PM says “sucking” of ex-MPs is part of Thai democracy

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the “sucking” of former MPs into a political party has been in practice long before the establishment of the National Council for Peace and Order and it is a part and parcel of Thai democracy.

He made the above statement in response to an allegation by Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva that the junta has been trying to “suck” former MPs into its fold in preparation for the formation of a party to support Prime Minister Prayut as the next prime minister after the election.

In his weekly nationwide address on Friday night (April 27), the prime minister said that his government’s main responsibility is to make the election a reality and, as such, has to remain impartial politically.

Regarding the “sucking” allegation against the NCPO, he said members of the public should be able to judge by themselves what is good for the country as a whole and what are meant for good of vested interest groups.

Members of the public, he added, should be able to choose whether they want to elect good or bad politicians into the parliament.

The government, said the prime minister, is not in a position to stop politicians to quarrel with one another, but what it can do is to start political reform step-by-step.

Without mentioning name, he lashed out at a former MP who accused the government of misusing state fund to the tune of tens of billions baht form a political party to support him as the next premier.

Accusing the ex-MP as shepherd’s boy, he said the former did not have evidence to back up his allegation.