Pheu Thai dismisses chance of Prayut returning as PM

[webfact]

Pheu Thai dismisses chance of Prayut returning as PM

By JINTANA PANYAARVUDH 
THE NATION

 

Pheu Thai party caretaker secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai.

 

BANGKOK: -- MOST people would bet on junta chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha returning as the next prime minister given the current military-sponsored Constitution that paves the way for him to continue to rule the country.

 

But the road may not be as smooth as expected, Pheu Thai party caretaker secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai has warned.

 

“Don’t ever daydream of [returning as the prime minister],” Phumtham told The Nation in an exclusive interview.

 

He pointed to Myanmar, where the military regime set regulations to block the then-opposition of Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, which won a landslide victory in the 2015 election.

 

“You can learn a lesson from Myanmar. The military controlling the government for more than 50 years eventually had to give power to Suu Kyi,” he said.

 

Under the 2017 charter, senators can join MPs to propose to suspend the rule requiring prime ministerial candidates to come from political party lists, paving the way for an “outsider” prime minister to be selected. Dubbed the “military party”, the 250 senators, who will be selected by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), are regarded as a crucial support for Prayut to become the next prime minister.

 

 

However, Phumtham dismissed such a scenario.

 

“I don’t see how Prayut will become prime minister again, unless he runs in an election. Which party or who will nominate his name? Pheu Thai will definitely not,” he said.

 

Besides, the junta had failed to solve the crisis and various problems after staging the coup in 2014 to overthrow the Yingluck Shinawatra government, he said.

 

After more than three years of ruling under special powers, the military had answered the question of whether it is capable of running the country, he said. Ruling the country involves economics and social issues, not just security, he said.

 

Phumtham suggested that the junta talk to people on the street to understand that they are still suffering from bread-and-butter issues and wanted an election to be held as soon as possible.

 

 

“If you [the NCPO] cannot do that, you have to admit it. And go back to the barracks. Your expertise is as soldiers and taking care of security. If an elected government fails to perform, they would resign and let the people cast their votes [in an election] again,” he said.

 

The junta has pledged that an election will be held following the “road map to democracy”, and it is tentatively scheduled for late next year. However, Pheu Thai, the former ruling party, was not certain that the vote would be held, Phumtam said.

 

“What is obvious is uncertainty. The junta always creates ‘conditions’ for the election. First, they said they were waiting for the organic laws, and when the laws were about to completed, they said if ‘no reconciliation, then no election’,” Phumtham said.

 

 

He also urged the junta leaders to return governance to a normal state of affairs.

 

“The answer today is not who wanted whom to become prime minister, but to release the country from this undemocratic trap and enable it to be acknowledged by the international community to move it forward,” he said.

 

On the contrary, people in power tended to look for an “exception” or “crisis” to find an excuse, he said.

 

“We think the attempt to find an ‘abnormal’ way is a crisis for the country. And we don’t see any obstacles for the country to move forward – unless some people still enjoy power, want to perpetuate their own power and do not want to resume a normal system for the country,” he said. 

 

Speaking of the possibility of a national unity government after the next election, Phumtham said in his opinion politicians in the House of Representatives could successfully agree on a prime ministerial candidate nominated by political parties without needing an “outsider” prime minister.

 

“Unless there is a huge crisis, for example. World War Three or a tsunami, we may need a national unity government,” he said.

 

However, he insisted his party would not join such a government formed by unelected military officials. 

 

As for Pheu Thai’s future after the fugitive former prime minister Yingluck fled the country, critics have questioned if her escape would spell the end of the “Shinawatra era” in the party. He said his party had several figures who could serve as the next party leader, including Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, Chaturon Chaisang, Phongthep Thepkanjana, Bhokin Palakula and Chaikasem Nitisiri.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30327560

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-25

[wakeupplease]

Aung San Suu Kyi

 

He needs to do a bit of research and read the news, she has little power there as events have shown this last week, think on my friend as like Arnie he will be back as he loves the job.

[tracker1]

I can see someone doing a stretch at an re-education camp !

[Siripon]

Who knows? Pheua Thai might join with the Democrats after the election to deny Prayut the premiership.

 

[halloween]

I wonder why he doesn't talk about the corruption, ineptitude, negligence and waste of his party's last government. Best forgotten, right.

[BuaBS]

Prayut looks more like a Thai than this Chinese face .

[hansnl]

Dream on!

 

Face the music, in Myanmar the military are still in power.

In Indonesia and Phillipines family clans akin to Mr T, backed by the military, are in power.

I wonder if the current government might be, compared to the three mentioned above, not too bad.

Or even good?

Someone remembers the war on drugs of Mr T?

2500+ murdered?

The stagnation of everything?

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by hansnl

[Sydebolle]

Start stocking stuff - the game is on as of November this year ;-) 

[thaiguzzi]

Most sensible stuff I've heard from a Thai politician in a long while.

[Get Real]

Total nonsense, without any power support.

[Baerboxer]

9 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

Most sensible stuff I've heard from a Thai politician in a long while.

 

Yeah, right. Everyone knows PTP can win, even if the put a telephone post up as candidate...................... er hang on a minute.

 

The owner of PTP and his various puppet stooges have nothing in common with ASSK.

 

Now, if he mentioned Hun Sen, Mugabe, Marcos, Madura etc as being comparable, he's have a point.

[scorecard]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Pheu Thai dismisses chance of Prayut returning as PM

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-25

 

Which really means no shins available / suitable so the party financier /  owner has no option other than to appoint an outsider but no doubt with the owner / financier having the financial power to call / direct all the shots. In other words the pm appointed by the financier is again a puppet.

 

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by PoorSucker
OP quote removed

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, BuaBS said:

Prayut looks more like a Thai than this Chinese face .

A nice racist comment. Do you ever think before you speak?

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, halloween said:

I wonder why he doesn't talk about the corruption, ineptitude, negligence and waste of his party's last government. Best forgotten, right.

Maybe because you're off topic to the subject of the interview: Prayut Chan-o-cha returning as the next prime minister.

[BuaBS]

11 hours ago, mfd101 said:

A nice racist comment. Do you ever think before you speak?

It's about Chinese Thai vs real Thai ... you know , the people you see on the street , at the market ,...

[JAG]

6 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Maybe because you're off topic to the subject of the interview: Prayut Chan-o-cha returning as the next prime minister.

He always takes it off topic - when the topic of the OP could be described as less than enthusiastic about his beloved junta.  In this case, the attempt was made early on (after only 5 posts), but I suppose best to get in good and early....

Edited September 25, 2017 by JAG

[mfd101]

3 hours ago, BuaBS said:

It's about Chinese Thai vs real Thai ... you know , the people you see on the street , at the market ,...

So a Chinese Thai who's lived here all his life and whose grandparents emigrated here is not a "real Thai"?

 

(Noting also that "real Thais" themselves emigrated from southern China around 1000 years ago ... )

[bangrak]

Wishfull thinking from PTP, in the febrile expectation of the orders from the master about which of his kins will be the next Shins' bootlickers' leader... Morality? I didn't find any.

[bangrak]

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

So a Chinese Thai who's lived here all his life and whose grandparents emigrated here is not a "real Thai"?

 

(Noting also that "real Thais" themselves emigrated from southern China around 1000 years ago ... )

Sorry, but yes, the more so when they are part of the chinese profiteering octopus in Thailand. IMHO, HM King Rama III was the last one who was aware of the clear and present danger of the chinese 'invasion' of Siam. The first measure his successor took showed the fight was already lost... Dig a bit into Siamese History (also outside of the expurged Wicky...).

Edited September 25, 2017 by bangrak

[Reigntax]

16 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

Aung San Suu Kyi

 

He needs to do a bit of research and read the news, she has little power there as events have shown this last week, think on my friend as like Arnie he will be back as he loves the job.

 

Exactly the same level of power as the next Thai PM under a military stacked government. Thats right both have minimun military appointed quotas. Same, same. Same old military backward thinking.

[janclaes47]

11 hours ago, scorecard said:

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Pheu Thai dismisses chance of Prayut returning as PM

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-25

 

Which really means no shins available / suitable so the party financier /  owner has no option other than to appoint an outsider but no doubt with the owner / financier having the financial power to call / direct all the shots. In other words the pm appointed by the financier is again a puppet.

 

I didn't realise that Prayut was related to Phue Thai.