Prachai shrugs off his party candidates' threats

General news - Thursday December 13, 2007

RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Prachai shrugs off his party candidates' threats

AMPA SANTIMATANEDOL

Embattled Machimathipataya leader Prachai Leophairatana shrugged off threats by some party candidates in the North that they will burn party jackets and remove his election advertising boards if he is not willing to fund their campaigns. A businessman turned politician, Mr Prachai said his leadership does not mean he must be ''a mogul who finances party candidates''.

He suggested candidates raise money through fundraisers in the same manner as the Democrat party.

His reaction comes as some party members have vowed to leave the party for lack of funds to run their election campaigns. Ten candidates running on the party list in the northern provinces of Nan, Lampang, and Phrae threatened to burn their party jackets and remove party advertising boards tomorrow.

A party source said candidates in many provinces were badly in need of money. A constituency candidate in Samut Prakan paid 5,000 baht to register his candidacy himself, and had spent more than 700,000 baht from his own pocket on his campaign.

Candidates claimed party chiefs promised them an allowance. They said Mr Prachai promised to finance their campaign with 105 million baht, but then broke his word. They would protest unless he changes his mind.

''That's up to them,'' Mr Prachai said during his election campaign at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand yesterday.

''I've already contributed and sacrificed a lot for the nation, and the party.''

Mr Prachai earlier decided to resign from the party after the Criminal Court found him guilty of manipulating the share price of TPI Polene Plc, a giant cement company which he founded. However, his supporters begged him to stay on.

Bangkok Post