NAKHON RATCHASIMA: The Sam Mitr group is confident of a sweeping victory in Kalasin province after it successfully recruited five red shirts in the northeastern province.
Somsak Thepsutin, a leader of the group, said on Saturday that five red-shirt co-leaders -- Boonchalong Karamas, Pattara Varamit, Chamlong Poovana, Chavalit Kanitkul and Surapong Ponsue -- had agreed to join his group.
“If we enter politics in the future, these people would run under our banner in the province,” he said.
Pirom Polviset, the secretary of Sam Mitr, said the group had recently exchanged views and listened to people in Roi Et, Maha Sarakham and Kalasin.
“They were very pleased that we came to listen to their problems. Our reconciliation policy also impressed them. Kalasin people even told us we would definitely win all seats in the province in the upcoming election,” he said.
Responding to a prediction by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of a Pheu Thai landslide victory in the polls, Mr Somsak said that might have been be true in the past "but today nobody has new data -- it all depends on voters".
The status of Sam Mitr, a group formed by Mr Somsak, Suriya Jungrungreangkij and Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, remains a mystery. It has declined to say whether it would apply to become a party or join another one. The one thing that is clear is that it supports Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as prime minister after the election.
Over the past few months, its members have roamed the Northeast to talk to people and persuade former MPs from all parties to join it.
Many people have come to meet the trio, whom they view as a direct line to the government since Sam Mitr claimed it would forward problems and solutions to the government.
However, the group declined to say whether it would evolve into a political party or join Palang Pracharat, another party that supports Gen Prayut.
The three core leaders of Sam Mitr are no strangers to Thaksin since they belonged to the former Wang Nam Yom faction of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party. The faction later left the party to form the Matchima group.
They played a crucial role in enabling Thai Rak Thai to form the government in 2001 by persuading MPs from other parties to join it, in a similar manner as they are doing now for Gen Prayut, eventually allowing Thaksin to become prime minister for the first time.
