Legacy of coup must be aborted after election, say leading politicians

[webfact]

Legacy of coup must be aborted after election, say leading politicians

By Kas Chanwanpen 
The Nation

 

 

Leading politicians on Thursday pledged to abort the legacy of the coup maker, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), in order to strengthen democracy and prevent future coups after almost four years of military-led rule.

 

Speaking at a “Where is Thailand Heading To” panel, major political players Anutin Charnvirakul, Sudarat Kayurapan, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Parit Wacharasindhu all agreed that democracy, and not a coup d’etat, was the key answer to the problems facing the country. But effective democracy would require participants to respect both rules and election results, they said.

 

The panel was hosted by veteran journalist Suthichai Yoon, founder of The Nation.

 

The panelists also took similar stances over the post-election legacy of the NCPO-backed Constitution. The Constitution must be undone to ensure that it does not paralyse future governments and prevent them from delivering meaningful policies, the politicians agreed.

 

The elected MPs must have a mandate giving them decision-making power above that of the junta-appointed senators and be able to push for substantial constitutional amendments, they said.

 

Anutin, leader of the medium-sized Bhumjaithai Party, called on fellow politicians to unite against the charter. If the 500 MPs could consolidate their agendas, they would have more power than the 250 senators to be appointed by the junta in a move widely viewed as an intent to counter democratic power and carry on the junta legacy.

 

The billionaire also urged all parties to respect the rules to prevent both future coups and loss of life in street demonstrations.

 

Sudarat, potentially the next leader of Pheu Thai Party, pledged to push for a referendum to amend all problematic clauses in the Constitution to eliminate the mechanisms trapping future governments, while leaving sections regarding the monarchy.

 

Sudarat said Pheu Thai could not by itself keep the country clear of military coups. Rather, everyone must lend a hand, she said in response to the criticism that the coalition-leaning party had not previously done enough to protect democracy.

 

Thanathorn, a new player and founder of the neophyte Future Forward party, meanwhile pledged he would do anything to prevent a coup from taking place again.

 

Keeping the military away from politics was the prime mission that drove him to politics, he said. No current politicians represented what he wanted to see in a government, so he had to leave his happy life and enter politics, he said. That move has already brought him several death threats in the less than a month since the party’s official launch, Thanathorn said.

 

Dubbed as the hope of the new politics, Thanathorn said he was ready to go to jail or even sacrifice his life for the democratic cause.

 

Parit, a nephew of former PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, refused to discuss past events for which the Democrat Party has been accused by some as standing against democracy for refusing to accept election results and playing outside the rules.

 

While stressing he was not yet officially part of the party, Parit said future Democrats would learn to lose and respect the rules. Liberal democracy remained the one and only way for the country to go and the coup was not the answer, the 25-year-old emphasised.

 

With Future Forward gaining public attention as an injection of new blood and ideas in conflict-plagued Thai politics, Parit championed the idea of New Democrats – younger party members who would play substantial roles, too.

 

However, the party’s older values would not be forsaken, he said. Past experiences have resulted in lessons that could also contribute greatly to the country, Parit said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30341579

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-23

[nikmar]

this will go down well with a certain General.

[stephen tracy]

Attitude Adjustment

[sjaak327]

Good to see all politicians agree, unfortunately any attempt to amend the constitution, or any deviation from the disastrous 20 year roadmap will be blocked by those 250 appointed senators. 

 

Elections don't matter, whenever they are actually held.

[baboon]

27 minutes ago, sjaak327 said:

Good to see all politicians agree, unfortunately any attempt to amend the constitution, or any deviation from the disastrous 20 year roadmap will be blocked by those 250 appointed senators. 

 

Elections don't matter, whenever they are actually held.

You are correct. HOWEVER...

Once an election is held, then a process can begin to dismantle the junta's handywork on legitimacy grounds. The constitution? Sure, it was voted for but look at the circumstances surrounding that vote - no criticism allowed, the threat of anything Prayuth wanted being imposed instead, the lies about an election then being allowed to proceed... 'No, of course you are under no obligation to vote for it, but God help you if you don't.'

 

Likewise the Senate appointees. Appointed by treasonous Generals. No legitimacy there either. 

 

I am not saying change will be a doddle, but there is plenty of scope legally and morally to undo ther efforts. Why else are the junta stalling and stalling in the face of public contempt?

Edited March 23, 2018 by baboon

[Enoon]

 

1 hour ago, baboon said:

 

I am not saying change will be a doddle, but there is plenty of scope legally and morally to undo ther efforts. Why else are the junta stalling and stalling in the face of public contempt?

 

Legality and Morality are of no concern to those with self-declared absolute power......with no intention of allowing such quaint foreign concepts to be brought into play.

 

They stall because they can (and will)......because there is only one thing that can stop them.

 

Just because something is too horrible to contemplate does not mean it will not happen.

 

(Individuals spend nearly their whole lives ignoring or denying the possibility of their own mortality.)

 

Sooner or later the regime will feel compelled to "take the gloves off".

 

It will all become a lot clearer then.

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2018 by Enoon

[baboon]

7 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

 

Legality and Morality are of no concern to those with self-declared absolute power......with no intention of allowing such quaint foreign concepts to be brought into play.

 

After any election they will no longer have self declared absolute power. They will have to rely on their lackeys more as the junta will have to pretend it no longer exists.

[InMyShadow]

"But effective democracy would require participants to respect both rules and election results, they said."

BAHAHAHAHA . Thais do not get democracy!!!

[grumbleweed]

and let's continue the introduction of retroactive laws used against Thaksin

 

Treason would be a good starting point

[scorecard]

 

"Sudarat, potentially the next leader of Pheu Thai Party, pledged to push for a referendum to amend all problematic clauses in the Constitution to eliminate the mechanisms trapping future governments, while leaving sections regarding the monarchy."

 

Then she said where's the clause that we can tinker with to allow automatic amnesties?

 

 

[YetAnother]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

If the 500 MPs could consolidate their agendas, they would have more power than the 250 senators to be appointed by the junta

pie in the sky; thinking to get 500 people, with a number of differing agendas, to agree unanimously on anything

[uffe123]

Is this a joke? The military have already change the constitution so you can never get rid of them. All senators are appointed  by the military according to the new constitution, not elected. So why vote, the military will still call the shots and in change. what a deal?

[GinBoy2]

Maybe the most dramatic change would be to hold military leaders legally accountable for coups.

South American countries were in a similar treadmill of elections followed by coups, until the day they woke up and decided that actually those Generals who lead the coup d'etat could actually be held accountable and prosecuted after the fact.

Seemed to stop the South American Generals in their tracks

Might be a good model for Thailand?

[yellowboat]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Parit, a nephew of former PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, refused to discuss past events for which the Democrat Party has been accused by some as standing against democracy for refusing to accept election results and playing outside the rules.

They have been the conduit for military rule.  Glad to see they are finally waking up.  Sadly, getting the military out of politics will takes decades if at all possible.  

[AGareth2]

17 hours ago, nikmar said:

this will go down well with a certain General.

yep

no election

solves this pesky problem

[Cadbury]

9 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

yep

no election

solves this pesky problem

Sure will. How dare these upstarts suggest all the General's wonderful 20 year plans be thrown out the window. It must be terribly upsetting for him to think that no one appreciates all his envedours; misguided or otherwise.

[chuang]

The general could arrest them for causing "confusion".... 

[Eric Loh]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Anutin, leader of the medium-sized Bhumjaithai Party, called on fellow politicians to unite against the charter. If the 500 MPs could consolidate their agendas, they would have more power than the 250 senators to be appointed by the junta in a move widely viewed as an intent to counter democratic power and carry on the junta legacy.

I thought we lose him to the dark side like his predecessor. Strong pro democracy and anti junta jab. Good to see him make such statement and back to the right path. Election will need mid-size parties like BJT and CTP to keep the upper house at bay and hold them off to appoint an unelected Prayut. 

[mfd101]

So - if the cynics and hopelessness-peddlers & fellow travellers are right - how come all the politicians commenting haven't been arrested already? not to mention the various comment-makers on this site? And how come all the East European including Russian dictatorships were so quickly & relatively easily overthrown in 1989 & 1990? not to mention Suharto in Indonesia.

 

When the people as a whole decide enough is enough and demonstrate with courage & determination in the streets, dictatorships fold quite quickly, and the military & police swap sides quickly too. And getting action is in general MUCH MUCH easier today than it was 30 years ago because of modern technology ... even the NRA in Usofa is looking a bit frightened by the school students campaigning against them!

 

 

[TKDfella]

 

6 hours ago, uffe123 said:

Is this a joke? The military have already change the constitution so you can never get rid of them. All senators are appointed  by the military according to the new constitution, not elected. So why vote, the military will still call the shots and in change. what a deal?

That's right!

 

On 3/23/2018 at 2:45 PM, webfact said:

Thanathorn said he was ready to go to jail or even sacrifice his life for the democratic cause

And that could easily be arranged, I'm sure.

[Eric Loh]

25 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

That's right!

The current constitution can be changed by an elected government like events leading to the people 1997 charter. It need to have massive supporters to demand change. The government can hold a referendum to seek legitimacy. Of course, another coup can also facilitate a speedier constitution change. If the current constitution creates instability, that’s reason to necessitate a re-write. The 1997 constitution with all elected members will be a great draft for the re-write. IMHO. 

[kannot]

On 3/23/2018 at 2:45 PM, webfact said:

while leaving sections regarding the monarchy.

 

Oh dear, half  baked again 

[jayboy]

6 hours ago, yellowboat said:

They have been the conduit for military rule.  Glad to see they are finally waking up.  Sadly, getting the military out of politics will takes decades if at all possible.  

I think it's far too early to suggest the Democrats are finally waking up and equally it's too early to think of the Democrats becoming a truly national party.

 

Their record has been generally appalling.As the journalist Richard Lloyd Parry has pointed out:

 

"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 March 24, 2018 by jayboy

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Suck on this news grumpy old general!

[chainarong]

Thanathorn wants to get rid of the military I wish him well on this mission, unfortunately the Military has had to step in the breach the last two coups because of incompetent members of parliament, so firstly sort that out , then get rid of the military, if you can, in Thailand because of its rotten political structure the military is generally the only option between dictatorship and Thai Democracy,  put another way there ain't many choices in Thailand  ..........................................................   

[johng]

the military is generally the only option between dictatorship and Thai Democracy,

 

I'm afraid you've got things a bit "squiffy" there ! [emoji12]

 

[cookieqw]

you can bet their will not be an election in Feb after rhetoric like that. 

[InMyShadow]

Thanathorn wants to get rid of the military I wish him well on this mission, unfortunately the Military has had to step in the breach the last two coups because of incompetent members of parliament, so firstly sort that out , then get rid of the military, if you can, in Thailand because of its rotten political structure the military is generally the only option between dictatorship and Thai Democracy,  put another way there ain't many choices in Thailand  ..........................................................   

Stop talking sense.

[stephen tracy]

51 minutes ago, chainarong said:

Thanathorn wants to get rid of the military I wish him well on this mission, unfortunately the Military has had to step in the breach the last two coups because of incompetent members of parliament, so firstly sort that out , then get rid of the military, if you can, in Thailand because of its rotten political structure the military is generally the only option between dictatorship and Thai Democracy,  put another way there ain't many choices in Thailand  ..........................................................   

The military and those they protect are at the heart of the cancer Thailand suffers from and the reason for it's backwardness. They aren't - in fact - a real military. Prayuth would not know how to confront an external threat to the country's territorial sovereignty.

[TKDfella]

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

The current constitution can be changed by an elected government like events leading to the people 1997 charter. It need to have massive supporters to demand change. The government can hold a referendum to seek legitimacy. Of course, another coup can also facilitate a speedier constitution change. If the current constitution creates instability, that’s reason to necessitate a re-write. The 1997 constitution with all elected members will be a great draft for the re-write. IMHO. 

Yes, aware of the possibility but do you really think the Junta will allow to get that far? Do you really think those 'massive supporters' are 'out there' waiting for this to happen? I wish it would happen I just don't think it will.