Shinawatras take grip on Puea Thai
By: AEKARACH SATTABURUTH
Published: 4/02/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
The opposition Puea Thai party has embarked on a new strategy to strengthen internal solidarity, appointing members of the Shinawatra family to lead members in each of the three regions where the party has influence.
A Puea Thai executive said yesterday the new strategy calls for Yaowapa Wongsawat, sister of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and wife of former premier Somchai Wongsawat, to lead Puea Thai members in the North.
In the Northeast, the leader would be Payap Shinawatra, Thaksin's younger brother.
In the central region and Bangkok, Yingluck Shinawatra, the younger sister of Thaksin, was entrusted with the leadership.
The executive said the party wanted a Shinawatra family member to lead each of the three regions as a symbol of the party's close connections with Thaksin.
The presence of the Shinawatra siblings in itself will be a message to the constituents that the party has a clear goal to "bring Mr Thaksin back home", he said.
However, the three will not replace the party's existing regional presidents.
They will only oversee the party's overall policies as well as support the party's activities in each region, the executive said.
Pongpan Sunthornchai, a Puea Thai MP for Nong Khai province, said during the party's Sunday seminar in Khao Yai that Mr Payap's appointment would enable northeastern MPs to relay their views and decisions straight to the "big boss".
In the past, northeastern MPs did not have access to the party's core leaders to express their opinions privately.
Mr Pongpan said northeastern Puea Thai MPs had also agreed to merge their factions to reduce faction-related problems.
He said Thaksin's remarks during his latest phone-in - that if he has the people's support he would not hesitate to lead the country again - had boosted his confidence in Thaksin's leadership.
