Bright future for BJT, barring missteps

After delivering a policy statement in parliament early this week, the Bhumjaithai-led (BJT) coalition is now in full gear.

- Chairith Yonpiam

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul gestures on the day he delivered the policy statement of the Council of Ministers to parliament on Sept 29.

(REUTERS)

With both populism and nationalism at play in the Thai-Cambodian conflict, the party finds its popularity surging like never before.

BJT leader Anutin Charnvirakul has pledged to honour the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the People's Party (PP) that requires it to play an interim role, which means it has four months to run the country, in addition to a charter-rewriting commitment and maintaining the minority government status.

However, political pundits have already started discussing the possibility that the party could lead the next election with Mr Anutin forming another government and even completing a regular four-year term.

In fact, the BJT has every reason to aim high, having swept more than 120 MPs into its camp ahead of the next election, almost double its tally from the previous poll.

Such a scenario could play out, should the party enjoy massive success in the Northeast, the traditional stronghold of the embattled Pheu Thai Party, and the South, formerly the Democrats' base. Besides, the BJT is busily rebranding itself to cater to new supporters, securing more places for its list-MPs.

The next election is set to take place amid a changed political landscape. The previous poll saw a struggle between the old and new guard as the ex-junta clique experienced its sunset moment.

Pheu Thai entered a deal with the conservatives to secure a chance for its former leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, to return home after nearly two decades of exile. Thaksin was to lead a political game against the then-Move Forward Party, which has effectively since been rebranded as the PP. But his attempts flopped.