Anutin Clarifies Decision to Abstain from Campaigning in Surin PAO Election.

Bangkok: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul has clarified his decision not to participate in campaigning for the president of the Surin Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO), citing concerns over potential criticism. Anutin stated that he will limit his involvement to offering moral support, aiming to maintain neutrality and avoid accusations of bias. He has further instructed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior to enforce neutrality among civil servants in the administrative sector. According to Thai News Agency, Anutin expressed his reluctance to actively campaign as the Minister of Interior due to concerns that it might attract significant criticism. Instead, he emphasized the importance of candidates earning the trust of the electorate through their own merit. Anutin reiterated his commitment to neutrality, directing Mr. Arsit Sampantharat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, to issue a directive to civil servants, ensuring they remain i mpartial and do not influence the electoral process in favor of any candidate. When questioned about his confidence in the Bhumjaithai Party candidate's chances in the Surin PAO election, Anutin maintained that he has not been monitoring the situation closely to preserve his impartial stance. Additionally, in response to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's assertion that the Pheu Thai Party would secure 200 MP seats in the upcoming election, and the Prachachon Party's claim of winning 270 seats, Anutin responded with humor. He joked that the Bhumjaithai Party could potentially win over 800 seats and speculated that if all parties achieved their goals, there could be as many as 2,000 MPs in parliament.