Paiboon Nititawan, a former member of the now-defunct National Reform Council, has announced his intention to set up a political party and run in the next general election for the House of Representatives.
He said on Tuesday that after the draft charter passed a public referendum on Sunday he consulted a number of people who shared the same ideology and decided to set up a political party "by the people, of the people and for the people" to be named "the People's Reform Party".
Mr Paiboon, also a member of the now-defunct Constitution Drafting Committee led by Borwornsak Uwanno, said he would not take a senator seat but would run for the House of Representatives because he believes an MP can better push reforms.
"I regard today as Day 1 to tell the people and begin to build a network to create a political party with three intentions: to reform political parties and politicians to improve Thailand's politics; to reform Buddhism; and, to set up a people's council in every province to serve as a monitoring agency," he said.
Mr Paiboon said his party would not place emphasis on the number of MPs but on their quality.
He claimed he had coordinated with people of the same ideology in all regions before making the announcement.
After a new political party law is in effect, he would register the party and start doing political work.
Asked whether his party would be a wing of the People's Democratic Reform Committee since he used to address on a PDRC stage, Mr Paiboon said the PDRC did not have a political party. However, his party and the PDRC, which shared the same ideology, could work together.
Mr Paiboon said he had not approached any well-known politicians to join him. He said he would rather work with people with the same ideology than with former politicians.
He stressed that his party would not require huge funding.
Asked whether his party would be open to retired military officers, Mr Paiboon said since retirees are regarded as ordinary people, they would be welcomed.
Asked about retired military officers in the National Council for Peace and Order, Mr Paiboon said they were unlikely to come.
