New Thai opposition party to select executive board

The Phalang Party will elect its executive board during its first general assembly today.

Founded last year, the Phalang Party broke away from Thailand’s primary opposition party, the Pheu Thai Party (PTP), and many members still hold affiliations or positions within the PTP. Today the Phalang Party will elect 36 members to leadership positions to prepare for a bid in the next Thailand general election. Former Pheu Thai MP Manit Jitjanklub is slated for the chief of the party’s advisory panel.

Three primary political parties contested the previous national elections in 2019: the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPP), the PTP, and the forcibly dissolved Future Forward Party. Last year, half of the PPP executive board resigned. PPP party instability stems from party members’ discontent with the continuity of leadership from the military junta era until now. Instability is institutional, meaning the government coalition will likely dissolve, forcing early elections to form a new government.

Today, members elected to the Phalang Party executive board will rescind other political affiliations, leaving key PTP positions vacant. In the next general elections, the Phalang Party, running on a platform of mobilization of all people, may capitalize on the political chaos to claim victory.