‘Most parties’ to join talks with junta next week

By THE NATION

 

File photo : Kongcheep

 

THE JUNTA is all set to hold talks next Monday or Tuesday on lifting the ban on political activities but there is no clarity yet on which parties would attend the meeting.

 

Junta leader and PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha will be on a trip abroad when the discussions take place. Prayut is visiting London and Paris to meet with the countries’ leaders and investors.

 

Deputy Defence Minister General Chaichan Changmonkol said yesterday that invitations had already been sent to all political parties but declined to say how many would accept the offer.

 

The first official talks between the ruling junta and politicians could lead to the lifting of the ban on political activities that have been in place since 2014. Lifting the ban would allow political parties to make preparations for the next election.

 

Since the government floated the idea of the meeting months ago, politicians have not been very responsive. The oldest political party, the Democrats, said they would cooperate but they were not sure what the focus of the talks would be and how the party would contribute.

 

The Pheu Thai Party, however, has made it clear that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) – which in recent months has shown signs of contesting the next election – had no legitimacy to hold such talks and the party would not join the meeting.

 

Another new popular party, Future Forward, has said it would not join the talks unless the NCPO was transparent and allowed live broadcast of the meeting.

 

Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday said he had heard that most political parties had agreed to join the forum and added that parties did not have to join if they did not want to.

 

However, he said he would talk to politicians about how to partially lift the ban and would respond to any inquiries or pass them to PM Prayut to clarify.

 

Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam and the Election Commision would also take part in the discussions, he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30348236

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-21

Hmm..

 

Why do political parties need to attend a meeting in order to lift the ban? If the Junta is serious about lifting the ban, then lift it; the Junta did not coordinate with the parties when they imposed it, why do they need to coordinate when they lift it?

 

I suspect that the political parties are suspicious (as any one would be) and thus having the meeting in a public manner and/or 'live' on-line would be a good thing. 

 

The time is rapidly approaching where political parties need to make it clear, both privately and publicly, that their participation is contingent upon a fair process. They further need to make it clear that any legitimacy for the process will be contingent on their participation.

 

I am certain that the Junta wants a process which will legitimize them while not allowing anyone else to attain power; I'd want that in their shoes. If the parties allow that to happen, they will only have themselves to blame. It is better to not have or delay an election rather than have a 'rubber-stamp' election that gives the Junta unearned legitimacy

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1 hour ago, webfact said:

Most parties’ to join talks with junta next week

And we all know who will hold the stage and do most of the talking. They'll be lucky to get a word in amongst the barking of instructions and demands and finger wagging. He might soften toward the end and sing them one of his songs.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday said he had heard that most political parties had agreed to join the forum

that runs counter to what the gov't spokesman said; seems another case of this twit saying whatever unsubstantiated foolishness he pleases

Notice how the lapdog of the Establishment - the 'Democrat' Party - immediately swings into action in support of the will and wishes of the junta. Pathetic!

 

Note, too, however, that Pheua Thai and Future Forward (under Thanathorn) are showing some grit and refusing to bend to the junta's autocratic will. Good on them!

Talks with the junta or just an invitation to listen? 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Future Forward, has said it would not join the talks unless the NCPO was transparent and allowed live broadcast of the meeting.

Which shows someone is thinking clearly and understands just how the NCPO work.

As a political junkie there is nothing wrong with attending the meeting.  Two of the points I am are that political parties must have no communication with or overabundance from people who are living out side of Thailand or are fugitives or the family of fugitives.

 

The other point is that they have to show how they are going to pay for the STUPID costly promises.

 

Do the Future party really think Thais want their soaps interrupted.

 

On the other hand a tv station like they have in Canada and US would not be  bad thing/ 

A defamatory post with a profanity has been removed.

2 hours ago, Cadbury said:

And we all know who will hold the stage and do most of the talking. They'll be lucky to get a word in amongst the barking of instructions and demands and finger wagging. He might soften toward the end and sing them one of his songs.

In itself a jolly good reason for having something important to do elsewhere!

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Defence Minister General Chaichan Changmonkol said yesterday that invitations had already been sent to all political parties but declined to say how many would accept the offer.

Maybe they fear that if they all turn up it will be considered a political gathering and them all arrested  

8 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Maybe they fear that if they all turn up it will be considered a political gathering and them all arrested  

You're only half joking, aren't you?

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Pheu Thai Party, however, has made it clear that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) – which in recent months has shown signs of contesting the next election – had no legitimacy to hold such talks and the party would not join the meeting.

 

Another new popular party, Future Forward, has said it would not join the talks unless the NCPO was transparent and allowed live broadcast of the meeting.

The 2 parties got it right. The NCPO does not have the purview to discuss election matters. The EC should chair the meeting and the NCPO should be one of the invitee. Should not give the NCPO any more legitimacy to chair the meeting. 

Wow , the Nation is going over the top with the word "Junta" .

I thought we weren't allowed to used that word.

1 minute ago, BuaBS said:

Wow , the Nation is going over the top with the word "Junta" .

I thought we weren't allowed to used that word.

We can use the word 'junta' here - it is used all the time and has been for years, with impunity; we cannot use the word 'DICTATORSHIP' or 'DICTATOR'!

Just now, Eligius said:

We can use the word 'junta' here - it is used all the time and has been for years, with impunity; we cannot use the word 'DICTATORSHIP' or 'DICTATOR'!

How apt and in bold. Junta definition is a military group that seized power. Spot on. 

8 minutes ago, Eligius said:

We can use the word 'junta' here - it is used all the time and has been for years, with impunity; we cannot use the word 'DICTATORSHIP' or 'DICTATOR'!

Which rather proves a point...

5 hours ago, webfact said:

‘Most parties’ to join talks with junta next week

Would those "most parties" be the selected friends of the junta who will be briefed on how the PM wants the election to be played out and their tactical role in helping the Junta Party win? 

Invitations for all other parties will probably get lost in the mail.

PM Thai new love boat joint venture everyone's a winner

This is just a big joke, right? Like saying we will have an election by our rules. Here are some of the rules:  1/ No-body can ask the Pm a question 2/ Don't talk about the eoonomy3/ No Media coverage 4/ No policies allowed 5/ Speeches by the leaders of the parties can only be made to a gathering of 5 people6/ Any malpractice at the ballot box will be sorted out by the military eg cheating

7 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

The 2 parties got it right. The NCPO does not have the purview to discuss election matters. The EC should chair the meeting and the NCPO should be one of the invitee. Should not give the NCPO any more legitimacy to chair the meeting. 

 

PTP - not exactly a good track record on understanding parliamentary and constitutional matter, or the law.

 

But you think they got it right? Why's that?

15 hours ago, webfact said:

The Pheu Thai Party, however, has made it clear that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) – which in recent months has shown signs of contesting the next election – had no legitimacy to hold such talks and the party would not join the meeting.

Wouldn't that defeat all the NCPO has worked so hard to achieve?

41 minutes ago, chama said:

Wouldn't that defeat all the NCPO has worked so hard to achieve?

It's hard to imagine that non-attendance of the junta's little 'attitude adjustment session' on the part of Pheua Thai and Future Forward will go unpunished. This will be used as one of the excuses for banning them from the 'election'. Prayut and his junta can say:

 

'You see what bad men these are? We invite them to discuss democracy - but they do not come. They have no interest in planning an election and giving you, the Thai people, real Thai democracy. How can we allow such people to force themselves onto the Thai people? Do you think these are good men? Do you think they obey the law? Do you think they are good for Thailand? What do you want? Do you want these bad men to bring chaos and disorder back into our great Thailand? Is that what you want?!....'