Thais abroad ‘should’ cast postal votes

Pheu Thai ‘ready’ to name PM candidates

Four political parties yesterday called on the Election Commission (EC) to coordinate with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to adopt postal voting as the main method for early voting by Thais abroad.

Representatives from Seri Ruam Thai, Move Forward, Prachachart and Pheu Thai asked the EC to address issues they feared would discourage Thais overseas from casting ballots in the May elections. Their move follows reports that Thai embassies and consulates in some countries have cancelled postal voting and scheduled advance voting on work days.

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, chairman of Seri Ruam Thai’s policy steering committee, said the EC should hold talks with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to facilitate and simplify voting for overseas Thais.

He said postal voting should be adopted as the main method and if Thai citizens overseas have to vote in person, an early voting period should be held at weekends.

According to Mr Somchai who is a former EC member, there are about 1.3 million Thais overseas and at least 1 million are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections. In the last polls, of the 1 million eligible voters overseas, about 100,000 cast ballots.

Mr Somchai said if the Foreign Affairs Ministry makes it more convenient for voters, it could result in a higher turnout.

Pol Col Thawee Sodsong, secretary-general of the Prachachart Party, criticised the early voting in Malaysia — which is set for April 27-28 — as impractical.

He said there are several hundred thousand Thais working in Malaysia, and advance voting should be scheduled at the weekend to encourage them to exercise their right to vote.

MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon urged the EC to print the names of candidates on the ballots as well to reduce confusion and demanded to know if real-time updates of the vote tallies would be available.

Pheu Thai’s legal expert Sukhumpong Ngonkham said the EC should address these concerns or be penalised for negligence.

The ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has revised its campaign strategy to achieve a new constituency MP target of 100 seats, according to a party source.

With about 45 days to election day, the party will focus on small campaign rallies and hold community activities so party leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon can make video calls to address rallygoers.

Through this new strategy, Gen Prawit can engage voters in 400 constituencies nationwide, the source said, adding a team which oversees the “FC Lung Pom” Facebook page is also assigned to work closely with the party’s communications team during the campaign.

The source said the PPRP hopes to win House seats in Chiang Rai following a major rally in the northeastern province, noting the party may capture at least three seats.

The PPRP has also divided the work among key party figures after unveiling 400 constituency candidates, 92 partylist candidates and its policy platforms this week.

Party secretary-general Santi Promphat and Capt Thamanat Prompow are put in charge of election campaigning in the North, while deputy leader Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn and Trinuch Thienthong oversee campaigning in the central, eastern and western regions.

Deputy leader Wirat Ratanasate supervises party campaigning in the Northeast, while Apichai Techa-ubon and Nipit Intarasombat lead in the southern region. Sakoltee Phattiyakul and Narumon Pinyosinwat will spearhead the Bangkok elections.

PRACHACHART’S SOUTHERN HOPE

The Prachachart Party has resolved to field 19 constituency candidates, all in the southern region, and 77 party-list candidates in the upcoming elections.

Party leader Wan Muhamad Nor Matha said the party’s executive board endorsed constituency and party-list candidates following the primary voting.

He said the party would concentrate on the lower part of the southern region, which is considered its stronghold. In the 2019 polls, Prachachart won six out of 11 seats available in the deep South.

He said the party expects to capture all 19 seats its candidates will be vying for — five each in Pattani and Narathiwat, three in Yala, two each in Songkhla and Satun and one each in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani.

A source said the party has also agreed to name Mr Wan Nor and party secretary-general Tawee Sodsong as its PM candidates.

Under the law, a political party can submit up to three PM candidates to the Election Commission before the polls. But only those who win at least 25 House seats are qualified to nominate a candidate for a vote in parliament.

TST NAMES PM CANDIDATE

The Thai Sang Thai Party (TST) has put the name of its leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan in the hat as one of its PM candidates.

The decision was reached yesterday at the party’s general meeting held in accordance with the amended organic law governing political parties.

Also nominated as PM candidates are TST economics team leader Suphan Mongkolsuthee and former party secretary-general Sqn Ldr Sita Divari.

Takorn Tantasith, ex-secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, has also been appointed the party’s secretary-general as Sqn Ldr Sita will help the party campaign as PM candidate.

Khunying Sudarat, a former Pheu Thai chief strategist, established TST after severing ties with the Pheu Thai in December 2020. She was a Pheu Thai PM candidate in the 2019 polls.

DEMS KICK OFF POLL CAMPAIGN

The Democrat Party is all set to kick off its poll campaign with all list-MP candidates to be dispatched to woo votes across the country.

Leader Jurin Laksanawisit yesterday held a meeting with list-MP candidates and told them to help the party clinch victory and prove its critics wrong.

He expressed confidence in the party’s candidates, who are from diverse backgrounds and have the potential to shape the future. The list-MP candidates include current and former leaders and 15 veteran lawmakers who have served in the government.

According to Mr Jurin, the party’s election campaign teams are divided into three major — one led by him and the two led by the secretary-general and ex-party leaders.

Nipon Boonyamanee, the party’s election director, will coordinate with his deputies to oversee regional campaigns.

PHEU THAI TO UNVEIL PM PICKS

The Pheu Thai Party will unveil its three PM candidates on April 5, said its leader Dr Cholnan Srikaew.

He said the three will be introduced under the theme of “One Team for All Thais”. The party will also speak in detail about its economic policies, including a digital wallet for Thais over 16 years old and an income guarantee of 20,000 baht per household.

Dr Cholnan said these policies are meant to boost people’s purchasing power and encourage spending, thus stimulating the local economy and boosting cash flows in communities.

The event will take place at the Thunder Dome, Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi, from 6–9pm, he said.