Thamanat infuriated by ‘outsider’s’ moves in Palang Pracharath’s name
Party secretary-general threatens to expel ordinary member Samart Jenchaijitwanit for ‘false claims’ of being party leader’s close aide
Palang Pracharath Party secretary-general Thamanat Prompow has threatened to expel a party member, who he claims is trying to pull strings by claiming to be a close aide of party leader Prawit Wongsuwan.
Thamanat said he and several party MPs were infuriated by Samart Jenchaijitwanit’s moves in the name of the party despite him not having an official position in the party or being an elected MP.
He said that Samart was “an outsider” who tried to interfere in the party’s policies and directions, and that he would have the executive board vote to expel him if he does not stop acting in the name of the party.
Samart, a former vice justice minister, had sought Prawit’s approval for former Pheu Thai member Wan Yubamrung to join PPP without seeking a vote from the party’s executive board.
Thamanat said the party leader had every right to accept new members, but said that he had called Prawit to remind him of Samart making moves on the party’s behalf without seeking the board’s permission.
The party secretary-general was speaking to reporters after screen captures of conversations among PPP MPs in their private Line group had been leaked to the public.
The leaked conversations showed that PPP MPs were not happy to see Samart act as if he were representing the party, even though he holds no party post.
The MPs noted that Samart had breached political etiquette as a coalition partner by openly criticising PM Srettha Thavisin.
Apart from writing two songs in praise of Prawit and announcing Wan as a new PPP member, Samart has also declared he will announce the party’s potential candidates for the next general election.
Thamanat said Samart had no right to announce party candidates ahead of the party even deciding who would run in an election that is still several years away. He said Samart had once been expelled from the party for causing rifts and would be expelled again if he did not stop.
Samart, however, appeared unperturbed by the threat of expulsion, saying he was serving Prawit, not the party. He said if Prawit wanted him to quit, he would do so without requiring to be expelled by the executive board.
He added that it would be too big a deal for the party executive board to discuss his expulsion because he was just an ordinary member.
“The songs I have written are not related to the party, but to Prawit and he had given me the green light to do so,” Samart said.
He added that he had criticised Srettha as an individual, not in the name of the party. He also said that though he does not have a party post, Prawit had assigned him to announce Wan’s membership.
“Prawit told me to and I did it. I did not interfere in the party’s affairs,” Samart said.
