Deputy Prime Minister and Palang Pracharat leader Prawit Wongsuwon admitted on Tuesday that the party’s popularity is falling, but expressed no worries about it.
Gen Prawit said the PPRP was aware its popularity was dropping and was working on improving itself. He was confident the party could make the necessary changes in time for the coming general election.
He said secretary-general Santi Promphat, who is deputy finance minister, was organising the party’s roadshow to extol its achievements while in government. The roadshow would highlight the work of PPRP cabinet ministers in the various provinces but was not aimed at the general election, he said. It was part of the party’s policy.
Gen Prawit said if he did not have other pressing official business he would take part in it.
He saw it as unnecessary for the ruling party to change its image. He had been working with the party for just two months when it won more than 100 House seats in the last general election.
Since then, the party had been part of the government for about four years. This made him confident that everything would go even better, because the party and the government had worked hard for the well-being of the people.
On visits to constituencies he had been warmly received by local people, Gen Prawit said.
Asked whether the party was concerned about Bangkok having the most electoral seats up for grabs at the general election, 33, the PPRP leader said he was not worried about it.
He shrugged off a recent Nida poll in which Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, topped the list of favourites for prime minister, saying it did not matter because it was just an opinion poll.
He declined to answer when asked whether the PPRP would find another candidate for prime minister now Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s popularity was also falling. He said he could not give an answer because it was for the party to decide.
Gen Prayut on Monday also downplayed the Nida poll, saying it was only a reflection of the opinions of certain people. Gen Prayut came fourth in the survey, with "none of them" filling second place.
The poll was conducted on June 20-23 by telephone and involved 2,500 people aged 18 and over throughout the country.
