Chon Buri Election Results

[Mobi]

ELECTION 2007

Democrats in shocksweep in Chon Buri

ANUCHA CHAROENPO

An unprecedented election win for the Democrats on Sunday in Chon Buri shows how the local influence of Somchai Khunpluem, better known as Kamnan Poh, has waned since his disappearance in the middle of last year. Kamnan Poh was found guilty of corruption in the purchase of 140 rai of public land in tambon Khao Mai Kaew, worth 93 million baht, for use as a garbage dump.

The Supreme Court handed him a jail term of five years and four months. He failed to attend the reading of the verdict and an arrest warrant was issued. He is believed to be hiding in Cambodia's Koh Kong province.

Olarn Thinbangtieo, a political scientist at the Chon Buri-based Burapha University, asked who could have imagined that all the eight Chart Thai candidates under the care of the Khunpluem family would suffer such a crushing defeat at the hands of the Democrat party candidates.

''I, too, was stunned. I thought at the most the Khunpluem family stood to lose just half of the [eight] parliamentary seats in the province,'' Mr Olarn said.

He could only conclude the licking the Khunpluem family received at the polls stemmed from the disappearance of Kamnan Poh, who held a stranglehold on Chon Buri politics for many years before his eldest son Sonthaya took over from him.

Mr Sonthaya is himself serving a five-year political ban, being one of the 111 banned executive members of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai party.....

....He was probably unable to give his best to help his Chart Thai party candidates campaign for votes.

''Furthermore, Mr Sonthaya lacks his father's political charisma,'' he said.

Mr Olarn said elections for the mayor of Pattaya Municipality and the president of the Chon Buri Provincial Administration Organisation were scheduled to be held simultaneously in March.

Results of the two local polls would make it clear whether the Khunpluem family was still wanted by the Chon Buri people.

Mr Itthiphol, another former MP from this family, will run for Pattaya Municipality mayor, while his elder brother Mr Witthaya will contest the Chon Buri Provincial Administration Organisation's presidency.

Prasert Rakphao, a former Rayong provincial councillor who has monitored politics in the eastern region for many years, said that apart from the absence of Kamnan Poh, he believed the popularity of the Democrat party in the region was one of the key factors that propelled the party to a landslide victory there.

''I'm very surprised at this political situation because it was unimaginable for Chon Buri people,'' he said.

Mr Sonthaya admitted the loss had left him completely stunned.

''I am still in shock. Who would have thought that Pattaya's hot favourites would end up losing so badly.

''Although it has disheartened our candidates, we can swallow the loss.

''We will analyse the situation and see where we went wrong and what had caused this defeat,'' he said.

Mr Sonthaya admitted that his group would have to work harder to restore its foothold in Chon Buri.

Somchai Sahachairungruang, a Chart Thai candidate in constituency 1, said his party's candidates had no regrets as they knew well in advance of the things to come because Democrat party fever had gripped the province.

He knew from the moment the vote counting started that his team was going to lose heavily as the Democrats were extremely popular with the Chon Buri electorate.

''Even a new face Democrat candidate like Khun Pojanart Kaewpaluek defeated our strongest runner Sansak Ngarmpichet in constituency 2. He was a long-time MP in the province,'' said Mr Somchai.

Pramual Empia, a Democrat candidate in constituency 1, said it was not true that he had won the election because of his party's popularity alone.

''My high profile and popularity in local politics has also helped me enter the House,'' he said.

He conceded that the disappearance of Kamnan Poh was likely a key factor in the Democrat sweep of the seats in the province.

(Excerpt from B Post article.)