayut as an outsider prime minister.