PHUKET'S part in the national election on July 3 remains unclear for now, with the political arm of the People's Alliance for Democracy, the New Politics Party, divided on whether to stand candidates.
Tomorrow the Democrats are expected to clarify who their candidates are on Phuket and across the country.
New Politics leader Somsak Kosaisuk said this week that NP candidates will be fielded in Phuket and 20 other provinces, but his vision of what should happen is opposed within the party. Many insiders would prefer to boycott the election.
On Phuket, PAD spokesperson and New Politics Phuket leader Aparat Chutikamjorn said today that the party had to decide democratically whether to field candidates.
If it was determined that candidates would stand, she said: ''Our people will be real local people who want to see a clean competition followed by a clean government.''
All should become clear when the registration process for candidates opens on May 24. It closes four days later.
The PAD was a powerful force on Phuket when the group organised the seizure of the local airport in 2008 as a prelude to the invasion of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport a few weeks later.
That move, combined with a vital court ruling, led to the ascension of the Democrats under Abhisit Vejajjiva to power.
Since then, the PAD has been lower key, turning out only occasionally in small protests mostly aimed at accellerating government action to end red rallies in Bangkok - when the decision was made it left 91 dead - or to hasten action to claim a border temple back from Cambodia.
Phuket has traditionally been Democrat territory but for a time in 2008, the PAD yellow shirts were probably the group with the strongest grassroots base.
Some of that support has since dissipated. If the yellow shirts do run against the Democrats on July 3, onlookers will be surprised if the Democrats do not come out on top.
Nationally, the continuing tussle between red shirts and yellow shirts leaves the Democrats dreaming that they will be seen as the middle road for the silent majority.
English Tourist Killed in Crash with Patong Tuk-TukTomorrow the Democrats are expected to clarify who their candidates are on Phuket and across the country.
New Politics leader Somsak Kosaisuk said this week that NP candidates will be fielded in Phuket and 20 other provinces, but his vision of what should happen is opposed within the party. Many insiders would prefer to boycott the election.
On Phuket, PAD spokesperson and New Politics Phuket leader Aparat Chutikamjorn said today that the party had to decide democratically whether to field candidates.
If it was determined that candidates would stand, she said: ''Our people will be real local people who want to see a clean competition followed by a clean government.''
All should become clear when the registration process for candidates opens on May 24. It closes four days later.
The PAD was a powerful force on Phuket when the group organised the seizure of the local airport in 2008 as a prelude to the invasion of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport a few weeks later.
That move, combined with a vital court ruling, led to the ascension of the Democrats under Abhisit Vejajjiva to power.
Since then, the PAD has been lower key, turning out only occasionally in small protests mostly aimed at accellerating government action to end red rallies in Bangkok - when the decision was made it left 91 dead - or to hasten action to claim a border temple back from Cambodia.
Phuket has traditionally been Democrat territory but for a time in 2008, the PAD yellow shirts were probably the group with the strongest grassroots base.
Some of that support has since dissipated. If the yellow shirts do run against the Democrats on July 3, onlookers will be surprised if the Democrats do not come out on top.
Nationally, the continuing tussle between red shirts and yellow shirts leaves the Democrats dreaming that they will be seen as the middle road for the silent majority.
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