From: kamol@munnari.oz.AU (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: June 8: Chatichai ambivalent about rejoining Chart Thai party
Date: 23 Jul 92 06:11:35 GMT
Organization: Mail/News gateway

     Former prime minister and Chart Thai Party leader Chatichai 
Choonhavan is expected to lead the Puang Chon Chao Thai Party 
(PCCT) in the September 13 general election, reliable political 
sources revealed yesterday.
     The sources said Gen Chatichai yesterday informed his close 
associates about his political decision.
     The high-profile politician is expected to make a formal 
announcement at the Puang Chon Chao Party meeting on Sunday.
     The PCCT is also expected to change its name to the Chart 
Pattana (Nation Development) Party in order to give itself a new 
image.
     Current PCCT leader Col Phol Roengprasertvit has already 
begun renovating the party headquarters to welcome Gen Chatichai, 
who is expected to join the party meeting on Sunday and formally 
declare his decision to join the party.
     Gen Chatichai's relative and former Chart Thai MP Korn 
Dabbaransi is expected to be among 20 former Chart Thai MPs to 
defect to PCCT. He is expected to be appointed secretary general.
     Former PCCT leader Gen Arthit Kamlang-ek who defected to the 
Samakkhi Tham Party in the last general election is expected to 
rejoin the party along with his faction. The former military chief 
is expected to be appointed as PCCT advisory chairman.
     Gen Chatichai's group and Gen Arthit's faction are expected 
to be joined by bout 20 former MPs from the STP's another faction 
led by Mr Surat Osathnukroh.
     With Mr Surat's faction, the PCCT will have up to 80 former 
MPs under its control.
     Both Mr Surat and Mr Pong Sarasin, who is also another 
faction leader, have pledged their support for the PCCT, although 
they have agreed not to stand for election in the September 13 
poll.
     Gen Chatichai's latest decision represents a major twist in 
the on-going efforts within the Chart Thai Party to persuade him 
to return to take the helm of the party for the upcoming election.
     A group of Chart Thai Party members claimed on Monday that 
Gen Chatichai had agreed to accept the post as party leader.
     However, Gen Gen Chatichai yesterday called an urgent press 
conference to deny that he has agreed to accept the post of Chart 
Thai Party leader.
     "I have not decided yet. It's true that the party has asked 
me to become leader but I will not announce my decision until 
Sunday," Gen Chatichai said.
     He admitted that consultations had taken place with key party 
leaders on several occasions but he has not accepted any offers as 
yet because he needs more details.
     But after a meeting of the party's administrative committee 
yesterday afternoon, party adviser Pramarn Adireksarn insisted 
that Gen Chatichai had already "accepted to become party leader 
without any conditions".
     Chart Thai, which has been the core of the past few coalition 
governments, is now gripped by a internal power-struggle between 
Gen Chatichai's Ratchakhru faction and the faction loyal to party 
secretary-general Banharn Silpa-archa.
     The party recently admitted that it has been seriously 
discredited in the eyes of the public after the bloody suppression 
of pro-democracy protesters during the May 17-20 anti-Suchinda 
Kraprayoon demonstrations.
     Gen Chatichai, ousted from power by Gen Suchinda in a coup 
last year, was believed to be the only Chart Thai figure capable 
of leading the party through what is expected to be a fierce 
general election on September 13.
     However, Gen Chatichai's Ratchakhru faction has demanded that 
Mr Banharn, reportedly the key political "manager" of Gen 
Suchinda's government, accept a reduced role in the party.
     During yesterday's Press Conference held by Gen Chatichai at 
his Soi Ratchakhru residence, he told reporters that he needed 
more "details" from Chart Thai as well as clarification of its 
policies before he would accept the leadership post.
     "If I accept, I accept. If not I will go back to England," 
said Gen Chatichai, who recently returned from the United Kingdom.
     Asked if he is reluctant to accept the leadership of Chart 
Thai because he is worried about the assets seizure problem, the 
former premier said it was only a small concern because a court 
ruling on the case is still pending.
     Gen Chatichai admitted that other parties have asked him to 
join them as their party leader but he is still considering the 
offer.
     He refused to elaborate on the alternative offers other than 
to say "I have to be in the best political party which has good 
members".
     He insisted that if he agrees to be leader of any party, he 
would contest the election like leaders of other parties.
     Asked who would be appropriate to lead Chart Thai if he did 
not accept, Gen Chatichai said: "It's Khun Banharn. He is the most 
appropriate."
     On the problems presently facing Chart Thai, a party which he 
and his family founded nearly 20 years ago, Gen Chatichai said 
that the party was still strong and belonged to the people and not 
the Ratchakhru faction.
     "I want Chart Thai to become the most democratic party in 
Thailand," he added.
     He declined to comment on the possibility of another coup 
following a comment by former National Peace-keeping Council 
chairman Gen Sunthorn Kongsompong that the military could not 
guarantee that there would never be another military takeover.
     Gen Chatichai predicted that the next government would face a 
hard time administering the country because it is suffering in all 
fields ranging from the economy to foreign affairs.
     Late yesterday afternoon the Chart Thai administrative 
committee held a meeting at party headquarters and reaffirmed an 
earlier resolution to have Gen Chatichai take over the party 
leadership.
     Pol Gen Pramarn, who is married to the former premier's 
sister, Charoen, said that Gen Chatichai has already been 
approached and the committee and the party MPs would hold a 
meeting today at Soi Ratchakhru to formally invite him to be 
leader.
     Asked about Gen Chatichai's statement that he will not yet 
accept the post, Pol Gen Pramarn replied: "He accepts. If I say 
that he accepts, he accepts."
     Pol Gen Pramarn laughed when told by reporters that Gen 
Chatichai had not yet decided.
     He said reporters should not ask too many questions because 
he had already insisted that Gen Chatichai has already accepted to 
be leader without any conditions.
     "He used to be party leader but resigned because of the NPKC 
problem. Now he will return to the same post," Pol Gen Pramarn 
said.
     He said that the assets seizure order against Gen Chatichai 
was "a matter for the future" and everyone recognised that it was 
an unjust finding by the Assets Examination Committee.
     Asked if Gen Chatichai had confirmed that he would accept the 
leadership of Chart Thai, Pol Gen Pramarn said "this is a sure 
thing."
     "Let's just say that tomorrow everything will be clear. I 
tell you that this is a sure thing," he said.
     On the issue of the conflict between his Ratchakhru faction 
and Mr Banharn's, Pol Gen Pramarn played down the disagreement. 
"There's nothing to it. Mr Banharn is still party 
secretary-general like before."
     Deputy party leader Vatana Asavahame also confirmed that he 
was still with Chart Thai because Gen Chatichai will come back to 
lead the party.
     "I believe everything Mr Pramarn said because he is not only 
an elder of the party but an elder of Gen Chatichai too. If you 
don't believe Pramarn who are you going to believe?" Mr Vatana 
said, noting that Pol Gen Pramarn is Gen Chatichai's 
brother-in-law.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai