webfact Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Paiboon straddles military contradiction in support of Prayut By THE NATION Paiboon Nititawan A FAMILIAR face linked to the ruling junta, Paiboon Nititawan’s agenda seems clear but at the same time conflicting. He intends to set up a party to support Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s post-election premiership while at the same time criticising so-called “military parties” in the political arena. Apart from having “good morals” and being “honest and capable”, Prayut had also confirmed there would be an election soon, the former senator said. “His promise on the November election is meant to commit not only himself but also other [powerful] figures that may want to stay longer in power,” he said. However, it is Prayut alone that Paiboon esteems. “People around him may be questioned by the public but we trust in him and only him,” he said. “There is no proof that he has anything to do with alleged corruption.” The 64-year-old, who was formerly an appointee of the junta, last year announced the establishment of the People’s Reform Network, which is expected to become a political party. The network is premised on the statement that empowering people’s voices and reforming parties and politicians could be successful if Prayut continues in his post. After many of Thailand’s 13 coups, post-coup parties with connections to military figures were not unusual to ensure their sponsors’ post-election political power. Paiboon, however, claimed that his anticipated party would be something different. “Whether they are nominee parties or military parties, they were all political failures,” he said. “My party will, instead, belong to people. Those who want to favour Prayut as the next PM are welcome to use our party as a tool.” Meanwhile, regarding the election – and aware that the November date was not Prayut’s first promise on the subject – Paiboon said it had not been Prayut’s intention that the “road map to democracy” would be frequently altered. Instead, he blamed “some people in the five rivers of power” who wanted to delay the election. The so-called “five rivers of power” refers to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the Cabinet, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) and the Constitution Drafting Commission. The last “river” was comprised of two reform-related parliamentary mechanisms, both of which are now defunct. All members of the said bodies were handpicked by the ruling NCPO. Paiboon was an appointee of the erstwhile National Reform Council, one of the “reform” organs that was dissolved following its vote disapproving of the first junta-written charter draft in 2015. “I was in the circle of appointees. I know the colour of those people,” he said. Paiboon’s political career also predates that appointment, having served as a senator twice from 2008 to 2011 and 2012 to 2014. He is known for the formation of the “40 senator group” that often scrutinised the governments of the defunct People’s Power Party and Pheu Thai Party, which are seen as incarnations of Thaksin Shinawatra’s late Thai Rak Thai Party. His anticipated role as a party leader would be the first time that he moves from the Upper House to the Lower House with the stated goal to practice the “merit system” that should “liberate” parties from financiers’ domination. “Parties should be where people with the public good in their minds gather, not those purely seeking their own interests,” he said That system, he said, had been practised in politics for years but based on appointments. “That’s where I disagree. Politicians of good morals should be selected by the public, not certain people,” he added. Early last month, Paiboon submitted letters to the NLA to amend the enforcing Political Party Act to “create a fair playing ground for all parties” by requiring members of existing parties to pay membership fees and suspend the primary voting system in the upcoming election. He also submitted a letter to Prayut, as NCPO head, asking him to maintain “keeping order”, including the ban against political gatherings of five or more people, which effectively prohibits almost all party actions. “Some old, extreme scenes might happen again if parties are fully set free. That’s where the NCPO and many people agree,” he said, without offering further details. “If too much conflict happens, who knows, the election might be postponed again.” Prayut’s recent use of his Article 44 powers to issue NCPO order no 53/2017, which significantly amended the Political Party Act, satisfied all of his requests, Paiboon said. While the order has been slammed as weakening existing parties and benefiting emerging parties, he said he believed the order “made us [new parties] have less of a disadvantage” as his prospective party prepares for the coming election. First, the amendment would enable a new party to hold meetings as soon as March 1, allowing it to obtain juristic person status, he said. Second, it would set clear timelines for all parties, and third it would require party members to reaffirm their membership within each party, he added. He also claimed the third requirement was different from resetting parties’ membership roles as has been widely claimed. “It makes sense that party members, who should be held politically responsible, should show documents to confirm their status,” he said. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30335143 -- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunderhill Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Hilarious BS, 100% a r s e licking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckamuck Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Straddles is a good term to use in the headline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samui Bodoh Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 1 hour ago, webfact said: “Parties should be where people with the public good in their minds gather, not those purely seeking their own interests,” he said That system, he said, had been practised in politics for years but based on appointments. “That’s where I disagree. Politicians of good morals should be selected by the public, not certain people,” he added. Said the guy who was appointed to the Senate to oppose the elected Red government and then again appointed to support the coup makers. Breath-taking Hypocrisy. Truly Breath-Taking Hypocrisy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odysseus123 Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 The great waffle....... As you can see the Thai have waffling down to an art form rarely bettered on this planet. I view all these pronouncements from politicians,academics,educationalists and psuedo-scientists as nothing more than having a good yarn intended to idle away another lifetime or two... No different from sitting outside your humpy in the village,quaffing Lao Kao and telling the usual porky pies... Quite a bizarre form of entertainment really,but it has been going on for a millennia or two so I would not expect any change soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenchair Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 To me , it all sounds like a lot of political activity from paiboon . Setting up a party, having news conferences, having meetings, planning his own election. Isn't that illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeneeds Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 2 hours ago, webfact said: Apart from having “good morals” and being “honest and capable”, Prayut had also confirmed there would be an election soon, New year ! No new year resolution No new date for the election Soon sooner or Later, comparatively speaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebell Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 1 hour ago, greenchair said: Isn't that illegal. Only if the party doesn't have a Prayuth amongst its members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenchair Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 21 minutes ago, mikebell said: Only if the party doesn't have a Prayuth amongst its members. From what I can see there is quite a lot of political campaigning and sneaky antics going on by one particular group. Who could it be ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srikcir Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said: Breath-taking Hypocrisy As well as: 5 hours ago, webfact said: Politicians of good morals should be selected by the public, not certain people,” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YetAnother Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 6 hours ago, webfact said: “If too much conflict happens, who knows, the election might be postponed again.” conflict would happen After the election; this 'maybe','could happen','good of the country','national security' stuff is nonsense in terms of delaying the election Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Loh Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Why even give space for someone who categorically say that he hate election and was an appointed senator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen tracy Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 “There is no proof that he has anything to do with alleged corruption.” ... so he just got filthy rich from an army salary? Why is no one allowed to ask where he got his money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowboat Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 10 hours ago, webfact said: After many of Thailand’s 13 coups, post-coup parties with connections to military figures were not unusual to ensure their sponsors’ post-election political power. That is because history in Thailand is like an endless loop. It just repeats and repeats over and over again 10 hours ago, webfact said: “My party will, instead, belong to people. Those who want to favour Prayut as the next PM are welcome to use our party as a tool.” The people who belong to the 1% for the 1%. Junta has done little for the average Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soalbundy Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 5 hours ago, Srikcir said: As well as: politicians of good morals.... good luck with finding some, we haven't even got them in the West. Selected by the public..... is that the same public that finds nothing wrong with corruption and bribe taking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim1980 Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Politicians of good morals or morons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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