Bickering with political rivals waste of time, says Move Forward leader
Move Forward’s biggest challenge is not its political competitors, but more its ability to deliver on campaign promises and supporters’ expectations, the opposition party’s leader said.
Chaithawat Tulathon also said on Saturday that his predecessor, Pita Limjaroenrat, had a good chance of returning to the party’s helm if the Constitutional Court ruled in his favour.
Pita stepped down as Move Forward leader to pave the way for Chaithawat to take over after he was suspended as MP over accusations of running for office while holding shares in a now-defunct media company.
The Constitutional Court is scheduled to issue a verdict on this case on January 24.
Chaithawat, who is serving as opposition leader, said on Saturday that Move Forward MPs and party members agreed that the party had to compete against itself, not against its political rivals.
He added that the party’s future depends very much on how well it can work on keeping its promises and meet the expectations of its supporters. If Move Forward succeeds in its “fight against itself”, the party will attain political achievements and win more public support, he said.
“I told my party colleagues to stop wasting time bickering with rival political parties. Instead, we should just work hard and prove ourselves. We must show that Move Forward MPs and staff are well-prepared and capable of running the country. That is our actual goal,” he said.
Chaithawat was elected at a Move Forward general meeting in September as Pita’s successor after he stepped down.
Upon taking over, Chaithawat promised that he would keep the seat warm for Pita if he was cleared by the Constitutional Court and could return.
Chaithawat said on Saturday that he was confident Pita would get overwhelming support from party members to return as Move Forward leader.
