Thanathorn in trouble?
Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has been cashing in on the publicity from his recent trips overseas where he was allegedly well-received by several prestigious academic institutes.
Thanathorn: May face prosecution
But back in Thailand the party has drawn a less favourable response from the regime. Mr Thanathorn now faces the prospect of being prosecuted for badmouthing the National Council for Peace and Order over its performance in governing the country during his trips abroad.
Like it or not, the party is setting new trends and giving other political parties, both new and old, a run for their money. It has spurred the other parties to heavily promote any new young faces among their ranks to boost their strength in the election tentatively planned for February, analysts say.
Young politicians have in previous elections mainly served as "decorative adornments" to spruce up the atmosphere at polls and excite voters with their promises of change.
But once elected they tend to fade into the background when important motions are being debated. Their seniors ranks have always run the show, both in their respective parties and parliament, the analyst said.
He noted the latest move to promote fresh young faces as the "movers and shakers" of various parties had not panned out as planned, leaving the business of managing parties to more experienced executives and financiers.
But as the poll looms, Future Forward, with its vast reserve of new members unburdened by any personal political history or past misdeeds, may have compelled other parties to embrace a similar strategy and give their young politicians bigger roles to play, including in campaigning.
Even the Democrat Party, the country's oldest political party, is bringing many new faces to the fore who could add a sheen to its appeal.
The analyst said a common message from these young politicians, regardless of their political affiliation, was being picked up where they have taken their interest beyond the colour-coded political and social conflicts that gripped the country before the 2014 coup.
Several of the new faces said they are free to work with members of other parties irrespective of their political inclinations, the analyst added.
The young politicians' desire to let bygones be bygones could strike a chord with voters, including those who rarely head to the polls but have got sick and tired of watching the country descend into political and social chaos.
The analyst said if they are able to convince voters they are serious about implementing change, their conciliatory and pacifist disposition could prove a powerful tool to win votes.
Some pundits believe the Future Forward has the potential to garner at least a few dozen MPs. If that proves true it would set a precedent as the first new party full of fresh and political novices to capture a relatively large number of MP seats.
Despite this, Mr Thanathorn has been targeted by critics who see his many visits overseas as a form of self-aggrandisement to dress up his image as an internationally recognised executive who is the right fit for the premiership.
The critics even went so far as to compare him to a former premier who, from the outset of his career in politics, pledged to deliver sweeping new changes to the country. The pledge handed his party an overwhelming election victory many years ago.
Crying foul over party boss contest
Even before the election campaign is given the go ahead by the regime, friction can already be seen among political parties over what amounts to electoral canvassing.
The case in point is the latest rebuke directed by the Pheu Thai Party against its arch rival, the Democrat Party, over the latter's ongoing leadership contest.
Pheu Thai has slung the accusation that the Democrat was masking its electioneering under the hood of the race it is organising to choose its next leader.
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has stood its ground not to ease the ban on political activities, which keeps parties from hitting the campaign trail to advertise their MP candidates despite Feb 24 next year being slated tentatively as the election day.
A few weeks ago, some academics have aired their views at a forum, saying the Democrats' leadership contest bears the hallmarks of a campaign as the three leader candidates must communicate their policies to capture the support of party members to win the party's top seat.
In getting across their policies on stage or via a door-to-door approach, the candidates were in fact advertising the Democrat Party to voters. The messages were politically encrypted to give the party supporters a taste of the Democrats' campaign manifestos to come, suggested the academics.
Critics were also having a field day, charging that the Democrat Party was tiptoeing around the NCPO's restriction and the regime appeared impervious to the rule breaking.
A critical mass is building up for the three Democrat leadership candidates -- incumbent party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, former party deputy leader Alongkorn Ponlaboot and former Democrat Phitsanulok MP Warong Dechgitvigrom -- as they embark on an intense race to lobby party members nationwide to vote for them as party leader.
The party also has the work cut out for it as it lays out a plan to elect its leader, which takes place almost back to back with preparations for the general election.
Voting for the Democrat leader through mobile applications is scheduled between Nov 1-5 while those who prefer traditional ballot casting can do so on Nov 5 at venues designated by the party. Each province will have at least one polling unit.
The voting will proceed under a new selection system, where former MPs nominate candidates for the members to vote on. The party will hold a general meeting to endorse the winner of the members' ballot and appoint 41 executives on Nov 11.
A source, meanwhile, has dismissed Pheu Thai's remark that the Democrats were discreetly getting a head start on campaigning.
The source insisted there was no way to tell who among the three candidates will be elected the next Democrat leader and so it defies logic to assume the Democrat Party already has a campaign policy worked out that it is covertly advertising to voters during the canvassing phase of the leadership competition.
The source said the Democrats would likely finalise their election campaign manifesto when their new leader is chosen, who will chart the administrative and political directions for the party.
Mr Abhisit reportedly initiated the idea of having a leadership contest that gives its members the freedom to decide who should run the country's oldest political party. He maintained that like charity, democracy begins at home.
Also deflecting criticism against the party over the alleged poll campaign in disguise is Rames Rattanachaweng, the party deputy spokesman, who said this week the Democrat Party is operating within the bounds of the law.
He denied the activity is electioneering. He said he hoped Pheu Thai understood that the Democrats have a different process of selecting a leader. He also took a swipe at Pheu Thai, saying it seemed content leaving the leadership election issue in the hands of one group of people.
Out in cold at new home
Morale is said to be low among politicians who left the Pheu Thai Party for the Palang Pracharath Party.
The group, which comprises mainly politicians from Pheu Thai's political strongholds of the North and the Northeast, feels left out in their new home.
While they did not expect a red-carpet champagne-filled welcome from core party figures known to be close to the regime, a series of developments at Palang Pracharath has not been encouraging.
According to one political source, the group was reportedly asked to do the party a favour by not applying for membership until after its first general meeting to pick a new leader and party executives. Word also spread that they were urged to keep a safe distance between themselves and party bigwigs and supporters, those with cabinet positions in particular.
The pro-regime Palang Pracharath, widely seen as a vehicle to support Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's return to power if he wishes to, wants to portray itself as a fresh political outfit speaking of the needs of people who wish to see reforms take root in the country. Ex-Pheu Thai politicians somehow may not be the best people to work to execute such reforms, said the source.
And the appointments of former Democrat MPs Nathapol Teepsuwan and Buddhipongse Punnakanta to key posts are adding salt to the wounds of the ex-Pheu Thai members. Mr Nathapol was elected as a deputy leader and Mr Buddhipongse a party executive at the general meeting.
The pair are former members of the Democrat Party and former co-leaders of the People's Democratic Reform Committee headed by ex-Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.
According to the source, the ex-Pheu Thai politicians are not happy with such treatment but they are biding their time. Things are expected to clear up when Palang Pracharath is endorsed by the Election Commission, expected tentatively around the middle of next month.
"They hope that after Palang Pracharath gains full political party status, there will be some sort of behavioural adjustment or attitude modification of some members. They're from different backgrounds and adjustment is necessary," said the source.
The former Pheu Thai politicians' hope lies with Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, who was named Palang Pracharath secretary-general and who seems to have a better understanding of how politics works and how the new election system operates.
Speculation is rife that Pheu Thai will put in a strong showing in the general election. Other parties will have to collect as many "loser votes" as possible to earn them extra seats in the party list system.
Under the new method of mixed-member apportionment, votes for losing candidates in the constituencies will be tallied and redistributed. In the previous polls, votes cast for defeated candidates were discarded.
To gain party-list seats, Palang Pracharath needs to collect as many votes as it can in the North and the Northeast, according to the source.
However, the party's bigwigs seem to be focusing on Bangkok constituencies as they are counting on Mr Nathapol and Mr Buddhipongse to help the party win big in the capital in the next poll. Palang Pracharath has also lured a bunch of local politicians from the Democrats with a plan to field them as MP candidates in Bangkok.
According to the source, the ex-Pheu Thai camp believes the party heavyweights are betting on the wrong horse as the Bangkok electorate vote based on party preferences and Palang Pracharath has yet to establish a foothold in the capital.
