EDITORIAL

Chuan for prime minister?

By The Nation

 

Speculation about pushing veteran as Democrat leader and PM candidate underlines highly fluid politics

 

All of a sudden, the name of a veteran politician who is approaching 80 years of age has been thrown into the mix as the country’s future ruler. As the Democrat Party ponders its future under incumbent Abhisit Vejjajiva and the country speculates over who will become the next prime minister, Chuan Leekpai has emerged as a candidate for both the party leadership and that of the country.

 

Arguably, he has the best credentials as a former leader of Thailand’s oldest political party, as a former prime minister, and one who is relatively untainted by the national crisis that has crippled or destroyed governments and hindered the country’s progress.

 

Few believe the mooting of his name will amount to anything more, not least because of his age and far-from-perfect health. Yet the fact that his name is being suggested at all can provide some insights into the current political situation, both at party and national levels.

 

Firstly, the emergence of Chuan’s name confirms that the Democrats are reluctant to go into the next election having to deal with divisive issues like the Abhisit government’s 2010 crackdown on the violent red-shirt uprising. The party’s headache will worsen if the rival Pheu Thai Party decides to pick Sudarat Keyuraphan as its flag-bearer, which will leave Abhisit more exposed to character attacks than his opponent.

 

Secondly, the mooting of Chuan’s name coincides with a – once-impossible scenario – of a Democrat-Pheu Thai alliance that could block Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha from post-election administrative power. Such an uneasy partnership has a next-to-zero chance of being struck with Abhisit at the Democrat Party’s helm, as the red-shirt movement is most likely to fiercely oppose him.

 

Thirdly, people are talking about Chuan because Abhisit is obviously facing a big dilemma. The latter has burnt his bridges as far as Thaksin Shinawatra – Pheu Thai’s de facto leader – is concerned, and has been one of the most vocal critics of the military government’s future plans.

 

Will a Chuan-led Democrat Party strike such a deal with Pheu Thai, or will it choose the military over Thaksin? Either way, many analysts believe that it will relatively be “easier” with Chuan’s return as Democrat leader. In fact, any other name – be it Jurin Laksanavisit, Korn Chatikavanij or Supachai Panitchpakdi – will offer more acceptability than Abhisit.

 

Much will depend on who Pheu Thai picks as its prime ministerial candidate. Things will be easier for Abhisit if that candidate reeks of being nothing but a Thaksin nominee. Any name perceived as not so susceptible to Thaksin’s “remote control” will give both Abhisit and the Democrat Party a tough time.

 

Last but not least, the soul searching at the Democrat Party underlines the “three kingdoms” situation of Thai politics ahead of the new poll. The military, Pheu Thai, and the Democrats are three armies at each other’s throats. The only thing impossible is a military-Pheu Thai alliance because nothing will make sense in that scenario. Apart from that, anything is possible, and Thais will vote in the next election with so much dust still up in the air.

 

Chuan himself is old and not in perfect health. A return to active politics is absolutely not the best option. He must have been flattered by the mention and speculation, but is very unlikely to throw his hat into the ring. After all, such a mention and speculation have more to do with apparent deadlocks or somebody else’s dilemma that even his own merits will struggle badly to solve.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30336803

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-22

Deja vu all over again. This place only knows how to run in circles. 

Just the fact they've  used the word "RULER"  is  enough for  my vomit  bucket!

They're getting desperate.

Is it whitewashing time again?

Is it not painfully obvious that these dinosaurs are the root of Thailand's political turmoil?

Oh for some fresh untainted blood to clean out the system.

Thais don't want democracy, they want the semblance of democracy. Until you get a genuine grass roots movement not dominated by oligarchs nothing will change.

28 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Is it not painfully obvious that these dinosaurs are the root of Thailand's political turmoil?

Oh for some fresh untainted blood to clean out the system.

As much as I like seeing the old make contributions, you are more than likely correct, especially when it comes to Thailand.  Abhisit has dominated the party so long now that they are in a real credibility pickle.  Finding the right fresh face will take time and there may not be much time left.  So much for Thai politics.  It looks like the reds are leading in organization and governance.

4 hours ago, Darcula said:

Is it whitewashing time again?

No, just a bit of whitening cream around the ring!!!

Any form of coalition to prevent a non elected Prayut is most welcoming. May be a coalition of problems but preventing the military from holding power and further eroding the economy and limiting freedom are paramount. I hope the coalition have the support to seek a referendum to change the highly military skewed constitution and revert back to something like the 1997 people constitution which coincidentally replaced the 1991 constitution that had many non participative elements just like the current constitution.  

IMHO, Korn Chatikavanij would be the best person to become the Democrat party leader amd #1 PM contender but I don't think he would be interested in taking it on.

 

For the Democrats to win the next election would be like cleaning the Augean stables in a day, one handed and with a broken shovel.

7 minutes ago, billd766 said:

IMHO, Korn Chatikavanij would be the best person to become the Democrat party leader amd #1 PM contender but I don't think he would be interested in taking it on.

 

For the Democrats to win the next election would be like cleaning the Augean stables in a day, one handed and with a broken shovel.

I admire Korn too and would like to see him at the helm - but he doesn't really have a political base in the country at large.He would have to get on the stump.

 

And then there's the problem which Richard Lloyd Parry eloquently set out:

https://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n12/richard-lloydparry/the-story-of-thaksin-shinawatra

 

 

Money quote:

 

"Many people bear responsibility for Thailand’s divisions, prominent among them Thaksin, who must dearly wish that he had rubbed his enemies’ noses in it a bit less gleefully during his years in office. But the suave villainy of the Democrat Party, and of men like Abhisit and Korn, is insufficiently recognised. They understand how democratic opposition works, and how defeat, over time, strengthens losing parties, by purging them of what is unrealistic and superfluous, and forcing them into congruence with the aspirations of voters. Twice they have had the opportunity to reject military force and to insist on the primacy of elections; twice they have held the generals’ coats for them, and watched civil rights being trampled on, in the hope of gaining some respite from their own chronic unelectability. The Democrat Party’s leaders – young, attractive and cosmopolitan – could have positioned themselves as mediators between a corrupt, complacent old elite and a corrupt, arrogant new power. Instead, they chose their natural side in the class war, and achieved the feat of losing the moral high ground to a man such as Thaksin. Their responsibility, and their disgrace, are very great."

 

Edited January 22, 20188 yr by jayboy

chuan is one of the few good ones,  he pulled the country out of the fire last time after 1997 and was handed his hat for it.

thailand could be alot worse off.

Edited January 22, 20188 yr by HooHaa

44 minutes ago, HooHaa said:

chuan is one of the few good ones,  he pulled the country out of the fire last time after 1997 and was handed his hat for it.

thailand could be alot worse off.

 

At 79 he is really too old to become PM again.

11 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

At 79 he is really too old to become PM again.

sadly this may be true, but any port in a storm.

the man refused a government car while he was digging the country out from their IMF bailout, chuan was driving himself in a battered honda accord.

4 minutes ago, HooHaa said:

sadly this may be true, but any port in a storm.

the man refused a government car while he was digging the country out from their IMF bailout, chuan was driving himself in a battered honda accord.

 

But that was 21 years ago.

 

As you get older you tend to slow down and what was easy 20 years ago isn't so easy now. I know that this is a generalisation but think about how easy it is for some children to do what adults cannot. Smartfones, computer games etc.

 

Their thought processes are far faster than older people. They are not old stick in the muds like many elders, their memories aren't clogged up with how they did things 20 years ago.

 

What Thailand needs (doesn't have and won't get) is a new generation of politicians on their 30s and 40s who are NOT beholden to political parties or HiSos, the Elite, Army or Police.

 

That would be too drastic a move for the country and break too many rice bowls, which is why it won't happen. The current status quo MUST be preserved at all costs.

52 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

He is reviled and hated in the North and North East for his 'bitter medicine' policies from the late 90's that targeted Thailand's poorest having them pay for the fallout of the economic crisis that was started by the incompetent elites, most of whom came out unscathed and indeed got richer over that period.

 

The equilibrium was restored when Thaksin came to power on the back of populist policies to give the rural poor a chance at recovering.

 

Now you think at 80 and most likely on the way to senility that he is a good choice? 

 

Good grief man.  

 

 

yes, time has passed,  easy to forget that was 20 years ago. i hadnt thought of his current age.

15 minutes ago, HooHaa said:

sadly this may be true, but any port in a storm.

the man refused a government car while he was digging the country out from their IMF bailout, chuan was driving himself in a battered honda accord.

i have to agree with you, Chuan always came across as a decent human being, unfortunately those that surrounded him were not of the same persusion.

20 minutes ago, CGW said:

i have to agree with you, Chuan always came across as a decent human being, unfortunately those that surrounded him were not of the same persusion.

but as people have pointed out hes nearly 80.

 

1 hour ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

He is reviled and hated in the North and North East for his 'bitter medicine' policies from the late 90's that targeted Thailand's poorest having them pay for the fallout of the economic crisis that was started by the incompetent elites, most of whom came out unscathed and indeed got richer over that period.

 

The equilibrium was restored when Thaksin came to power on the back of populist policies to give the rural poor a chance at recovering.

 

Now you think at 80 and most likely on the way to senility that he is a good choice? 

 

Good grief man.  

 

 

Yeah, but things really suck.

Funny how they're discussing who should be PM, rather than following some sort of Thai-style democratic process.

 

Sort of leads most to believe that all the monkeying around on a constitution, roadmap, organic laws is pretty much useless.

 

 

1 hour ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Remember Chuan's brother Raluek? Allegedly embezzled billions from a Thai bank, ran away to Taiwan and returned after the statute of limitations expired, many years later. 

 

~ 230 million baht, Thai Farmers Bank, 1987, did a runner to Taiwan, returned 2004 after the statute of limitations expired. Never prosecuted. One assumes he had to share his booty.

6 hours ago, HooHaa said:

chuan is one of the few good ones,  he pulled the country out of the fire last time after 1997 and was handed his hat for it.

thailand could be alot worse off.

 

Sure, but it's also true he was often criticized for being so very slow at decision making.

4 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

~ 230 million baht, Thai Farmers Bank, 1987, did a runner to Taiwan, returned 2004 after the statute of limitations expired. Never prosecuted. One assumes he had to share his booty.

 

"One assumes he had to share his booty".

 

One can assume many things out of everything, the possibilities are limitless.

 

4 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

~ 230 million baht, Thai Farmers Bank, 1987, did a runner to Taiwan, returned 2004 after the statute of limitations expired. Never prosecuted. One assumes he had to share his booty.

On what grounds do you suppose he shared the booty?

7 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

He is reviled and hated in the North and North East for his 'bitter medicine' policies from the late 90's that targeted Thailand's poorest having them pay for the fallout of the economic crisis that was started by the incompetent elites, most of whom came out unscathed and indeed got richer over that period.

 

The equilibrium was restored when Thaksin came to power on the back of populist policies to give the rural poor a chance at recovering.

 

Now you think at 80 and most likely on the way to senility that he is a good choice? 

 

Good grief man.  

 

 

 

You do realise I suppose that Thaksin was a deputy PM under both the Chavalit and Banharn governments during 1996 and 1887 leading up to the Tom Yam financial crash for Thailand, don't you?

 

He was in part responsible for the fallout of the economic crisis that was started by the incompetent elites, most of whom came out unscathed and indeed got richer over that period.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin_Shinawatra#Entry_into_politics

 

quote "

PDP leader and Deputy Prime Minister under Banharn

Chamlong, strongly criticised for mishandling internal PDP politics in the last days of the Chuan-government, retired from politics and hand-picked Thaksin as new PDP leader. Thaksin ran for election for the first time for the constitutional tribunal and lost.

Thaksin joined the government of Banharn Silpa-Archa and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Bangkok traffic. In May 1996, he and four other PDP ministers quit the Banharn Cabinet (while retaining their MP seats), prompting a Cabinet reshuffle. Many have claimed that Thaksin's move was designed to help give Chamlong Srimuang a boost in the June 1996 Bangkok Governor elections, which Chamlong returned from retirement to contest.[40] But Chamlong lost to Bhichit Rattakul, an independent.

 

Deputy Prime Minister under Chavalit

On 15 August 1997, Thaksin became Deputy Prime Minister in Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's government, after the Thai baht was floated and devalued on 2 July 1997, sparking the Asian Financial Crisis. He held the position for only three months, leaving on 14 November when Chavalit resigned.

 

During a censure debate on 27 September 1997, Democrat Suthep Thaugsuban accused Thaksin of profiting from insider information about the government's decision to float the baht,[41] but the next Democrat party-led government did not investigate the accusations".

Edited January 22, 20188 yr by billd766
added extra text

Ludicrous that they are even thinking of some 80 year old dinosaur from the failed past....farce central. Facepalm.

1 hour ago, Sir Dude said:

Ludicrous that they are even thinking of some 80 year old dinosaur from the failed past....farce central. Facepalm.

You mean the dinosaur that headed the government that dug thailand out of the hole chavalit thakin and cronies dug?

 

Mentioned above he was critcised for slow decision making, however his decisions seem to have been well thought out.

 

I was here for the crisis and here to remark upon the improvements, things got silly again with the advent od thakains government. 

 

Where is good old purachi now i wonder. Social order. And extrjudicial killings for all.