Bangkok (AP) —The Palang Pracharat party said Wednesday its executive board will designate Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, along with party leader Uttama Savanayana and Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, as its three candidates, as required under rules for the March 24 general election.
Prayuth has not clarified if he intends to run. He could still become an “outsider prime minister” under the country’s latest constitution, which doesn’t require that the prime minister be a member of Parliament.
When Palang Pracharat was established last year, it was seen as a proxy for the military government. It adopted the old style of politics that reforms were supposed to remove, with big-money backers and alliances with political party bosses around the country who could deliver votes directly or when the time comes to form a new government coalition.
With advantages similar to those held by an incumbent political party, Palang Pracharat is widely tipped to finish first or second in the election.
An elaborate electoral system that includes disproportionate power for an unelected Senate in naming a new prime minister heavily favors the Palang Pracharat, even as the Pheu Thai party affiliated with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to retain much of its old popularity.
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