BANGKOK, Aug 6 — Outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was reelected as leader of the Democrat Party, the main opposition party, at a special session of the party’s General Assembly on Saturday morning.
At the party’s General Assembly held at the Miracle Grand Hotel to elect a new party leader and 18 members of the executive board of director, Marut Bunnag, a party advisor, had nominated Mr Abhisit as party leader, with no one else nominated as a candidate to contest for the leadership.
Mr Abhisit was supported, in secret ballot voting, by 96.30 percent of 330 party voters.
Mr Abhisit then nominated six candidates for three deputy party leaders – Apirak Kosayodhin, Chuti Krairiksh, Chamni Sakdiset, Witoon Nambutr, Korn Chatikavanij and Teera Slukpetch.
However, Mr Witoon, Mr Korn, and Mr Teera withdrew from deputy party leader consideration, so delegates endorsed Apirak, Chuti and Chamni as deputy party leaders.
Then Mr Abhisit Srnominated Chalermchai i-on and Chaiwuti Bannawat for the party’s secretary-general but Chaiwuti declined his candidacy, so the meeting voted to endorse Chalermchai as the party’s secretary-general, by 72.89 per cent from 328 voters, replacing Suthep Thaugsuban who earlier declined to take in any post in the party.
The previous board’s term ended after Mr Abhisit stepped down as party leader to take responsibility for the party’s heavy election defeat.
Mr Abhisit on July 4 announced his resignation as leader of the Democrat Party after his party’s loss to the Pheu Thai Party in the July 3rd general election, with the number of seats won lower than in the previous election in 2007.
The Democrats won just 159 seats out of 500, as opposed to Pheu Thai’s 265 seats garnered.
As for the other five deputy party leaders, the meeting elected Siriwan Prasjaksattru as deputy leader for the northern region, Issara Somchai for the northeastern region, Alongkorn Ponlaboot for the central region, Thaworn Senneam for the southern region and Mr Korn for Bangkok.
Mr Chavanond Intarakomalyasut was elected party spokesperson.
Mr Abhisit, in his closing speech for the general assembly, thanked the previous executive board of directors who had worked hard, despite the party failing to win the election, singling out for praise Mr Korbsak Sabhavasu and Mr Suthep.
He said the tasks ahead were very difficult and the capabilities of the new executive board of directors would be keys to the future success of the party.
Mr Abhisit, who became prime minister in December 2008, said he planned to set up a shadow cabinet to closely monitor the new government’s policies.
