Abhisit Cites Democrat Party's Democratic Strength at 80th Anniversary
Abhisit Vejjajiva praised the Democrat Party’s internal democracy as its key strength during the party’s 80th‑anniversary celebration in Bangkok. He thanked attendees and recalled personal calls to former members, many of whom expressed fond memories of their political start with the party. Abhisit stressed that, despite his own departures and returns, his Democrat identity remains unchanged.
He thanked both those present and others who could not attend but expressed their bond with the party, noting that former MPs such as Uthai Pimphaichon, former president of the National Assembly, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Chalerm Yubamrung, though absent, told him they cherished their start in politics with the Democrat Party. Abhisit said defining what it means to be a Democrat is difficult, but he is confident in the party’s democratic character and its history of political struggle, adding that critics who claim the party is not democratic cannot deny its strong internal democracy. He recalled his own journey, saying he entered the party, left it, and later returned, yet his Democrat identity never left him.
