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Published on November 29, 2007

The immediate future of the newly formed Matchima Thipataya Party was in doubt yesterday after conflict erupted among senior members over controversial registration practices.

Claiming he is a victim of a conspiracy, party leader Prachai Leophairatana threatened to shut down the party instead of paying Bt60 million he claimed was being extorted from him.

The money was allegedly demanded in exchange for updating its records to reflect leadership changes.

"I am not disheartened, but prefer the dissolution of my party rather than agree to this blackmail," he said.

Prachai alleged Election Commission officials conspired with former party executives in the scam.

Because of time constraints in the lead-up to the December 23 election, Prachai took over the Matchima Party, instead of forming a new party from scratch.

At its convention on November 11, he sought and received approval to revise the party's name and revamp its executive under his leadership.

He claimed commission member Sodsri Satayathum gave the green light for the changes, and that the updating of records remained incomplete only because commission officials faulted name spelling, and former executives refused to sign the meeting minutes to verify their authenticity.

He said he would ignore the "extortion" demand, adding the commission should intervene to help him amend records before the December 11 deadline.

"If commission officials feel their salaries are too low, they should not blackmail me because I am willing to give them a raise if elected to lead the next government," he said.

Reacting to Prachai's re-marks, former party leader Tha-naporn Sriyakoon said he was considering defamation action.

Thanaporn said he helped party executive Nipa Soisri seek police charges of abduction and coercion against four of Prachai's subordinates.

He alleged party headquarters manager Arak Rochananu-tama and treasurer Silapin Buranasilapin detained Nipa

on Tuesday in an attempt to force her to authenticate the minutes. Two junior party officials allegedly assisted the pair.

Nipa refused and was detained overnight before she was rescued, he added.

Thanaporn suspected the signatures of deputy leader Ratanawut Charoenrum and secretary Pornwut Ngamdet had been forged on the document.

The commission also suspected the signatures were not genuine and sent the document back for further verification, he said.

"Instead of asking the two to verify their signatures, the party opted to coerce Nipa," he said.

Thanaporn said the delay in updating party records was a result of the "questionable authenticity" of the minutes. He denied any involvement in blackmail.

Incumbent party secretary-general Anongwan Thepsuthin said her husband and faction leader, Somsak, was not the mastermind of the alleged scam as claimed by party officials seen as close to Prachai.

"Prachai has been elected party leader and I think it is impossible to extort money from him in exchange for just one signature," she said.

The campaigning will continue under the Matchima Thipataya banner, she said, shrugging off Prachai's threat to close down the party.

Insiders said Prachai and Somsak had been at odds for quite some time. They claimed Somsak knew in advance the minutes were not in order, but forwarded them to the commission after Prachai threatened to cut off financial support for candidates.

The issue was not questionable authenticity of the minutes but a blunder in holding an open vote to install Prachai as party leader when election laws demand a secret vote, a source said.

The Nation