Prayut’s party ready to contest all 400 constituencies, upbeat of retaining PM seat
The United Thai Nation Party (UTNP) will field candidates in all 400 constituencies and is confident it will retain the PM’s seat for General Prayut Chan-o-cha, a core member said.
PM’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Sunday that UTNP has already selected its 400 constituency candidates and their names will be announced later.
He said the candidates’ names will be revealed when the party launches rallies based on regions.
The party is scheduled to hold key rallies in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Narathiwat in the South. In the North, key events will be held in Chiang Mai and Phitsanulok, while the Central region rallies will be held in Chonburi, Phetchaburi and Bangkok, Thanakorn said.
The dates of these rallies are yet to be announced.
Prayut, who chairs the party’s strategy committee and is UTNP’s only PM candidate so far, will deliver speeches at all election campaigns.
Thanakorn added that other core members will speak at smaller rallies in other provinces once the House is dissolved. Prayut is expected to dissolve the House of Representatives on Monday.
He said the party’s strategy committee has been meeting regularly and has acknowledged the fact that Prayut’s popularity is integrated into the party’s name.
Thanakorn said the party will gradually announce its two or three campaign schemes to communicate the party’s main policies to the people as well as tell of Prayut’s achievements.
As for the mandatory party list of 100 candidates, Thanakorn said core members in each region will submit their proposals this week to devise the final list.
He said Prayut still has to confirm if he wants to be on top of the party’s list of popular candidates or not.
Thanakorn added that the party has yet to decide whether Prayut will be its sole PM candidate or if it will nominate more to meet the three-candidate requirement.
