Former Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva under fire from Pheu Thai members

Former Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva is being criticised by Pheu Thai representatives after claiming in an interview that the party wants to win the next election by a landslide just to bring their former leader, Thaksin Shinawatra back to Thailand.

Abhisit, former leader of the Democrats, doesn’t have any problems with Pheu Thai Party gaining power in a fair election but he questions their motives and whether they will engage in actions that are “contrary to good governance” like bringing back the former PM who lives in self-imposed exile from the country.

Abhisit received a lot of heat after he made comments on a YouTube channel สภาที่ 3 / Sapah Thee Sam. You can watch the video here.

“I’ve always said that a poll victory is a mandate from the people, to push forward policy and work for the country, but it is not a licence to do anything, especially if it is against legal principles.”

Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra currently faces jail and unresolved charges if he returns to Thailand at this time. He was sentenced, in absentia, to 2 years in jail for abuse of power by Thailand’s constitutional court.

For the past few weeks, the Democrat Party, where Abhisit remains a prominent member, has been under a lot of pressure from netizens after the former deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi was accused of sexual harassment and rape.

Former PM Thaksin’s only son, Oak (Panthongtae), has taken a jab at the former PM Abhisit on Twitter by saying “If you want to rescue the party from scandal, just do it. Don’t use others as a tool.”

Wan Ubamrung, a Bangkok-based Pheu Thai MP and Phumtham Wechayachai, adviser to the Pheu Thai Party leader, said similar things on social media, that Abhisit and his Democrat party should solve their own problems first rather than deflecting their internal problems.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post