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BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): Thanking Bangkokians for naming him as the best PM choice in a recent survey, Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat (pic) said he would work very hard to get elected.
Pita was responding on Monday to a National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) opinion survey in which Pita beat PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha as Bangkok voters’ top choice for prime minister.
Pita said the results of the survey boosted his morale and inspired him to work very hard.
“I hope Move Forward will become a solution for the country during this time of crisis,” he added.
The Oct 21-27 Nida Poll showed that 20.40 per cent of respondents preferred Pita as the next PM, compared to 15.20 per cent for Prayut.
Pita also beat Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who won support from 14.10 per cent of the respondents. Other candidates won less than 10 per cent “yes” votes.
However, a nationwide poll conducted by Nida in September showed Paetongtarn as the most popular choice, with more than 21.60 per cent choosing her. Pita in comparison was the top choice for only 10.56 per cent of respondents, while Prayut came in third with 10.12 per cent.
Paetongtarn also beat Pita by a wide margin in an Oct 9 Nida poll in the Northeast, where she came away with 36.45 per cent compared to Pita’s 12.65 per cent.
Prayut, meanwhile, was the most popular choice for voters in the South, an Oct 23 Nida poll showed. The incumbent premier came away with 23.94 per cent, followed by 13.24 per cent for Paetongtarn and 11.24 for Pita.
The Move Forward leader said that though he was the top choice for Bangkok voters, opposition leader Pheu Thai had beaten his party in the same poll. Therefore, he said, his party will have to work harder.
“We will have to meet the public more often to introduce our candidates and policies, as well as assure them that we are ready to run the country during this ongoing economic crisis,” Pita said.
He pointed out that Thailand ranks sixth among Asean countries in terms of growth and is trailing behind Malaysia and the Philippines when it comes to direct foreign investments.
He also blamed Prayut’s government for increasing the number of poor from 14 million to 27 million over the past eight years.
