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Friday, 15 July 2011

Pheu Thai: Yingluck the only PM candidate

Pheu Thai's list candidate Yingluck Shinawatra insisted on Thursday she is the sole candidate for prime minister, rejecting reports that party leader Yongyuth Wichaidit is in-waiting the job if she is not endorsed as an MP by the Election Commission.Ms Yingluck said the party had not discussed this matter. Mr Yongyuth is No.2 on Pheu Thai's party list.


She also reiterated that she was not worried that she and other MPs-elect of the Pheu Thai Party had not been endorsed, saying that the EC still has until Aug 3 to certify at least 95 per cent of the elected candidates so that the new House of Representatives can convene.

Asked about a complaint filed with the EC that former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and his wife Yaowapa, who are under a five-year political ban, helped campaign for the party, Ms Yingluck said that was not true.

The party's legal office had prepared evidence for the defence against this and other complaints, she said.

Ms Yingluck also rejected an allegation that Khunying Potjaman Damapong, former wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had helped the party to form a cabinet.

Asked about army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha's suggestion that the new defence minister should be from the military, Ms Yingluck said she was open to all opinions.

She denied a report that Gen Sampao Chusri, a former supreme commander, had been approached for the post of defence minister. Nobody had yet been approached for the post, she added.

Pheu Thai leader Yongyuth insisted that his party will continue to support Ms Yingluck as the next prime minister.

"Pheu Thai does not have any backup plan to nominate another candidate for prime minister as the party still believes that Ms Yingluck is the most suitable candidate," Mr Yongyuth said.

Mr Yongyuth also denied the allegation that Mr Somchai and Mrs Yaowapa helped Pheu Thai electioneer last month. "Mr Somchai and his wife were only watching and listening to Pheu Thai members making speeches during the campaign and the law does not prohibit this," he said.

The Pheu Thai Party today filed a petition asking the EC to dissolve the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties.

The petition filed by Pheu Thai representative Pornchai Korwattanamadol and lawyers claimed Abhisit Vejjajiva, the outgoing Prime Minister and Democrat Party leader, and Porntiva Nakasai, the commerce minister and Bhumjaithai Party secretary-general, organised a "blue flag" sale of low-priced products on June 26, the day set for advance voting, at the city hall of Samut Prakan.

Since both Mr Abhisit and Mrs Porntiva were party executives and candidates in the July 3 election, the sale might be considered vote buying, the petition says.

The Pheu Thai Party asked the EC to investigate and then propose to the Constitution Court the dissolution of the two parties.

Mr Pornchai handed over CDs he said showed the sale of low-priced products.

Endorsement of Mr Abhisit's election has already been suspended by the EC pending an investigation into the "blue flag" complaint.

Mr Abhisit said in an interview that he was not worried by this matter. The sale of low-priced goods under the "blue flag" project had been carried out by Commerce Ministry officials throughout the country under a cabinet resolution to help ease people's cost of living.

The sale in Samut Prakan was carried out by permanent officials and no politicians were involved, he said. http://www.bangkokpost.com/

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