The Democrat Party has asked the Election Commission (EC) if it can recruit new members via an application as the party seeks to broaden its membership base for the upcoming leadership race.
Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Saturday the party was looking for the fastest method of admitting new members now that the regime has eased its restrictions on parties.
At the party's general assembly meeting next Wednesday, its first since the coup more than four years ago, certain internal regulations will be amended to suit the new charter. After the regulations are fine-tuned, the party needs to recruit new members as quickly as possible.
Members will decide on the next party leader. A list of candidates who party members can vote for, which might include party outsiders, will be brought to the meeting. The process must be wrapped up before the royal decree to set the date for general election is announced, probably in December, Mr Abhisit said.
Mr Abhisit said considering those who are eligible to vote will be crucial.
The 90,000 people who reconfirmed their membership with the party are technically regarded as full-status members qualified to vote for the leader.
However, he believed those who did not formally renew their party membership during the period permitted by the regime should also have the right to elect the new Democrat leader.
Yesterday, Surabot Leekpai, the son of former Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai, said he will apply for Democrat membership.
The party, however, said it is uncertain if Mr Surabot, 30, will be a candidate in the election.
He added he had no grudges with any potential competitors, one of them being Phitsanulok former MP Warong Dechgitvigrom who reportedly has the backing of several Democrats.
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