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Rak Santi expects EC ratification within week

Bangkok Post
Published: 22/04/2011

The Rak Santi Party is hoping to be officially endorsed by the Election Commission in a week, its founder Purachai Piumsombun says.

Mr Purachai yesterday said that once the party was officially up and running he would unveil its policy platform and candidates.

He said the Rak Santi Party was seeking to tap into a large sector of the population who were undecided voters.

"Our party won't go after the fan clubs of other parties. We want the 'single' ones who haven't signed up for any party," he said.

Quoting a recent survey, Mr Purachai said about 58% of voters had not decided which party to vote for or whether they would go to the polling booths.

He said the party's focus in the upcoming general election would be on Bangkok even though it has some of the toughest constituencies.

Mr Purachai said campaign spending in Bangkok was considered small when compared to other provinces and noted that city voters were not too hard to please.

"If you understand voters' sentiment and you have fresh faces with educated backgrounds and some achievements, you will get support," he said.

On the EC's new rule regarding a ban on the mentioning of the monarchy in campaigning, Mr Purachai said he had no opinion about the EC's authority.

However, he stressed that the institution should never have been talked about in the first place, with or without the rule in place.

Mr Purachai yesterday also welcomed British ambassador Asif Ahmad who paid him a visit at the party headquarters.

After a one-hour meeting, Mr Ahmad said he had been assured there would be elections in Thailand.

Mr Ahmad, who was appointed last year, said he believed that the upcoming polls would bring peace to the country and expressed confidence in the Rak Santi Party's potential.

Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit yesterday unveiled his plan to join the Chart Thai Pattana Party for the next election.

He was welcomed by Chart Thai Pattana chief adviser Banharn Silpa-archa and Maj Gen Sanan Kachornprasart, the deputy prime minister and an adviser to the Chart Thai Pattana Party.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/233117/rak-santi-expects-ec-ratification-within-week