Candidate must stand with people, spend budget transparently
Natthaphong said the minimum qualifications for the People’s Party’s Bangkok governor team were to stand with the people and ensure transparent use of public funds.
He said local budgets were still not transparent enough, while any Bangkok executive team would have to be ready to work under political constraints and public scrutiny over budget spending.
Party says Bangkok needs governor, councillors and MPs working together
Asked about the party’s confidence after Chadchart announced that he would seek another term, Natthaphong said he was confident in the People’s Party’s governor team and Bangkok councillor candidates.
He added that the party also had MPs in 33 Bangkok constituencies who could help support and push forward the capital’s agenda.
Natthaphong said he admired Chadchart’s work, but argued that many of Bangkok’s deeper structural problems required a strong team effort. Local policies, he said, require ordinances and an annual budget worth hundreds of billions of baht to pass through the Bangkok Metropolitan Council with maximum transparency.
Procurement transparency highlighted
Asked whether Bangkok’s revenue exceeding expenditure would help Chadchart politically, Natthaphong said it was a positive development and something the public should welcome.
However, he said budget surpluses or deficits were normal for local administrations. The more important issue, he added, was how to make procurement as transparent as possible, so that Bangkok residents would not repeatedly see reports of overpriced purchases.
Natthaphong denies political deal with Chadchart
On speculation that Chadchart had been approached to become the People’s Party’s Bangkok governor candidate, Natthaphong said there was “no deal”.
He said informal discussions between MPs, Bangkok councillors and the governor’s team were normal when working to solve problems for Bangkok residents, including across party lines.
However, he insisted there had been no political deal to bargain for benefits or divide electoral areas. When asked again whether Chadchart had been approached, Natthaphong said the decision ultimately rested with the people, adding that many Bangkok residents may find the choice difficult because each candidate would offer what they believed was best.