Democrats to thrive on opposition bench under Watanya's leadership
Democrat leadership candidate Watanya Bunnag has vowed that under her watch, the Democrat Party would not replicate past mistakes of aligning with junta-backed parties, citing the party's longstanding commitment to opposing dictatorship in all forms.
The Democrats suffered a significant setback in the May 14 election because of its past decision to join the junta-led government following the 2019 poll, Watanya told Nation TV in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
In the recent election, the party came in sixth place, garnering merely 25 MPs in the House of Representatives. This marks its second-worst result in history.
Watanya, who currently chairs the party’s political innovation team, said that the result proves that people now “have no trust in the Democrats”.
She said that the party lost its clear standpoint and distinct political ideology in the eyes of the public when it decided to join the government led by coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha. This loss, she argued, has resulted in a decline in popularity amongst supporters.
The former businesswoman, who is married to Nation Group CEO Shine Bunnag, also vowed that she would restore the Democrat Party to its original “10 principles” by refusing to ally with any dictatorship.
The 10 principles, which were established by the party itself, are rules that all members of the Democratic party must follow. These include being truthful to the public, upholding the liberal democratic principle of not siding with dictatorships, and supporting a free market system.
Watanya also stressed that if there is a cabinet reshuffle, the Democrats, led by her, would not join the Pheu Thai-led administration.
She claimed that the Democrats could fulfil the expectations of its supporters by just functioning as an opposition party.
Before competing with other contenders, Watanya said that she needed to gain the approval of three out of four members of the quorum because she is presently unqualified for the leadership position.
Political observers have speculated that Nakhon Sri Thammarat MP Chaichana Dechdecho would become the party’s secretary-general should Watanya take the helm.
As per media reports, other prominent contenders for the leadership position are either Democrat list MP Narapat Kaeothong, or MP Chalermchai Sri-on.
The opposition party is gearing up to choose a new leader on December 9, and in the selection process, a vote by an MP has more weight than that of a non-MP party member at a ratio of 70 to 30.
The Democrats have already held two meetings to elect a new leader but both failed after party members from one faction boycotted the votes.
