Executives of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) visited the Chartthaipattana Party's head office on Thursday to officially invite it to join its coalition while the latter said it wanted a ministry that can best help grassroots people.
PPRP leader Uttama Savanayana said after their discussion that he was grateful that Chartthaipattana gave him a warm welcome and they already discussed their policies and common goals.
"Today is our important day as both parties meet," Mr Uttama said.
Chartthaipattana Party leader Kanchana Silpa-archa said she and her party were honoured by the invitation from PPRP’s senior figures.
She said she would discuss the invitation and PPRP's policies with the executive board of her party on Friday.
Both sides had not discussed the cabinet-seat allocation yet but addressed opportunities of policy implementation, said Miss Kanchana, daughter of late prime minister and party founder Banharn Silpa-archa.
She also said that her party would make a decision without having to wait for the Democrat Party to reach its decision first.
Earlier, Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnveerakul had a second thought about his earlier stand to bring his party to join the PPRP-led coalition after the Democrat Party held back from making the decision. Mr Anutin reasoned one of Bhumjaithai’s prerequisites was that a government to be formed must be stable, with enough votes to push policies. Without the Democrat Party, the votes of the coalition would not be enough, he had said.
PPRP also reported the meeting with Chartthaipattana on its Facebook page. According to the post, PPRP key figure Somsak Thepsuthin hugged Chartthaipattana secretary-general Praphat Phothasuthon and said Mr Praphat should become a deputy prime minister.
PPRP also quoted Miss Kanchana as saying that her party wanted a ministry with a wide network that best reached grassroots people.
Chartthaipattana, with a stronghold in Suphan Buri province, won 10 constituency seats in the March 24 election.
Last Friday, Miss Kanchacha and other key members held a briefing, saying the party agreed with PPRP's stand of moving the country forward and would vote for a candidate proposed by PPRP as House speaker. Party director Nikorn Chamnong said later the party had not decided whether to join the PPRP-led coalition yet and Friday's briefing was just for the vote on the House speaker.
Varawut Silpa-archa, Miss Kanchana's younger brother and party exeutive, said on Tuesday the party had sent its proposal to the PPRP about joining the coalition but had yet to receive the answer.
"We're small and humble. But if we can't help people, there's no need to join the government. We've been a government and the opposition. The only thing we've never been is being neutral," he said.
