Sign of trouble: Election for Democrat leader put off after party fails to make quorum

The meeting was adjourned at 3.20pm after the chairman found that the number of attendees was far lower than the 250 required for a party general assembly.

Earlier in the day, the side that reportedly supports former Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva failed in its call for the ballot’s postponement and for the exemption of the party’s election rule.

The party caucus at Miracle Grand Hotel in Bangkok’s Laksi district kicked off at 10am when acting party leader Jurin Laksanawisit and acting secretary-general Chalermchai Sri-on declared there were 299 attendees, enough for the meeting to begin.

After the meeting began, acting deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon asked at 10.30am for the election to be postponed on grounds that MPs and core party members should first discuss the outgoing leader’s successor instead of quarrelling over the post.

Ongart also proposed that Article 37 of the party’s charter, which requires that party election be held within 60 days after the executive board is out of office, should be waived.

He said if the party election continued on Sunday, the party will end up splitting into winning and losing sides. Hence, he said, the election should be postponed so all sides have a chance to discuss and reach an agreement on the new leadership. This, Ongart said, will also prevent the party from breaking up.

He also explained that he had not proposed the delay for the sake of Abhisit to return as leader once it is certain that the Democrat Party will become part of the opposition.

However, Ongart’s proposal failed to win enough support.

The meeting was then shifted to behind closed doors after former Bangkok MP Thana Chirawinij proposed that reporters be asked to leave. He said he feared arguments and debates by party members may be misunderstood.

Party sources said this was the first time that cameras were present at a Democrat caucus.

After reporters were asked to leave, the caucus continued until noon and the meeting’s chair counted the members present and found all 299 were still there.

Then acting deputy leader Sathit Pitutecha proposed that Article 87 of the party’s charter, which gives 70% weight of the votes to the party’s MPs, while the remaining 30% goes to party branches and members, should be waived.

According to sources, a squabble over this rule continued until 1pm and most members voted to retain it.

The meeting chair then ordered a lunch break until 2pm. However, after lunch, the quorum showed that there were 221 members present, far lower than the 250 required.

The chairman then ordered an hour’s break and when the meeting resumed at 3pm, only 201 members were present so the chairman announced the meeting to be indefinitely postponed.

Reports say Thailand’s oldest party is split in two – one supporting former leader Abhisit and the other backing acting secretary-general Chalermchai.

Chalermchai reportedly plans to nominate Narapat Kaewthong, acting deputy leader in charge of provinces in the North, to contest for the leadership.