Saturday, January 08, 2011

Yingluck [Shinawatra] agonises over taking top [opposition] job [in Thailand]

Yingluck: Undecided
Mingkwan: Chief rival
Virabongsa: Has potential
Puea Thai leadership hangs in the balance

6/01/2011
Bangkok Post

Many Puea Thai Party MPs are backing Yingluck Shinawatra, the younger sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, for the job of party leader.

Ms Yingluck is said not to have decided yet whether she wants the job, but her chief rival, Mingkwan Saengsuwan, is busy sounding out MPs about his chances.

As uncertainties over the Puea Thai leadership drag on, Ms Yingluck's name has been mentioned together with that of Mr Mingkwan and former finance minister Virabongsa Ramangkura as possible party heads.

The present leader, former career bureaucrat Yongyuth Wichaidit, may not be a strong enough name to help the party pull votes at the next election.


A Puea Thai source said Mr Virabongsa's strengths as a possible Puea Thai Party leader and candidate for prime minister were that he was seen as neutral by the public and was knowledgeable in politics and economic matters. However, Mr Virabongsa has rejected the overtures as he considers politics to be in an unusual phase. His participation would do more harm than good to himself.

Both Mr Mingkwan and Ms Yingluck have a successful track record in business.

Mr Mingkwan is a former executive of Toyota Motor Thailand and director of the state-run MCOT.

Ms Yingluck proved she has business acumen during her tenure at SC Asset Plc and Advanced Info Service Plc.

Many members of the Puea Thai Party are seen as preferring Ms Yingluck to Mr Mingkwan as she is the younger sister of Thaksin and should be able to secure their political hopes better in terms of work aspirations and funding.

Both Mr Mingkwan and Ms Yingluck are considered relatively inexperienced in politics.

Ms Yingluck, however, has attended meetings of Puea Thai executive committee.

She did not make any decisions at those meetings but she is aware of party issues and won the respect of MPs.

Mr Mingkwan, meanwhile, is trying to build support for his leadership bid. He has approached key figures including party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, head of the party MPs Chalerm Yubamrung and even Ms Yingluck.

Mr Mingkwan asked some Puea Thai MPs who favour him for the job to meet Thaksin overseas to woo support for his leadership bid.

Thaksin said he wanted Mr Mingkwan to prove his leadership qualities by leading the next censure debate.

Puea Thai MP for Chiang Mai Surapong Towijakchaikul said Ms Yingluck came across as humble.

Many Puea Thai members back her because they believe she could become the country's first female prime minister.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

OUR OPPSOSITION SAM RAINSY HE IS NOT KHMER AT ALL HE JUST SET srp COMPANY FOR EARN A LIVING, ONLY KHMER ABROAD BELIEVED IN HIM, HE IS A BIG LIAR. HE DO NOTHINGS ARTEHR THAN DEVIDE AND SPREAD HATREAT CRITICISIM, ANY ONE FALL INTO BELIEVE RAINSY IS EATHER THEY DO NOT KNOW REALITY OR THEY ARE DUMP. RAINSY IS THE MOST SELFISHNESS MAN, HE CAN'T MANAGE HIS ANARCHY SUPPORTOR, HE LET KI GIVE WILD BEAST PROVACATION, sAM RAINSY CAN'T CONTROL ANYTHINGS, YOU CALL YOURSELF A LEADER RAINSY YOU ARE TRUE IDOITIC, I BET IF YOU DO BUSINESS YOU WILL FAIL BECAURSE YOU ARE LOSER STILE LOSER. Rainsy tonigh looke youreslf in the mirror see .... you are street wilds politiciant, can't control anythings../.ETY QUALIFY,BUT NOT OUR OPPOSITON

we all are one soul said...

you can mention on that ,but SRP had alot member on behaft him for head party .we all are in one soul ,not CCP ,the whole party or the whole pets ,no one share the old barking head .

Anonymous said...

Youn slave 5:15 Am above, you are a true frog in the pond. Viet is taking all of your land yet you are still barking for your master. Idiot like you have no common sense. The gray matter between your ears probably as small as a pigeon brain. Your Hanoi education is useless if you can not even read between the lines. People like you is useless to be living, and yet you consider yourself to be Khmer, Dam, why didn't Pol Pot finish you up.

Anonymous said...

If one of them will be a Puea Thai Party leader in Thailand,s/he will
get Taksin back to
power.
So, Mr Hun Sen will
be glad to work with
Taksin.Both of them
will be Viet slaves.
The Vietnam govt
always wants to be the boss of South-
east Asia.
The North and North-
east are Taksin
supporters;then they are Red Shirts and they are supported by Viet and China communists
.

Anonymous said...

I think she is cute .

Anonymous said...

5:15 AM
Are you the same guy who has been running around barking at Sam Rainsy even he got nothing to do with this article ? You have been practicing your English in the wrong room dude.

Anonymous said...

1:00 pm She won't even wanna look at your dark ugly face! Stick to your own dark race moron!

Anonymous said...

I think it is the right time to support a qualified female for the top political job in Thailand. I hope that the Thai people can put aside the political biases and support real progress in Thai politics for the good of the nation.