Palang Pracharat Party turmoil. General Prawit faces rebellion from Agriculture Minister Thamanat amid stricter cabinet vetting. With tensions rising, party unity falters as Thamanat’s reported exclusion from cabinet sparks talk of independence, a new political grouping and even a retreat to private life.
On Tuesday, there was a very public rupture within the ranks of the Palang Pracharat Party, one of the coalition partners. It came as it emerged that the party leader, General Prawit Wongsuwan, had omitted nominating the current Minister of Agriculture, Thamanat Prompow, for inclusion in the cabinet. Certainly, there is some confusion as to how this came about. In short, the Prime Minister and her advisors are known to be applying stricter criteria and tougher vetting of ministers. This comes in the wake of the removal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin last week for an ethical violation in appointing an unsuitable minister.
However, later Captain Thamanat emerged at a press conference claiming the support of 29 Palang Pracharat Party MPs. 22 MPs were present while 7 were on their way. In effect, the minister suggested that this grouping was a new coalition partner. In addition, he said that five MPs would be joining from other parties.
There was pandemonium within the ranks of the Palang Pracharat Party on Tuesday. It came as tension between the embattled party leader General Prawit Wongsuwan and Minister of Agriculture Thamanat Prompow finally overflowed.
In short, there has been strong speculation that the next cabinet lineup will not include the party. A list of nominated ministers was required from each coalition partner by Tuesday.
General Prawit and Chalerm Yubamrung’s absences from Parliament on PM’s election day fueled speculation
However, it appeared from a press conference later on Tuesday that Minister of Agriculture Thamanat Prompow was leading a faction of Palang Pracharat Party MPs as part of the coalition government.
Certainly adding to this controversy was a shocking incident last Friday. On the day that Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party was elected Prime Minister, there were two notable absences from parliament.
One was Pheu Thai MP Chalerm Yubamrung, who is in an open state of hostility towards Ms. Paetongtarn after his son was forced to leave the party. The second was Palang Pracharat Party leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.
In brief, General Prawit, as President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, attended a function last Friday to welcome back the Thai Olympic team. Afterwards, as he was walking back to his car, he was asked about the election of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Prime Minister.
The 79-year-old appeared to lash out at the reporter with a camera, slapping her twice in the head. “What? What? Ask what? Ask who?” he said. Certainly, he appeared to be extremely irate.
In turn, the incident only fed growing speculation that the Pheu Thai Party, led by the Shinawatras, aims to exclude the Palang Pracharat Party and General Prawit from the new government.
Growing tensions between General Prawit and Pheu Thai add to speculation of a parting of ways
Over the weekend, Police General Patcharawat Wongsuwan was not present at the ceremony to mark Ms. Paetongtarn’s elevation to Prime Minister. Significantly, General Pathcharawat Wongsuwan is an outgoing deputy prime minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment. He is General Prawit’s brother.
Meanwhile, it was reported that General Prawit had sent flowers to the new PM.
Nonetheless, it is clear that there is a rift between General Prawit and Thaksin Shinawatra. For instance, political observers have additionally noted that General Prawit, a list MP, has never voted to support the present Pheu Thai government.
Certainly, his party has done so. Speculation has been rife that with six Thai Sang Thai Party ministers and the introduction of the Democrat Party as an alternative coalition partner, this may be one way to sideline the former ruling party.
In addition, up until Tuesday, there was also the prospect of Minister of Agriculture Thamanat Prompow taking 20 Palang Pracharat Party members with him if a rift opened up between Pheu Thai and the Palang Pracharat Party.
Stricter vetting of ministers by the new PM and its implications for the new Thai government being formed
Then on Tuesday, a new factor came into play.
It is understood that Prime Minister Paetongtarn is being advised to apply stricter vetting for cabinet ministers. No one wants a repeat of what happened last Wednesday when former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was removed by the Constitutional Court.
On Tuesday, one report suggested that the Council of State was being asked to review cabinet appointments. This would be in addition to normal vetting by the cabinet office.
Furthermore, after last week’s stunning and strongly worded judgement, the criteria for appointing cabinet ministers have become stricter. In turn, this has put the future of several cabinet ministers in doubt.
Certainly, one of these is Captain Thamanat Prompow. Under another name, Lieutenant Manat Bophlom, he was arrested by Australian police in 1993 and linked with a drug distribution deal. Later, he was sentenced to six years in prison. However, he was released in 1997 and deported back to Thailand.
Stricter integrity standards may impact key ministers including Minister of Agriculture Thamanat Prompow
In short, the story was published in September 2019 by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. This was shortly after Mr. Thamanat was appointed a minister. Afterwards, he claimed the story was inaccurate.
Minister in Australian newspaper exposé claims the story was written in Thailand and is false
Shock as Minister reported in an Aussie newspaper as a convicted and jailed drug trafficker down under
Furthermore, he told parliament at one point that the substance concerned was flour. In turn, a Thai court upheld Mr. Thamanat’s position when it ruled that as he was not convicted in Thailand, he was not debarred from office.
Nonetheless, last week’s judgement by the Constitutional Court appears to have set a stricter criterion. In particular, Articles 160 (4) and (5), which demand that a minister be of ‘evident integrity’. At the same time, a ‘serious violation of or failure to comply with ethical standards’ is also outlined in the 2017 Constitution as an impediment.
Therefore, it appears that on Tuesday, the Palang Pracharat Party leadership via General Prawit submitted the Palang Pracharat Party’s list of ministers to be included in the new cabinet. It is reported that Captain Thamanat’s name was not among them.
Certainly, this new higher standard may also create problems for other cabinet ministers. On Tuesday, the future of Deputy Minister of the Interior Chada Thaiset was also being questioned.
In the meantime, Captain Thamanat still managed to rally 29 MPs behind him on Tuesday. Furthermore there was the promise of five more MPs joining his power group. Undeniably, this leaves the situation particularly uncertain.
Internal division escalates within the Palang Pracharat Party over Thamanat’s exclusion from cabinet
However, when the news emerged on Tuesday morning of Thamanat’s exclusion, it appeared to create a very public rupture within the Palang Pracharat Party. Firstly, Mr. Thamanat announced that he would no longer speak with General Prawit.
“As he does not use me anymore, I do not need to talk,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Following this, a party meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. was cancelled. Instead, General Prawit invited those loyal to him to report to the Border Forest Foundation where he resides, while Party Registrar General Krisanayothin Sasipatwong made calls.
The upshot was that 25 of the 38 Palang Pracharat Party MPs appeared loyal to General Prawit. Meanwhile, Minister Thamanat announced a lunch at his ministry and a press conference afterwards. Reporters were briefed that he had just announced his MPs were ready to declare independence.
A press conference was scheduled for 2 p.m. Simultaneously, a list of 18 MPs in the minister’s group was published, all men except for one woman. Reporters quickly discovered five names which were also on General Prawit’s list of 25.
The press conference at the Ministry of Agriculture was postponed a number of times.
Minister Thamanat contemplates exit amid growing tensions and shifting political loyalties
Afterwards, however, there appeared to be a sea change with 29 MPs said to be represented. In particular, the wife of Deputy Minister of Public Health Santi Prompat, Ms. Wanphen Prompat attended Mr. Thamanat’s press conference. Her husband had earlier been at lunch at the Border Forest Reserve with General Prawit.
Minister Thamanat explained the situation to reporters.
“I would like to confirm that those standing here are the entire government. There are 22 people standing here right now, and another 7 are on their way. They are representatives of the Palang Pracharat Party from every province. There are also many who were unable to make it in time from many provinces. Let’s just say that those of us standing here are the government party. We will not interfere with outsiders who are not standing here. This is the Palang Pracharat Party. We are one. However, there are some groups of people who are trying to create division. Many MPs have asked me to help represent them in speaking. However, the principles I spoke about this morning are still clear,” he explained.
Previously, speaking to the media himself, Minister Thamanat appeared to be contemplating his resignation from politics.
Uncertainty surrounds Palang Pracharat Party’s future in government amid stricter vetting process
“It’s time for me to step back without disputing with anyone. It’s time for me to declare my freedom. From now on I am ready to leave, with other members, for somewhere there is happiness,” he said.
Undoubtedly, the minister was somewhat upset as he described the ‘dirty’ nature of Thai politics. He remarked on being part of the establishment of the Palang Pracharat Party six years ago and appeared to suggest that all was at an end.
At this time, it is not clear what Captain Thamanat’s future prospects are, nor is the participation of the Palang Pracharat Party in the coalition government assured.
At the same time, the later press conference by Mr Thamanat appeared to suggest that the Palang Pracharat Party had effectively been usurped by the new grouping of MPs.
Pressed by reporters on Tuesday, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra had very little to say. Certainly, she suggested that the matter must be sorted first within the Palang Pracharat Party.
New cabinet formation is certainly in a flux
In addition, the new Prime Minister made clear that a stricter vetting process and higher standards for ministers in her first cabinet were being applied.
On Wednesday night, at Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra’s residence in Thonburi, Chan Song La, it was reported that Minister Thamanat Prompow was present. At that time, it was speculated that Mr. Thamanat would bring up to 20 MPs with him as the new government sought an alternative makeup without the Palang Pracharat Party.
On Tuesday, Mr. Thamanat suggested his group had now risen to 34 MPs. However, Thaksin Shinawatra, also on Tuesday, raised the possibility of the Democrat Party entering a new coalition government.
In contrast, Ms. Paetongtarn on Tuesday appeared to still leave the door open for the Palang Pracharat Party playing its role in her cabinet. In short, the finalisation of the new cabinet is currently in a flux of uncertainty.
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Further reading:
PM vote in disarray as Pheu Thai MPs vote to support Paetongtarn or Ung Ing for the job instead
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Political maelstrom may be unleashed in June with potential crises brewing and coming to a climax
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