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NPP vows to contest poll

Bangkok Post
Published: 2/04/2011

The New Politics Party, the political wing of the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy, insists it will contest the election despite a directive from the PAD to boycott the poll.

NPP leader Somsak Kosaisuk yesterday brushed aside remarks by PAD co-leader Sondhi Limthongkul that the party must boycott the poll in protest against "shady politics".

The PAD has also told its supporters to cast no-votes in the election. Observers said the PAD and the NPP were finding it hard to agree because the party was set up to compete in elections.

Mr Somsak said the NPP would stand by its resolution to take part in the election, expected in June.

The party would run only in constituencies where it had a chance of winning, he said.

It is interested in vying for seats in provinces with large concentrations of PAD supporters such as Bangkok, Chon Buri and Phetchaburi.

Details of candidates and where they would run would be decided at a party meeting on April 24.

Party supporters should decide what the NPP should do at the election.

However, Chamlong Srimuang, another PAD co-leader, reiterated that PAD co-leaders had decided it was not the right time for the NPP to compete.

The party should wait four to five years for social reform to take effect, he said. Past elections had failed to solve national problems related to territorial integrity, he said, referring to the longstanding Thai-Cambodian border dispute.

Praphan Koonmee, spokesman for the PAD splinter group, Land Protection Power, said the NPP should respect the boycott urged by PAD leaders.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/229915/npp-vows-to-contest-poll