Pheu Thai drops Palang Pracharath party from coalition

Photo: Pheu Thai Secretary General Sorawong Thienthong (L)

The executive committee of the ruling Pheu Thai party decided today to exclude the divided Palang Pracharath party from the governing coalition and may invite a new party or even the Palang Pracharath party’s rebel faction, led by Thammanat Prompao, to join, according to Pheu Thai Secretary-General Sorawong Thienthong this evening.

He disclosed that the executive committee discussed the concerns raised by a number of MPs about the internal rift within Palang Pracharath

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MPs are also disappointed with General Prawit Wongsuwan, leader of Palang Pracharath, over his failure to attend the House vote on the prime ministerial candidacies of both Srettha Thavisin last year and Paetongtarn Shinawatra more recently.

General Prawit did, however, send a bouquet of flowers to congratulate Paetongtarn on her election as prime minister by the Lower House after the event.

Asked if Thammanat’s faction would be invited to join the coalition, Sorawong responded by noting that Thammanat, currently caretaker agriculture minister, has been consistently cooperative with the Pheu Thai-led administration.

As for the Democrats, he said that the matter has to be discussed within Pheu Thai and with the Democrat party, as he stressed the importance of majority support in the House to ensure government stability.

Democrat party leader Chalermchai Sri-on has let it be known that the party wants to join the Pheu Thai-led coalition, but it is yet to be invited.

Earlier, Pheu Thai’s apparent de facto leader, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said that the Democrats may be included to bolster the government’s stability.