Thailand: Parties gearing up campaigns

• Politicians roamed the country on 26 Jan 19 to unveil policies and introduce prospective candidates after the election date was announced this week.
• The royal decree calling the general election was published in the Royal Gazette on 23 Jan 19 and the Election Commission set the poll date on 24 Mar 19 on the same day, giving parties the green light to openly campaign and woo voters.
• Pro-regime Palang Pracharath Party leader Uttama Savanayana promoted public welfare, sustainable and value-added farming, as well as industries driven by modern technology, as the key platforms to win voters there.
• Pheu Thai Party’s chairwoman of the strategic committee, Sudarat Keyuraphan visited Bangkok Noi district and said the party was considering its candidate lineups, expected to be completed next week.
• Future Forward Party introduced its 30 MP candidates for the capital, all of whom are political newcomers. Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said that their candidates are representatives of low-income earners who have never seen real change and share a common ideology.
• Meanwhile, Suwat Liptapanlop, Chartpattana Party’s chairman of the advisory board, introduced candidates in all 14 districts of its stronghold Korat. The party said it would stick to the blueprint of Gen Chatchai Choonhavan, whose policies focused on the economy without politics.
• Anutin Charnveerakul, leader of Bhumjaithai Party, opened a party branch in Bang Kae district on 26 Jan 19 and said that he would like to gain a foothold in Bangkok. He added that the party’s key policies are to promote co-working space by having state agencies build offices in different places so entrepreneurs need not travel all the way to downtown Bangkok.

External Link: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1618278/parties-gearing-up-campaigns