Thai Raksa Chart Party cancels China Town campaign launch today
The Thai Raksa Chart Party has cancelled plans today to launch their election campaign in Bangkok’s China Town.
This follows a dramatic day yesterday when the party dropped a political bombshell by announcing that Princess Ubolratana was the party’s sole candidate for prime minister.
Thai Raksa Chart leader Preechaphol Pongpanit stunned the media when he submitted the name of Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi as the party’s sole prime minister candidate. The Princess is the sister of HM The King.
But the plan fell apart some 12 hours later after HM the King issued a televised royal command prohibiting his elder sister from entering politics, saying a member of the Royal Family must be above politics.
The rare comments from the Thai monarch about a political matter raises even more questions over what will happen to the Princess’ nomination and what the Thai Raksa Chart party will do if they lose their sole prime ministerial candidate in the run up to the March 24 poll.
The Princess, whilst relinquishing her formal titles in 1972 when she married a US citizen, has again become a regular feature in royal duties and as patron of many local charities since her divorce and return to Thailand in 2001. She is also said to live in the grounds of the royal palace and enjoys many of the trappings and privileges of the Thai Royal Family, including coverage on the daily Royal TV news.
Whether she approached her younger brother, now the Thai King, over the matter is a matter of speculation. But the strong statement from His Majesty late last night would appear to make her situation untenable as a political candidate.
Meanwhile, this morning, Thai Raksa Chart party members informed reporters without explanation that the party leader Preechaphol Pongpanit and party campaign chief Nattawut Saikaur would cancel their visit to Yaowarat (China Town).
The party earlier informed reporters that Preechaphol, Nattawut and several executives would visit Yaowarat to help its two candidates campaign Saturday. The two candidates are ML Nattapol Devakul, running in Constituency 2, and Pongpisut Jitsophon, running in Constituency 3.
