Thanathorn sets conditions for supporting Pheu Thai PM candidate, wants public input
Thanathorn confirms the People’s Party's two conditions for supporting Pheu Thai’s PM candidate: dissolve parliament within 4 months and hold a constitutional referendum.
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Chairman of the Progressive Movement and patriarch of the People’s Party, on Saturday addressed recent reports about discussions with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra regarding a potential coalition government with Pheu Thai and the People’s Party.
Thanathorn explained that he spoke with Thaksin earlier today, during which Thaksin requested that the People’s Party support Chaikasem Nitisiri, Pheu Thai’s PM candidate. In response, Thanathorn made it clear that the People’s Party has firm conditions for supporting a prime ministerial candidate. These conditions include:
- Dissolving parliament within four months.
- Holding a referendum to amend the constitution within that period.
“If Pheu Thai can accept these terms, there’s no need to speak to me. They can talk directly to the People’s Party. I understand that the leader of the People’s Party has already said that Pheu Thai has not contacted us officially,” Thanathorn said.
He further explained that the People’s Party’s conditions were not motivated by a desire for power or to form a government. “The leader of the People’s Party has been clear—we remain the opposition. What we want is to move the country forward, because the current parliament lacks legitimacy and stability. No group has the legitimacy to address the country’s pressing issues, such as drug problems, restoring investor confidence, and political challenges. The best course of action now is to return power to the people by dissolving parliament.”
“Therefore, the People’s Party’s two simple conditions are genuinely focused on solving the current crisis. The new parliament, if formed, would have a mandate from the people to lead the country forward, and I support these conditions,” Thanathorn stated.
When asked if four months is too short a time to implement these changes, Thanathorn replied, “I believe the People’s Party has calculated that within four months, there will be enough political will to hold a constitutional referendum.”
Thanathorn also noted that none of the three groups—the Bhumjaithai Party, People’s Party, or Pheu Thai—can form a government alone. “We need to communicate honestly with the people. In this situation, the most reasonable approach is to return the decision to the people. We should explain to them that this is the most sensible choice, and they should decide which party is most capable of implementing these changes.”
When asked about the possibility of an MOU being torn up later, Thanathorn smiled before responding, “That’s for the people to decide. If the party that accepts the People’s Party’s terms doesn’t follow through with their promises, let the people decide.”
