Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is accused of "siphoning" ex-members of parliament from various political parties into a party of his own that is currently setting up, rumoured to be the Palang Pracharat Party.
The party, of course, will support Gen Prayut as prime minister after the election next year. In such an endeavour, it is likely Gen Prayut will be on the shortlist nominated by the party, making him an "insider" candidate, not an "outsider" waiting in the wings to assume the top job. He then can claim that he is, in essence, "democratically" elected.
Suranand Vejjajiva was secretary-general to the prime minister during the Yingluck Shinawatra government and is now a political analyst.
