The Chart Pattana and Kla parties formally announced the formation of a political alliance today (Friday), to compete in the next general election and in the hope of becoming a major party in the future.
Korn Chatikavanij, leader of the Kla Party said, however, that the political alliance is not a “merger” of the two parties and that Kla remains a political party.
Korn and Suwat Liptapanlop, chairman of Chart Pattana Party, were present at the event held today to announce their alliance to the media.
Stressing the importance of economic issues, as Thailand faces its worst economic crisis, due partly to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, Suwat said that the alliance can capitalise on the extensive economic expertise of Korn, formerly finance minister in the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
He said that he hopes the cooperation will give them the strengths needed to guide the country through the crisis.
Suwat said that the two parties have not yet decided whom they will nominate as the candidate for premiership in the next election, as he stressed the party’s policy guidelines, which emphasise creativity, compromise, no conflict with other parties and the upholding of national interests as paramount.
He said he does not want to try to predict how many House seats the alliance will win in the next election, but said that he hopes they will, one day, become a major party.
Korn, meanwhile, said that it didn’t take him much time to decide to form an alliance with the Chart Pattana Party, as both parties share a common interest in economic issues and in the need to improve the livelihoods of the people as priority.
The Kla Party was established in February 2020, after Korn was defeated by Jurin Laksanawisit in the race for the Democrat Party’s leadership after the resignation of Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Chart Pattana is a long established party, with its main stronghold in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Its popularity has declined in recent years and it won just four constituency seats in the 2019 general election.
