Future Forward Party (FFP) leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit on Monday took to Facebook to spell out why he has not yet transferred his assets to a blind trust after being accused by his critics of reneging on his promise to do so, which he made ahead of the general election.
The ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) says months have passed since the election and yet Mr Thanathorn has so far not shifted a single asset to the blind trust.
Thipanant Sirichana, the PPRP deputy spokeswoman, said Mr Thanathorn may have gone back on his promise and his alleged failure to act on his word could amount to deceit and break the organic law on the election of MPs.
She said such an offence is punishable by a prison term of between one and 10 years. An offender also stands to lose his right to vote for 20 years.
On Facebook, Mr Thanathorn insisted on his intention to continue with the management of his assets in the form of a blind trust.
He also showed the details of a letter written on Aug 22, which was emailed on Aug 26 to two companies whose asset-management services he plans to use.
He said that the letter was intended to be a private explanation to the executives of the two companies, but when he was attacked by his critics, he decided to disclose the contents.
The primary aim of the letter was to confirm his intention to set a new standard for transparency for businessman-turned-politicians, Mr Thanathorn said.
In the letter, he also apologised to the companies for the delay in the transfer of his assets as he has been suspended by the Constitutional Court as an MP pending a court ruling on whether he breached media-shareholding rules, he said.
The Election Commission alleges Mr Thanathorn held shares in V-Luck Media Co, a media company when he registered as an MP candidate in February -- which would be a violation of the charter.
The case was handed to the court, which issued an order suspending Mr Thanathorn as an MP on May 23, pending a ruling.
Mr Thanathorn said he clearly stated in the letter that if and when the court lifts the suspension order against him and allows him to resume his duties as an MP, deals will be signed to carry out the blind trust scheme as soon as possible.
But if the court rules to disqualify him as an MP, the blind trust plan will be put on hold until he secures a new political position, according to the letter obtained by the media.
"The letter was sent electronically and the sending date and the receiving date can be verified. The letter was sent before some media outlets raised questions. Therefore, this letter should be enough to confirm my intentions," Mr Thanathorn wrote on Facebook.
However, observers note that it remains unclear why Mr Thanathorn lumped together two different issues -- the transfer of his assets to a blind trust and his MP status -- and whether the logic will be acceptable to the public.
Mr Thanathorn, scion of the auto-parts conglomerate Thai Summit Group, told a press briefing six days before the March 24 election that he had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Phatra Asset Management Co Ltd, an asset-management arm under SET-listed Kiatnakin Phatra Plc.
Mr Thanathorn said the MoU was meant not only to meet legal requirements but to set a standard for transparency among politicians. His supporters immediately praised him for the moral high ground he was taking.
Mr Thanathorn explained that while businessmen entering politics was nothing new, standards had to be seen to be set and practised to earn the public's trust. According to him, one way was for politicians to transfer assets to a blind trust to avoid conflicts of interest that might occur when they assumed public office.
Observers said if Mr Thanathorn had been sincere in setting an example for a "transparent" holder of public office, he should not have created preconditions for the transfer of his assets. He should have shifted his assets and ensured he was seen to have done so months ago, they said.
Chemical ban proves popular
After a few months in office, the Bhumjaithai Party is already proving to be a force to be reckoned with and the party could win over its critics if it succeeds in pushing for the ban on three harmful farm chemicals, according to political observers.
Led by Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Bhumjaithai continues to capture public interest with its two key campaign pledges -- legalising the use of cannabis and ride-hailing services.
The party is in the process of gathering public input for a legislation draft seeking to allow people to grow six marijuana plants at home for personal and household consumption.
The Department of Land Transport will soon ask Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, who is also Bhumjaithai's key figure, for approval to start drafting a new ministerial regulation to enable private car and motorcycle drivers to pick up passengers through ride-sharing apps. The DLT is expected to get the nod without much difficulty given the party's vocal stance on the issue.
However, while both policies are not without a certain degree of controversy, the party has, in contrast, has received all-out support for its stance against the continued use of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos.
The campaign is spearheaded by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Mananya Thaiset and is expected to intensify as the deadline for the planned enforcement of the ban in January next year approaches.
The fight for the ban has been going on for more than two years, much to the growing frustration of advocates, and Ms Mananya's active engagement gives the campaign a much-needed boost.
Ms Mananya has ordered the Department of Agriculture to look for alternative substances in a bid to convince the National Hazardous Substances Committee (NHSC) to issue the ban.
Her call for the NHSC to cast their votes openly appeals to supporters of the ban because the 29-member panel has reportedly held secret ballots on the issue before. In the previous one, the committee voted 16:5 in favour of continued use of the chemicals.
Political observers agree the campaign will not only boost the coalition party's popularity but also the deputy agriculture minister's profile.
The former mayor of Muang Uthai Thani municipality was not a popular choice of cabinet minister. She was seen by many as a proxy for her brother, Uthai Thani MP Chada Thaiseth, who has a controversial background.
In July 2015, police commandos raided one of Mr Chada's homes, and 11 other residences of influential figures in Uthai Thani province, as they hunted two murder suspects. He was suspected of sheltering the pair who were wanted for the murder of a senior police officer shot dead in 2011.
Ms Mananya was reportedly chosen for the job after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha disagreed with giving the cabinet post to Mr Chada, due to concerns over his reputation.
The first-time cabinet minister took her critics by surprise by picking a fight with one of the country's big industries and making the proposed chemicals ban her top priority.
As the campaign gatherings momentum, Ms Mananya -- now made more widely known by her quote; "I can't wait until all of the harmful chemicals are banned" -- and Bhumjaithai have found themselves a new ally in Yuenyong "Add Carabao" Opakul, a popular songs-for-life musician, who wrote a song for use in the campaign.
However, observers doubt that the song will strike a chord with the NHSC.
Prayut: Stands by 'principles'
Charter change push goes public
The opposition has called on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to "raise the flag" on constitutional amendment, only to be met with a stern response from the premier who declared he would have none of it.
Gen Prayut's comments came after the seven-party opposition resolved to seek a personal meeting to urge the premier to fly the flag for charter change.
The opposition has recognised it cannot go it alone in rewriting the charter. The proposed changes, which are expected to be nothing short of radical, would require support from the government and the Senate to materialise.
Analysts say that if Gen Prayut came on board the charter-change campaign, the Senate -- which was appointed by his National Council for Peace and Order -- would not take much convincing to follow his lead.
However, according to the same experts, Gen Prayut has good reason to snub the "flag", since the changes to the charter being pushed by the opposition are far from acceptable to many.
The Future Forward Party, as a major opposition partner, has been staunch in its pressure to overhaul the entire constitution, although the party recently explained that certain chapters, including those that feature the monarchy, will not be touched.
This week, Gen Prayut maintained that the only "flag" he stands by are his principles. He said that any alteration of the charter must respect the law and follow every single legal step.
He added the current charter has only been in force for two years and indicated that any flaws might not merit immediate amendment. Some observers have said that possible faults in the constitution require careful study before any charter rewrite can go ahead.
They warned the opposition not to pursue the amendment issue in haste, or risk public criticism for ignoring more pressing matters like keeping tabs on the government's performance and working to pull the economy out of the doldrums.
Gen Prayut said the claim that charter amendment was in the best interests of the people was an overstatement.
"I have to ask this. When it is said that people agree with rectifying the charter, which groups of people are these exactly? Are they specific political parties, or the whole country? Tell me that," Gen Prayut said.
The opposition has so far failed to build popular support for its charter change campaign because it has not been able to convince the public of its importance.
Critics have pointed out that issues connected with the charter feel far-removed from most people's everyday life. If the opposition is to succeed in its campaign, it must put the proposed charter amendments into context.
The opposition appears to have taken note of that need, however.
Phaophum Rojanasakul, deputy secretary-general of the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, said the bloc will organise a rally in Bangkok to talk to the people about the charter issue at the end of November.
This marks a departure from its previous campaign, which focused on seminars and academic forums on the subject and failed to attract much public attention. This time, a large rally will allow speakers to explain how the constitution is closely linked to bread and butter issues.
In other words, improving the constitution is a prerequisite for improving the economy, according to Mr Phaophum.
