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Thai opposition leader Mingkwan Sangsuwan
Jilted Mingkwan may quit Pheu Thai Party after Thaksin rebuke
Mingkwan Sangsuwan, the opposition Pheu Thai Party's aspiring prime minister, is considering leaving the party after being rejected by Pheu Thai's de-facto leader Thaksin Shinawatra, according to sources close to Mingkwan.
The "last straw" for Mingkwan was Thaksin's remark during his phone call to a meeting of Pheu Thai MPs on Tuesday, which was interpreted as rebuking Mingkwan for his supposedly overzealous bid to become the party's prime ministerial candidate without Thaksin's stamp of approval.
During last month's censure debate, Mingkwan declared himself as Pheu Thai's candidate to contest the premiership with Democrat Party leader and current incumbent Abhisit Vejjajiva. However, Thaksin did not affirm Mingkwan's declaration, saying later instead that he would announce the party's PM candidate after dissolution of the House of Representatives. The ex-premier laid out the qualities a PM candidate must possess in a series of Twitter messages, prompting speculation he was promoting his businesswoman sister Yingluck Shinawatra for the premiership.
On Tuesday, self-exiled Thaksin phoned in during the Pheu Thai meeting and was quoted as saying, "Don't do too much cheering. You did so after being paid. Don't I have money too? Cheer too much and the party will be damaged. Don't think that when you cheer someone on to become prime minister, you will get appointed as Cabinet members." He was referring to Mingkwan's supporters among Pheu Thai MPs.
Thaksin, who is widely seen as pulling the strings behind Pheu Thai Party, said Mingkwan's nomination as PM candidate ahead of the censure debate was just part of "the first movie" that had already ended. "The second movie has not started yet," he said.
Mingkwan felt slighted and upset by Thaksin's latest remarks and confided with some people close to him about the possibility of leaving the party.
"My patience is running out. I have worked for him [Thaksin] a lot," a source close to Mingkwan quoted him as saying. "I did the censure debate although it's not what I am good at. I help collect funds for the party every month. I am just working to serve his benefit, but he takes me for granted. He was displeased and admonished me at the meeting."
Mingkwan, a marketing guru turned politician, had complained to businesspeople and politicians close to him about his growing frustration, according to another source, a senior Pheu Thai figure. Mingkwan's financial supporters also back the possibility of him forming a new political party, the source said, adding that dozens of incumbent party MPs could be expected to defect along with Mingkwan.
"In the past, there were times when Pheu Thai was on the brink of break-up, but every time Thaksin promised direct financial support to the MPs," a senior party figure said. "Everything in the party now depends on Thaksin alone. It appears the ongoing fight is for Thaksin to return to Thailand more than anything else."
However, some observers point out that the chances of a new political party surviving in today's tough political environment is small. Financial strength and incumbent MPs alone cannot guarantee an election victory - not to mention Mingkwan's relative lack of political experience and charisma. Many of Pheu Thai's incumbent MPs may have second thoughts about defecting to face an uncertain future. And if they have to choose between Mingkwan and friends, and Thaksin & Co, the answer may be clear in their mind.
Thaksin, who is in self-exile overseas to avoid a jail term at home for a conflict of interest conviction, is reportedly not doing well in his mining business in Africa and his investments in Montenegro. Also, there is conflict between Thaksin's ex-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra and his sisters over running the family business.
However, Thaksin still retains much influence and bargaining power with Pheu Thai. With the party now in election mode, his bargaining power has increased tremendously. Pheu Thai's incumbent MPs will have to rely on his popularity - particularly among voters in the North and Northeast - to win the upcoming election, and the chance of them defecting to another party is limited. "We can't move to other parties because all are considered political enemies," a senior party figure said.
Despite growing displeasure and resentment among certain party elements about his style of running the party, Thaksin's recent moves have confirmed his status as de-facto leader and sent a message to any sceptics that he's still the "big boss".