Focus On Your Football Team, Abhisit Tells Newin

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Focus on your football team, Abhisit tells Newin

By THE NATION

Both the Pheu Thai and the Democrats yesterday played down veteran politician Newin Chidchob's prediction that the top candidates of these two parties would most probably not be at the helm of the next government.

Key figures from the two parties - which are being seen as the main competitors in the upcoming election - have voiced suspicion about Newin having a hidden agenda behind the prediction as well as his analysis of the post-election environment.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is also leader of the Democrat Party, said yesterday that he believed Newin had made this prediction in order to gain "media space" ahead of the July 3 poll and to boost the significance given to the party he is linked to.

"I'm sure his predictions are wrong. He should be focusing on his football team," Abhisit said.

Newin - seen as de-facto leader of coalition partner Bhum Jai Thai Party - has been active recently as president of the PEA Buri Ram Football Club. He was stripped of his electoral rights for five years after a court ruling dissolved the Thai Rak Thai Party in 2007 and slapped a political ban on 111 of its executives.

Abhisit disputed another prediction made by Newin, who said that the Democrat Party would win no more than 160 of the 500 House seats in the upcoming election. "We will win more than that," he said.

However, the premier did agree with Newin's observation that he might step down as party leader if the Democrats suffer a severe loss in the election.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai's Noppadon Patama yesterday also rejected Newin's prediction that Yingluck Shinawatra would not become the prime minister even if the party wins the elections. Noppadon was previously former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's legal counsel and close aide when they were part of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party.

Noppadon said Thaksin - who is believed to be pulling the strings from behind the scenes in Pheu Thai - has not wavered in his support for his sister's battle for the country's top job. He made this comment in reaction to Newin's remark that Yingluck was a decoy for Thaksin, not a real candidate.

"Newin has never said anything good about Pheu Thai, and Yingluck is definitely the best prime ministerial candidate," he said, adding that Thaksin would never think of replacing his sister.

Yingluck, meanwhile, took her campaign to Khon Kaen yesterday after rallying for votes in Udon Thani on Wednesday. Speaking from the sidelines of the campaign stage, she said her fate was in the hands of the voters and that she was ready to accept the voting outcome.

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit also dismissed Newin's prediction, saying that the party would back Yingluck as its PM candidate if it wins the most House seats. "I ask the voters to rest assured that if Pheu Thai wins the election, Yingluck will certainly become the country's first female prime minister," he said.

The spokesman added that Newin appeared to be trying to undermine Pheu Thai's chances of winning the election after opinion polls showed voters were in favour of the party.

Pheu Thai deputy leader Kanawat Wasinsangworn said yesterday that he believed Newin was trying to make party candidates nervous, adding that his party had nobody but Yingluck slated for the premier's post.

He also defied Newin's prediction that Bhum Jai Thai would win as many as 111 House seats, saying that he doubted if the party would be able to hang on to even half of its 33 incumbent seats. He said a public opinion poll conducted by Pheu Thai showed that Bhum Jai Thai had less than 4-per-cent support in the lower Northeast, which is considered Bhum Jai Thai's stronghold.

Meanwhile, Chart Thai Pattana adviser Sanan Kachornprasart was spotted yesterday with a big smile on his face, though he refused to comment on speculation that he might emerge as the winner in the Abhisit-Yingluck race for premiership.

"It is you who appointed me as prime minister of reconciliation," he told reporters, wryly noting that there was no mention about him leading a government.

Political commentators viewed Newin's remarks as a signal for his Bhum Jai Thai-Chart Thai Pattana alliance to play a key role in forming the next coalition. Before Newin made his predictions public, Chart Thai Pattana's chief adviser, Banharn Silapa-archa, had also cast doubts on whether Yingluck would become the next premier.

Clearly, the two major parties would need the backing of the Newin-Banharn axis in order to outpace one another to form the next government.

-- The Nation 2011-05-27

[katasyd]

At least Yingluck can claim to be the Thailand's first woman proxy.

[janverbeem]

Of course Yinluck will be the PM if they win the elections................at least that is untill the amnesty issue arranged and at that time everyone agrees that she should handover her job to her loving brother for the good of the country.

[samurai]

มาร์ค kick off ... on Twitpic

http://twitpic.com/51u53w

Wonder how much the Abhisit football team could score against the Buriram FC.

Newin won already. And I don't mean in football.

[Ricardo]

Quite. Leave TRT/PPP/PTP with enough of your followers, and you might end up holding the balance between the Dems & Pheu Thai, and winning a front-row seat at the pig-trough.

This lesson is surely not far from the thoughts of Newin's former best-friends/colleagues, as their own hopes of becoming PM are pushed aside, to make way for a more-favoured/trusted family-member.

Newin may (as he himself says) well be one of two people, left holding the decision on who to ally with, after the election. I fear that he might have a point.

[Bagwan]

In the UK professional football teams are led onto the pitch by youngsters whose doting (insane?) parents presumably have to pay for the privilege (privilege?) of indulging their demanding offspring. The guidance is necessary since without such assistance the moronic footballers would probably end up playing the game in the car park.

Not a lot different from Thai politics is it?

[ajarnmark]

Of course Yinluck will be the PM if they win the elections................at least that is untill the amnesty issue arranged and at that time everyone agrees that she should handover her job to her loving brother for the good of the country.

Yes... Thailand was much better country before the current government. The only problem was that Thaksin wanted to stop quite a lot foreigners having a particular interest in the nightlife only to enter Thailand. :jap:

[whybother]

Of course Yinluck will be the PM if they win the elections................at least that is untill the amnesty issue arranged and at that time everyone agrees that she should handover her job to her loving brother for the good of the country.

Yes... Thailand was much better country before the current government. The only problem was that Thaksin wanted to stop quite a lot foreigners having a particular interest in the nightlife only to enter Thailand. :jap:

There's a whole other thread on that. Go and have a read.

[whybother]

Of course Yinluck will be the PM if they win the elections................at least that is untill the amnesty issue arranged and at that time everyone agrees that she should handover her job to her loving brother for the good of the country.

Yes... Thailand was much better country before the current government. The only problem was that Thaksin wanted to stop quite a lot foreigners having a particular interest in the nightlife only to enter Thailand. :jap:

There's a whole other thread on that. Go and have a read.

[Ricardo]

Of course Yinluck will be the PM if they win the elections................at least that is untill the amnesty issue arranged and at that time everyone agrees that she should handover her job to her loving brother for the good of the country.

Yes... Thailand was much better country before the current government. The only problem was that Thaksin wanted to stop quite a lot foreigners having a particular interest in the nightlife only to enter Thailand. :jap:

Thailand was a "much better country" under PM-Somchai ?

Well yes, in the sense that former-PM Thaksin used to show-up to his court cases, in those days.