Suthep breaks his promise, returns to active politics

[webfact]

Suthep breaks his promise, returns to active politics

By Wasamon Audjarint 
The Nation

 

 

Amid tears, he joins action coalition party; says clamour of masses forced him to change his mind
 

VETERAN politician Suthep Thaugsuban, whose street protests against the Yingluck Shinawatra government paved the way for the 2014 coup, yesterday did a dramatic U-turn, breaking his famous vow to never return to politics.

 

The former deputy premier agreed to join the proposed Action Coalition of Thailand (ACT) Party, which has applied for registration with the Election Commission (EC).

 

Sobbing as he spoke, Suthep explained that he could not turn down the entreaties of the masses, referring to the supporters of his former People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), for him to join the party.

 

“I think of the thousands who were injured and hundreds who sacrificed their lives for the country,” Suthep said, after crying for nearly a minute. “I wish those people would get to see what we are doing today, when we vow to continue to work for their cause.”

 

“This is not Suthep’s party. I am not the backbone of this party but I will stand by people who share the same ideology. I won’t care for any criticism because I’m not going to contest the elections,” he continued. “I have volunteered to be a servant of the people.”

 

 

Suthep will head the party’s working group on campaigns to encourage public engagement with the party. He was accepted after a “unanimous” raising of hands during the party’s debut meeting yesterday at Rangsit University.

 

The party followed the same procedure to endorse the leaders of three other working groups. There was no counting of hands.

 

The 68-year-old Suthep had quit the Democrat Party and vowed to never return to politics during the PDRC’s protests in Bangkok in 2013-14 to oust the Yingluck government with a relentless campaign against “bad capitalists”.

 

The prolonged PDRC protests proved to be the catalyst for the 2014 coup, as the military expressed the need to restore stability.

 

Suthep is known to be a supporter of junta leader PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha. During the 2016 referendum campaign on the new Constitution, he even made weekly online appearances to back the junta-written charter draft as “the best reforming constitution”.

 

The ACT are yet to express their stance on whether they would support a role for Prayut or the military in future politics. 

 

“We will have to ask our members in the future about that,” said ACT spokesperson Pol Lt-Colonel Jemdet Trimek. “We’re democratic. That answer will need to be based on consensus from our people.”

 

Under the junta’s order and the political party bill, new parties need to be registered by the EC before they can enrol additional members apart from the founders. 

 

The ACT, via Suthep’s lawyer, merely requested registration as a party on May 25. They still need to hold their first meeting to select board executives and set up regulations before seeking full recognition as a party.

 

The ACT meeting yesterday, attended by hundreds of people, was also aimed at seeking founding members who are required to pay the seed capital of Bt50,000 each. They expect at least 500 founding members.

 

The relatively high enrolment fee was aimed at helping the party be self-sustainable, without having to rely on influential financiers, they said.

 

“We encourage good people to join this party, which will be fully owned by the people and not any bad capitalists,” said the party’s co-founder, Anek Laothamatas.

 

 

Once a noted political scholar, Anek was appointed by the junta to oversee the reform and reconciliation agenda before he resigned from those positions to join this party.

 

Anek’s son Katerut Laothamatas serves as one of ACT’s team of spokespeople along with his niece Chuthathat Laothamatas who has also joined the party.

 

Others who have joined the party are: Suthep’s son Tan Thuagsuban; the former chief of the Bank of Thailand, MR Chatumongol Sonakul; and former People’s Alliance for Democracy spokeperson Suriyasai Katasila.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30346896

 

-- © Copyright The Nation http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30346896

[Thaiwrath]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

clamour of masses forced him to change his mind
 

 

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

breaking his famous vow to never return to politics.

No surprise here, just even more BS from someone involved in politics.

[bdenner]

Why am I not surprised! This piece of trash has still yet to face court over charges laid in regard to the 2014 Coup. BUT certainly has the qualifications to fit into a corrupt Thai politician roll.

 

24 Jan 2018

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/firebrand-who-prodded-thai-coup-indicted-on-terrorism-treason

Edited June 3, 2018 by bdenner

[leeneeds]

 The new Nepotism party already crying crocodile tears.

[Samui Bodoh]

Did anyone expect him to act honorably? If so, why?

 

He is one of the lying cheaters who always lie and cheat. 

 

What will be interesting is the effect on the Dem support; will people flock to him or stay loyal to the traditional party? Will he disparage the Dems? Are Suthep and the Dems now at war? Or is this a method of trying to capture both the constituency seat and the assigned seat in the South?

 

Many questions, few answers. Except, Suthep is a liar.

 

[cornishcarlos]

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

He was accepted after a “unanimous” raising of hands during the party’s debut meeting yesterday at Rangsit University.

 

So all 4 hands were raised !! Or was there more than 4 hands to raise ?? 

Surely not, as that would be breaking the "law" ?

 

58 minutes ago, webfact said:

“I have volunteered to be a servant of the people.”

 

Comedy gold... The guy has a future, not sure where but he defo has ?

[kannot]

Thailand.........totally f................... insert your own expletives, almost any will do

[kannot]

1 hour ago, bdenner said:

Why am I not surprised! This piece of trash has still yet to face court over charges laid in regard to the 2014 Coup. BUT certainly has the qualifications to fit into a corrupt Thai politician roll.

 

24 Jan 2018

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/firebrand-who-prodded-thai-coup-indicted-on-terrorism-treason

I wouldnt dirty my ar se if he was made of toilet paper by wiping it with him although it seems he already covered in sh it!!

Edited June 3, 2018 by kannot

[Carib]

Not surprised at all, the day the "auditions" started for the new to form circus he maneuvered himself in the limelight and now he will of course sacrifice himself for the good of the people. ?

[metisdead]

Some posts containing some disallowed references to the government have been removed. 

[coulson]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“I think of the thousands who were injured and hundreds who sacrificed their lives for the country,” Suthep said, after crying for nearly a minute. “I wish those people would get to see what we are doing today, when we vow to continue to work for their cause.”

If this were really the case you'd think he would have got out the old nikes and dusted off the whistle for a walk around Bangkok a couple weeks ago.

[Eligius]

None of us, I think, would have expected anything other than dishonourable and dishonest behaviour from this creep.

 

Sadly, breaking promises is almost part of the cultural DNA here ...

[colinneil]

The worm has turned.

[Darcula]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Suthep breaks his promise

 

Wow, what a big change. It's almost as if he's become a politician, or something.

 

 

 

 

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Suthep said, after crying for nearly a minute.

there should be tears anytime this , now revealed, liar is anywhere near politics, a smart thai friend of mine calls him 'a bad man'

[ramrod711]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Sobbing as he spoke, Suthep explained that he could not turn down the entreaties of the masses, referring to the supporters of his former People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), for him to join the party.

Shocking, a politician lying, who ever heard of such a thing?

[Chang_paarp]

Anyone got some roach spray? There seems to be an infestation.

[r136dg]

This guy just blows me away (amongst others). But the really frightening thing is there's so many indigenous souls in the land that buy into his sh!t.

[nikmar]

now waiting for the constant BS that streams from his mouth to stream forth once again.."entreaties of the masses" my a#se.  Odious human being !!

[irwinfc]

it's as if he's known to uphold anything he says. nothing out of the ordinary 

[yellowboat]

How shocking !  He lied.  He went back on his word.  An attribute for a junta loving politician. 

[kannot]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

The worm has turned.

More of a  slug id  say

[holy cow cm]

Can't believe anything they say because it usually is not  the truth. He is so full of pig crap.

[1337markus]

Bit like the word " safety"  promise doesn't exist in Thai language.

[kannot]

28 minutes ago, r136dg said:

This guy just blows me away (amongst others). But the really frightening thing is there's so many indigenous souls in the land that buy into his sh!t.

Same with religion WORLDWIDE though, always staggers  me, leaves me with no hope for man/woman/kind

[JAG]

2 hours ago, coulson said:

If this were really the case you'd think he would have got out the old nikes and dusted off the whistle for a walk around Bangkok a couple weeks ago.

Not short of cash at present.

[BuaBS]

Good. The country owes him some gratidute for helping to get rid of the yingluck government.

And with his support , maybe Prayut can stay in place after the election.

[klauskunkel]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

We encourage good people to join this party

Let me see who they have now: a Police Lt-Col as spokesman, a junta employee as founder (with his son and niece), and a lying snake (with his son). Yes, they need many, many good people as counter-balance...

Edited June 4, 2018 by klauskunkel

[JAG]

So, in response to the "clamouring of the masses..."

 

Any clues there as to how the next government may be formed?

 

[stephen tracy]

2 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

Good. The country owes him some gratidute for helping to get rid of the yingluck government.

And with his support , maybe Prayut can stay in place after the election.

I do miss the juntaphiles! It's been a while.