GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

Divided Democrats back Sukhumbhand for city

Tanatpong Kongsai,

Prapasri Osathanon

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Democrat Party has decided to field incumbent Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra to run for a second term and is confident he will win the gubernatorial election on February 17, party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday.

Sukhumbhand's selection was the result of infighting within the Democrat Party leadership, a senior party source said yesterday.

Democrat Party members are "puzzled" by the party resolution preferring Sukhumbhand over party deputy leader and former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij, a candidate seen as more likely to win the race, the source added.

Former party secretary-general Suthep Thuagsuban, who has conflicts with current secretary-general Chalermchai Sri-on, is seen as wanting to disrupt Chalermchai's activities within the party. Chalermchai is known to be unhappy over what he sees as Sukhumbhand's failure to participate in or devote time to the party.

"Suthep lobbied party executives to support Sukhumbhand, who later won the voting 9-6 [over Korn] - despite knowing that the Democrat Party has a smaller chance of winning by nominating Sukhumbhand - simply because he knows that Chalermchai doesn't want Sukhumbhand," the source said.

The selection of Sukhumbhand followed more than four hours of debate by the party's 19-member executive committee, chaired by Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Banyat Bantadtan, chairman of a committee tasked with shortlisting candidates, presented a report summarising the strengths and weaknesses of four potential candidates: Apichai Techa-ubol, a former vice minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office; Korbsak Sabhavasu, a former prime minister's secretary-general; Prakorb Jirakitti, a former Bangkok deputy governor; and Sukhumbhand.

At the meeting, party deputy leader Alongkorn Polla-butr nominated Korn as an additional candidate.

Sources said Sukhumbhand won the nomination by clinching nine votes, with six going to Korn, one to Prakorb and one to Korbsak, while Abhisit and Korn abstained.

Among those voting for Sukhumbhand were party deputy leader Juti Krairerk, deputy leader Siriwan Prassajaksatru, deputy leader Thaworn Senneam and Anchalee Wanittheppabut.

-- The Nation 2012-12-28

A bad move for the Dems not to be able to ditch Sukhumbhand, now that his appeal to Bangkokians has more than run its course. The election was theirs to lose but now it looks as if they have a pretty good chance of losing it. Bangkokians are very fickle and, although they have occasionally re-elected governors who were thought to have been exceptional at the time like Chamlong, they usually want to go for the latest new thing, just like their taste in mobile phones. Even Chamlong's popularity eventually plummeted like a stone. In governor elections they also often favour underdogs. Anyway Sukhumbhand is very arrogant and although he is very happy to get free votes from his association with the Dems, his membership of the party seems very loose and he tends to ignore the party leadership. His image is now a far cry from the deputy foreign minister who risked his life by giving himself as a hostage to the Burmese rebels who took over the Burmese embassy in Bkk.

Sukhumbhand is the very personification of what many Thais' hate about the Democrat Party, arrogant, self aggrandising and patronising: I recall several years ago he publicly berated teachers and Admin at his sons' primary school for addressing the child as "Dek Chai" and not Mom Ratchawong - the kid was about 6 years old!

Korn would have been a much better choice and far more capable.

Patrick