BANGKOK, Jan 13– The ruling Pheu Thai Party’s executive committee on Sunday unanimously elected deputy national police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen as the party’s candidate for the upcoming Bangkok governor election.
Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit announced at a press briefing after the meeting that Pol Gen Pongsapat was endorsed by the executive committee to run for the governor seat as the Pheu Thai Party’s candidate.
Also, Phumtham Vechayachai, the party’s secretary-general, was appointed as director of the party’s election centre.
However, Premier Yingluck Shinawatra did not appear at the meeting because she is not an executive committee member.
Mr Phumtham, head of the party’s election centre, said that Pol Gen Pongsapat was scheduled to apply for the party’s membership on Tuesday after resigning as deputy police chief and secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
Pol Gen Pongsapat will be introduced at the Tuesday’s meeting and will address his intention and vision for the capital, Mr Phumtham said.
In addition, the party will hold a press conference to officially announce Pol Gen Pongsapat as the party’s candidate and the policies for this upcoming Bangkok gubernatorial race. However, a team of proposed deputy governors will be introduced later.
Meanwhile, former key figure of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, who was earlier speculated to be the party’s candidate, will support Pol Gen Pongsapat and help map out the policies for the election campaign, according to Mr Phumtham.
Mr Phumtham explained that the executive committee agreed to pick Pol Gen Pongsapat, as the committee saw his intentions of working and assisting the public.
