The Ruamphalang Prachachartthai Party applied for registration with the Election Commission on Friday amid queries over whether it was acting as a proxy for political figures who previously led the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protest movement.
The application was filed by Thaweesak Na Takuathung, the lawyer for Suthep Thaugsuban who chairs the Muan Maha Prachachon Foundation which replaced the PDRC.
Mr Thaweesak went to the EC office accompanied by Chaturan Boonbenjarat, former secretary-general of the Green Group.
Mr Thaweesak said the party has 32 co-founders, including Thanee Thaugsuban, Mr Suthep's younger brother. However, Anek Laothamatas, chairman of the reform panel on politics, was not listed among the co-founders. Mr Anek, who previously led the Mahachon Party, had been heavily touted as a candidate to lead the new party.
The lawyer said the party has also asked the National Council for Peace and Order for permission to convene a meeting before it unveils its executive board at Lumpini Park on June 3.
Mr Thaweesak denied he was setting up the party on Mr Suthep's instruction. However, he admitted he consulted Mr Suthep over the party's formation. In the future, he would invite Mr Suthep, who is also former secretary-general of the Democrat Party, to be a party member, he said.
"This party is not a stand-in for the PDRC or a branch of the Democrats," Mr Thaweesak said.
The Ruamphalang Prachachartthai's principal policy is to materialise national reforms and carry on the PDRC's ideologies, he added.
Suriyasai Katasila, deputy dean of Rangsit University's Social Innovation College and the PDRC's former co-leader, has expressed interest in signing up to Ruamphalang Prachachartthai.
Mr Suriyasai, who helped direct the PDRC mass protest against the Pheu Thai Party-led administration from 2013 to 2014, said he thought the party would be the best choice to bring about positive changes in the country.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party acting deputy spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said the Ruamphalang Prachachartthai founders should not be coy about admitting it represents the PDRC.
"The new party will not pose direct competition to Pheu Thai. Rather, it would likely undermine the Democrat support base in the election since the PDRC and the Democrats share a pool of voters," said Mr Anusorn.
Chaikasem Nitisiri, another key Pheu Thai figure, said that with the emergence of Ruamphalang Prachachartthai, it was hard to believe that Mr Suthep would not re-enter politics.
Also yesterday, Issara Somchai, the former PDRC core leader and former Democrat MP for Ubon Ratchathani, insisted he had no intention of defecting to Ruamphalang Prachachartthai.
He had told Mr Suthep right after the military coup in May 2014 that he wished to return to work with the Democrats.
Mr Issara said the new party had grown from the old PDRC and that it might hurt the Democrat support base to a certain extent.
