Priewpan All Set To Be Yingluck's Deputy

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

Priewpan all set to be Yingluck's deputy

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

Priewpan

BANGKOK: -- Talking about Thaksin Shinawatra without making any mention of his ex-wife Khunying Pojaman Na Pombejra will never paint a complete picture of his party, Pheu Thai.

If Pojaman is his yin, then Thaksin is her yang. Together they made a formidable team that built one of the country's largest corporate empires before making a spectacular splash in politics.

After it became clear that Thaksin's legal troubles could reverberate on his family, the two agreed to file for a divorce of convenience in 2008 at the Thai consulate in Hong Kong.

Before and after the split, Pojaman remained Thaksin's faithful soul-mate, and has never failed to cover his back.

She still has a say in his domestic arrangements in Dubai and elsewhere while taking care of his affairs on occasion.

More importantly, she continues to hold the purse strings to the family's fortune.

All the funding in connection with Thaksin's political activities has to be okayed by her.

According to family friends, their three adult children will duly seek their mother's nod before making financial decisions involving father Thaksin or one of their business interests.

When Pheu Thai bigwigs from the Northeast flew overseas to meet Thaksin two weeks ago, they found out they could not bypass his ex-wife to strike a deal.

Seen constantly at Thaksin's side in Hong Kong was Pojaman's brother Bhanapot Damapong, who served as the gatekeeper to keep out favour seekers.

Even two red-shirt leaders, Jatuporn Promphan and Natthawut Saikua, did not quite get quality time with Thaksin.

Unlike Thaksin's two sisters, powerbroker Yaowapha Wongsawat and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who hold very visible roles in the ruling party, Pojaman opts to wield influence behind the scenes.

She implements her decisions through trusted allies like Bhanapot, Phumtham Wechayachai, Suranand Vejjajiva and Prommin Lertsuriyadej.

It is often overlooked that Yingluck's inner-circle aides were all handpicked by her ex-sister-in-law.

Yesterday retired national police chief Priewpan Damapong became a card-carrying Pheu Thai member.

Pals of Priewpan know he has no political aspirations. Many see his youngest sister Pojaman as prodding him to enter politics.

As the government's budget-hungry intervention to boost paddy prices has become a contentious issue that could threaten to topple PM Yingluck, Pheu Thai must map out a survival plan.

And Priewpan is the designated player, under grooming by Pojaman, to secure the Pheu Thai's legacy regardless of any changes whether accidental or by design.

Priewpan's entrance onto the political stage comes at a crucial time for Pheu Thai.

In two weeks, the ruling party will unveil its new leader and executive board, coinciding with a major transformation with two aims.

First, the ruling party will discard the system of dispensing favours according to regional quotas. The party's decision-making powers will bypass the various regional groupings to consolidate the collective control of the four real leaders - Thaksin, Pojaman, Yingluck and Yaowapha.

Second, the party will finalise its stance on a referendum to settle issues related to the charter rewrite and pardon for Thaksin.

If Pheu Thai opts for the referendum, then the new party executives will be chosen based on their mobilisation skills to expand party membership by leaps and bounds in order to ensure a sympathetic vote.

Priewpan is expected to become Pojaman's right-hand man in running the party, taking the burden off Bhanapot, who will focus on lobbying the country's establishment to cut Thaksin some slack.

But Priewpan's primary role is in the government, where he will become Yingluck's No 2.

-- The Nation 2012-10-16

[asiawatcher]

The claws of the clan consolidate at the continuing cost to Thailand.

[siampolee]

Welcome to the family business of Thaksinland P.L.C..

Political leverage and corruption

Edited October 16, 2012 by siampolee

[Ricardo]

But how can loyal DPM-Super-Clalerm hope to compete with a family-member, poor soul ?

[siampolee]

Could be an interesting situation if a Shinawatra foot is planted upon Chalerms posterior and propels him out of the sphere of influence and the money well.

Wounded animals fight back tooth and claw, We all know from past political events that Chalerm is a multi faceted self serving spiteful malevolent hypocrite,

Where or who will he run to this time when the rug is pulled from under his feet and the money flow to the wallet stops?

Edited October 16, 2012 by siampolee

[Crushdepth]

Another relative installed in a key position. Woo hoo!!!!

[saltandpepper]

When, o when will the Thai people see what is happening?

Can they not say no to this? Are they so blind?

[SICHONSTEVE]

When, o when will the Thai people see what is happening?

Can they not say no to this? Are they so blind?

Never, no and yes!!!!

[MILT]

Who would of thunk? I bet no one saw this one coming eh? There is still one more move in this chess game.

[bigbamboo]

From nowhere to deputy PM in two days.

Now that's what I call fast tracking!

[GentlemanJim]

Priewpan all set to be Yingluck's deputy

And from another article on Priewpan, on another thread (my bold)

]However, Priewpan is not currently qualified to take the top job at Government House as he is not a member of Parliament.[/b] That's why he needed to apply to become a member of the Pheu Thai Party. He needs to run in an election in order to have a seat in Parliament, which would qualify him to serve as a deputy PM.

Would he take the position of party leader? No, he wouldn't. Shinawatra's political style is not to place a key person into a risky position like that of the executive leader of the party. The former premier has good experience in this respect, after two of his political parties were dissolved and executive members were banned from holding political office for five years.

Priewpan said yesterday that he would not take the position of Pheu Thai party leader. "Forget it, if there is anybody proposing my name for the position, I will withdraw," he said. "I'm not ready for the position as I have no political experience, but counter-narcotics is a job that interests me."

Boy oh boy they managed to set the bar low on the qualification terms here. He admits he shouldn't be PTP leader but he is going to take a Dep PM slot. I am sure 3 months in the role will see him with suitable experience to take the PTP leadership role

What I find interesting is how the Thai people are continuing to allow this insidious take over by the 'Clan' of all the top Governmental Dept positions, and they do not seem to understand the danger this nation is in. It all seems a shocking lack of situational awareness or a blind resignation on the part of the people that this is just 'how it is' here. Wake up Thailand and smell the coffee before it's too late!

Edited October 16, 2012 by GentlemanJim

[ratcatcher]

Who would of thunk? I bet no one saw this one coming eh? There is still one more move in this chess game.

"Bangkok, Oriental setting

And the city don't know that the city is getting

The creme de la creme of the chess world in a

Show with everything but Thaksin Shinawatra"

Apologies to Tim Rice & Bjorn Ulvaeus

[TruthEyes]

At least its only one new guy being drafted into the PT led coalition government, and following procedures at that; not on the same scale as having the whole military junta move in, uninvited, overnight, is it? ,