Democrats Can’t Support Prayuth As PM, Abhisit Says

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter

 

  

Democrat Party chairman Abhisit Vejjajiva speaks on Sunday

 

BANGKOK — Returning members of the Democrat Party are not welcome if they support junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha becoming the next prime minister, party chairman Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday.

 

Those wishing to support the junta boss for the top job are welcome to join other parties, Abhisit said, laying out the position in blunt terms as party members across the country begin the process of confirming membership per a new junta regulation.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2018/04/02/democrats-cant-support-prayuth-as-pm-abhisit-says/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-04-02

......and they're off!

 

As if Prayuth would give a rats arse, the latest constitution ensures that his mob will still be running the show no matter who wins the election, if there is one.

Unlike the previous junta the current one did not throw him a bone.  Hope the yellows will think twice in supporting further coups, and inject some new blood into their leadership.  Mark has to step aside, but his love of feeling of relevant and the limelight will probably stop that from happening. 

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

Unlike the previous junta the current one did not throw him a bone.  Hope the yellows will think twice in supporting further coups, and inject some new blood into their leadership.  Mark has to step aside, but his love of feeling of relevant and the limelight will probably stop that from happening. 

He has got real "class" and the best education. He is completely incorruptible and is the only hope for Thailand. Let us pray that he becomes PM again without the problems he had last time.

2 hours ago, gamini said:

He has got real "class" and the best education. He is completely incorruptible and is the only hope for Thailand. Let us pray that he becomes PM again without the problems he had last time.

Urrg

Khun 'first class' educated ex-PM used tax payer money to send thank you texts to tens of millions of Thais and was accused of corruption in several cases relating to the Thai Khem Khaeng populist policies and many others. Then there was the TPI illegal party donation scandal that almost got the party banned. His deputy Suthep's corruptions were never addressed and there were military procurement like the GT200 that he was urged to investigate which he didn't. Perhaps his most corrupt act was accepting the premiership in a backroom military deal. None of the above have any judiciary traction and we know why. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Those wishing to support the junta boss for the top job are welcome to join other parties

Former Democrat DPM Suthep Thaugsuban said in February that he plans to form a political party to support Prime Minister Prayut becoming premier after the next general election. In the 2011 election he delivered majority vote in Thailand's south for the Democrats. So if Suthep does follow through, he will oppose both the Democrats and the PTP for those votes.

Meanwhile the WADAH group of Muslim politicians in the three southernmost border provinces will form a new political party to contest the next election that could further take votes away from the Democrats.

Not aligning Democrats with the military (as it has in the past) will present a more difficult challenge to it domination in the next election. While the new MMA electoral system favors the Democrats more than the PTP, that analysis was based on results of the 2011 election. If the PTP wins majority of the southern vote (perhaps in coalition with the Muslim party), any advantage of the MMA to the Democrats might be neutralized.

Shhh you'll get the elections canceled with talk like this.

4 hours ago, gamini said:

He has got real "class" and the best education. He is completely incorruptible and is the only hope for Thailand. Let us pray that he becomes PM again without the problems he had last time.

Comedy gold.

 

5 hours ago, gamini said:

He has got real "class" and the best education. He is completely incorruptible and is the only hope for Thailand. Let us pray that he becomes PM again without the problems he had last time.

Class? Why? Because his father was a career politician and he benefited from his  father's wealth?  

Incorruptible? How do you know? Maybe he is that, but you certainly are not in a position to know , are you?  As has been pointed out previously, he never had a  real job outside of his political office and was offered  a safe district. Do you consider his "military experience" indicative of someone who did not benefit from a family connection?

 

He may very well be an honest man by Thai standards. I certainly would not  impugn his reputation.  What I do know is that you assume that corruption consists only of taking financial payoffs. I believe that that a man of of integrity would have said no and would not have undertaken an act that legitimized the manner in which the government was changed.  I see him as a political opportunist who is past his  best before date. He  is no position to take on the military. Thailand has too many of the old faces, old politics  mucking about and that includes the Thaksin faction.

I offer that the current PM  is a much better choice than Abhisit and has accomplished more than Abhisit ever  did or will. 

4 hours ago, gamini said:

He has got real "class" and the best education. He is completely incorruptible and is the only hope for Thailand. Let us pray that he becomes PM again without the problems he had last time.

I think it must be his dream to win an election and become the legitimate PM of Thailand but can't see that happening any time soon.

38 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Former Democrat DPM Suthep Thaugsuban said in February that he plans to form a political party to support Prime Minister Prayut becoming premier after the next general election. In the 2011 election he delivered majority vote in Thailand's south for the Democrats. So if Suthep does follow through, he will oppose both the Democrats and the PTP for those votes.

Meanwhile the WADAH group of Muslim politicians in the three southernmost border provinces will form a new political party to contest the next election that could further take votes away from the Democrats.

Not aligning Democrats with the military (as it has in the past) will present a more difficult challenge to it domination in the next election. While the new MMA electoral system favors the Democrats more than the PTP, that analysis was based on results of the 2011 election. If the PTP wins majority of the southern vote (perhaps in coalition with the Muslim party), any advantage of the MMA to the Democrats might be neutralized.

Ahaem! Details may matter. From what I read in the other journal:

- Suthep has passed the deadline to register his party,

- Abhisit has not ruled out he may participate in a coalition with Prayuth as a PM.

Unrelated events? 

Dem Party is in a bad situation in the coming election. The MMA system will weaken their parliament seats chances.  Ahbisit will not have the luxury of competing as party list and will have to go head on in a single seat constituent with opponent or opponents. If he can’t win a sizable margin, it will be embarrassing to the party. If he lose, the party will be in disarray.

 

As Srikcir post, the party will face challenges from ex-Dem parties and also disgruntled south farmers. In Bangkok and Central the party face The Future Forward Party with a younger educated politicians and a better looking charismatic leader than Ahbisit. PTP meanwhile will have their supporters much intact and will also challenge the Dem. Ahbisit is really not in a good position and is trying hard and fast to re-invent himself and trying to disassociate from the military. A little too late.  

29 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

I offer that the current PM  is a much better choice than Abhisit and has accomplished more than Abhisit ever  did or will. 

Easy enough to accomplish things when there is no opposition in parliament and you do not have to account for or justify your actions to the general public, choosing instead to threaten them with prison on whatever 'charge' takes your fancy.

It isn't a fair or proper comparison at all. You might as well compare an orchid with a triffid.

7 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Dem Party is in a bad situation in the coming election. The MMA system will weaken their parliament seats chances.  Ahbisit will not have the luxury of competing as party list and will have to go head on in a single seat constituent with opponent or opponents. If he can’t win a sizable margin, it will be embarrassing to the party. If he lose, the party will be in disarray.

 

As Srikcir post, the party will face challenges from ex-Dem parties and also disgruntled south farmers. In Bangkok and Central the party face The Future Forward Party with a younger educated politicians and a better looking charismatic leader than Ahbisit. PTP meanwhile will have their supporters much intact and will also challenge the Dem. Ahbisit is really not in a good position and is trying hard and fast to re-invent himself and trying to disassociate from the military. A little too late.  

The Democrat MPs who favoured Prayuth have come back to the fold, imo the southern rubber planters are fed up with Prayuth for not improving the price, not the Democrats who have offered measures to raise the price. 

Will the FF party make inroads into the urban areas and Democrat support? It's too early to say, they could get banned for their 'radical' stance but on the other hand they could take off amongst the young.

I agree Abhisit trying to disassociate himself from the military is too little too late but if the party can come up with some credible policies they could be reasonable also-rans behind Pheua Thai.

6 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Khun 'first class' educated ex-PM used tax payer money to send thank you texts to tens of millions of Thais and was accused of corruption in several cases relating to the Thai Khem Khaeng populist policies and many others. Then there was the TPI illegal party donation scandal that almost got the party banned. His deputy Suthep's corruptions were never addressed and there were military procurement like the GT200 that he was urged to investigate which he didn't. Perhaps his most corrupt act was accepting the premiership in a backroom military deal. None of the above have any judiciary traction and we know why. 

 

Not a fan, but admit preferring Abhisit over many other Thai politicians. He's far from perfect, both when it comes to credentials and conduct, but perhaps his deficiencies aren't as blatant (or he covers them better, same). To put it otherwise, if I had to choose, I'd pick conned over mugged.

 

As for all them cases he was accused of (I recall most) - was he found guilty in anything?

Do not just go looking for some young good looking guy to be the leader.

Canada has Trudeau and, it s about all he has besides his famous name for

him to be Pimie Minister of Canada. Mr Carbon Tax, is now trying to ram that tax down every province in Canada, such a democratic thing to do.  Be very careful of who becomes the next elected leader

of Thailand.

Geezer

I believe Abhisit has every chance of being the next pm provided he improves his songwriting skills.

13 hours ago, candide said:

Abhisit has not ruled out he may participate in a coalition with Prayuth as a PM.

Anything is possible. Never say Never.

When former Democrat PM Abhisit has to chose between democracy and authoritarian power, he never seems to avoid the later. While Democrats don't hesitate protesting and shutting down an elected government, they seem quite lackadaisical with a military government.

11 hours ago, Morch said:

 

Not a fan, but admit preferring Abhisit over many other Thai politicians. He's far from perfect, both when it comes to credentials and conduct, but perhaps his deficiencies aren't as blatant (or he covers them better, same). To put it otherwise, if I had to choose, I'd pick conned over mugged.

 

As for all them cases he was accused of (I recall most) - was he found guilty in anything?

All things equal, Ahbisit will probably in exile like the Shin siblings. The reasons he is still relevant  is due to his allegiance to the establishment and the military and willing to prostrate to their conniving schemes. His and his party corruptions were no different from the Shins but got special treatment. 

 

 

5 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

All things equal, Ahbisit will probably in exile like the Shin siblings. The reasons he is still relevant  is due to his allegiance to the establishment and the military and willing to prostrate to their conniving schemes. His and his party corruptions were no different from the Shins but got special treatment. 

 

 

 

All things being equal, I guess no forthcoming clarification as to whether he was found guilty in any wrongdoing. It was a straightforward question, by the way - as said, I'm not fan, just haven't followed all the chapters of related legal lakorn.

 

I don't think he would have ended in exile, as his stance and position aren't a threat - nor does he individually garner all that much popular support. But guess that partisan takes require a go at false equivalence on each and every comment.

 

I see him as a lesser of two (or more) evils guy, not a paragon of anything. Considering the options, could be worse. Same cannot be said of his (former?) party mate from the south. That one...yeah, pretty much the same sentiment as the Shin clan. 

Supporting anyone who took government at the point of a gun is to be discouraged  and worst of all a General , however that old chestnut keeps raising its head, where would Thailand now be without this coup, Thailand's political system is as weak as cats piss, not many statesmen,  nothing there the cupboard is bare , what happens in the future is anyone's guess, will  Prayuts after the Coup measures be effective , not really Thailand has  just rearranged the chairs on the Thaitanic............................................  

1 hour ago, Morch said:

chapters of related legal lakorn.

I will give that a Like. Politics here is one big lakorn with a disregard of common sense and common human wisdom that causes people to shy away from thinking critically and, as a result, becoming prone to manipulation. Is Ahbisit being manipulated or he is just a weak leader; not possessing that necessary trait to being a good PM?

6 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

I will give that a Like. Politics here is one big lakorn with a disregard of common sense and common human wisdom that causes people to shy away from thinking critically and, as a result, becoming prone to manipulation. Is Ahbisit being manipulated or he is just a weak leader; not possessing that necessary trait to being a good PM?

 

I would have given that a dislike, if I could. Not because I resent the sentiment itself, but due to the repetitive nature of your posts, and the avoidance of anything whatsoever which isn't critical of one side. Was Abhisit found guilty of any wrongdoing in the cases you cited?

24 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

I would have given that a dislike, if I could. Not because I resent the sentiment itself, but due to the repetitive nature of your posts, and the avoidance of anything whatsoever which isn't critical of one side. Was Abhisit found guilty of any wrongdoing in the cases you cited?

Off course he was not found guilty of just about every corruption cases brought against him. You don’t think that is odd? Maybe a silly question to ask you. 

7 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Off course he was not found guilty of just about every corruption cases brought against him. You don’t think that is odd? Maybe a silly question to ask you. 

 

Nope, I don't think it's silly. Because assumptions about Thai legal issues can go both ways - dreaming up lawsuits and legal action without merit isn't unheard of. I'm not assuming he's an angel, nor casting him as such. But I differentiate between a partisan poster lumping allegations and what actually took place. In the same way, you're bound to rile over mentioning some of the cases referencing political leaders from "your" pet side, regardless or not of their actual outcomes.

19 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Off course he was not found guilty of just about every corruption cases brought against him. You don’t think that is odd? Maybe a silly question to ask you. 

What corruption case was Abhisit ever accused of?

7 minutes ago, bannork said:

What corruption case was Abhisit ever accused of?

Laundry list of corruption accusation if you take some effort to search. All details in the public domain space. 

24 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Laundry list of corruption accusation if you take some effort to search. All details in the public domain space. 

Come on. You accuse, please provide the evidence.