Thailand's Shinawatra clan, allies form new party ahead of polls

 

Ousted former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets supporters as she leaves the Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, August 1, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Relatives and allies of ousted Thai premiers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister, Yingluck, formed a new political party on Wednesday ahead of a general election set for early next year, seen as a strategy to win more seats.

 

The military government has promised to hold elections between February and May after repeated delays.

 

The race is set to be a contest between supporters of the military and royalist establishment and populist forces led by the Puea Thai Party that was ousted in a 2014 coup.

 

Members of the new Thai Raksa Chart Party include Thaksin and Yingluck's nephew and niece, close aides, and the younger generation of the clan's political allies. It will be headed by Preechapol Pongpanich, an ex-member of parliament with the Puea Thai Party.

 

"It's a political strategy for Puea Thai under the new electoral system to win more seats," political scientist Yuttaporn Issarachai told Reuters.

 

Parties linked to the Shinawatras have won every election in the past decade. But the military government's new constitution, which the military said aims to weaken major political parties, effectively cuts constituency seats in provinces where the Shinwatras have previously held dominance.

 

He said the party would also serve as a "back-up" should Puea Thai be dissolved.

 

The Puea Thai Party faces dissolution after the junta ordered the Election Commission to investigate whether Thaksin was still controlling Puea Thai.

 

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra speaks to Reuters during an interview in Singapore February 23, 2016. TREUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

 

The former telecommunications tycoon was ousted in a 2006 coup and has since lived in self-imposed exile to avoid a graft conviction in 2008 he says was politically motivated. He faces separate corruption charges from 2008 and 2012.

 

Yingluck fled Thailand in August last year just before a court found her guilty of criminal negligence. She was handed down a five-year jail term in absentia.

 

Parties linked to the Shinawatras have won every election in the past decade. But the military government's new constitution, which the military said aims to weaken major political parties, effectively cuts constituency seats in provinces where the Shinawatras have previously held dominance.

 

But the Shinawatras remain immensely popular, especially in the rural northeastern provinces.

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Additional reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-08

 

Strong Shinawatra camp presence at first party meet

By THE NATION

 

Politicians with close ties to the Shinawatra camp debut as members of the Thai Raksa Chart Party, which held its first meeting yesterday.

 

PHEU THAI Party’s so-called sister party, Thai Raksa Chart, held its first general assembly yesterday, which saw several heirs and heiresses of politicians from the Shinawatra camp showing up and being named party executives.

 

Preechaphol Pongpanit, the 37-year-old son of former deputy education minister Sermsak Pongpanit, was chosen as Thai Raksa Chart’s leader yesterday. He was previously a Pheu Thai MP from Khon Kaen province. 

 

Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s nephew, Rupop, was chosen as deputy party leader.

 

The three other deputy leaders named yesterday were red-shirt chief Pongsak Phusitsakul along with former Pheu Thai MPs Sunee Luangwijit and Pruetichai Viriyaroj.

 

The secretary-general’s position went to Mitti, son of former Palang Prachachon MP Yongyuth Tiyapairath.

 

 

Other core leaders attending the meeting yesterday included Thaksin’s niece Chayika Wongnapachant, former finance minister Kittirat Na-Ranong’s son Ton, and former energy minister Pichai Naripthaphan’s son Pachara.

 

While it was previously believed that Pheu Thai’s big-name politicians might migrate to the sister party, they were conspicuously absent yesterday. 

 

However, the possibility of them moving to other sister parties has not been ruled out. 

 

Key Pheu Thai leader Chaturon Chaisang admitted in a Facebook post on Tuesday that due to the party-dissolution threat and the possibility of Pheu Thai losing a significant share in the Lower House due to the new election method, some party members were considering seeking shelter in other parties. 

 

However, he rejected the notion that the move was related to an internal conflict over Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan’s de facto leadership, saying it was not such a big issue for the members to be moving elsewhere. 

 

Chaturon, chosen to lead Pheu Thai’s policy committee just two weeks ago, was also expected to leave Pheu Thai to prepare for a worst-case scenario. In the Facebook post, he said he has developed a strong attachment to the party, but will have to eventually make a decision. 

 

“When the time comes, all of us will have to make a decision. I will consider the best way that allows me to work according to my ideology,” Chaturon wrote.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30358123

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-08

The eternal families of Thailand's/Asia's public lives.

 

Scratch the surface of almost any Thai/Asian politician and you find what I call a 'son of' or a 'daughter of'. Scratch the surface of the Thai military's generals and you find a 'son of'. Scratch the surface of Thai/Asian big business and you find a 'son of' or a 'daughter of'. Scratch the surface of a leader in a Thai/Asian bureaucracy and you find a 'son of' or a 'daughter of'.

 

The American notion of "All men were created equal..." is truly a Western concept, not an Eastern one. Yes, inevitably someone will come along and state that Western societies do the same, but it isn't to the same extent or prevalence.

 

What more to say?

 

 

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by Samui Bodoh

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The race is set to be a contest between supporters of the military and royalist establishment and populist forces led by the Puea Thai Party that was ousted in a 2014 coup.

a rosy future for thailand indeed

The election 'games' continue. The uniforms make new rules to undermine the politicians who have mastered the art of winning elections by inserting itself into every level of social-business-local govt. The politicians fight back by forming several new parties. Dressed in the casual way of youth, you would be hard put to find anyone there that has done any real work or had a proper job. Family perpetuated wealth that wont give up easily, versus military perpetuated power that doesn't care about popularity. The ordinary citizen and the country just form the background to this fight and stands to be the biggest loser.

Sure...why not.

 

Thai Rak Political Exile Party.

Bring it on.

 

Adds more to the circus.

Getting confused about which political party to vote for?

 

 

One session at the trough is never enough ????

Just show that politicians will always outsmart bureaucrats and in this case the Constitutional Drafting Committee and chief bureaucrat Meechai. They schemed to make it difficult for big parties to win clear majority and create a hang parliament of many coalition parties and an opening to 'outside' PM. Looks like they have been out maneuvered again. Back to the drawing board. 

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

a rosy future for thailand indeed

Yes damm if you do and damm if you don't.. We can get Prayut.. or we can get Thaksin... kinda like choosing between getting hanged and shot. 

 

21 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Just show that politicians will always outsmart bureaucrats and in this case the Constitutional Drafting Committee and chief bureaucrat Meechai. They schemed to make it difficult for big parties to win clear majority and create a hang parliament of many coalition parties and an opening to 'outside' PM. Looks like they have been out maneuvered again. Back to the drawing board. 

What i find strange is that you applaud the PTP using loopholes .. but when the junta does so its bad. Why is that ?

 

Personally i say well done PTP but if the junta disbands them ill say well done junta.. its like chess match of 2 people i don't like, i just admire their game play and as they both go quite low i have to accept it from both.

Of course all this has happened without the knowledge what so ever of or any input from Thaksin, he is completely mystified how this could have come about.   

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Strong Shinawatra camp presence at first party meet

By THE NATION

 

Politicians with close ties to the Shinawatra camp debut as members of the Thai Raksa Chart Party, which held its first meeting yesterday.

 

PHEU THAI Party’s so-called sister party, Thai Raksa Chart, held its first general assembly yesterday, which saw several heirs and heiresses of politicians from the Shinawatra camp showing up and being named party executives.

 

Preechaphol Pongpanit, the 37-year-old son of former deputy education minister Sermsak Pongpanit, was chosen as Thai Raksa Chart’s leader yesterday. He was previously a Pheu Thai MP from Khon Kaen province. 

 

Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s nephew, Rupop, was chosen as deputy party leader.

 

The three other deputy leaders named yesterday were red-shirt chief Pongsak Phusitsakul along with former Pheu Thai MPs Sunee Luangwijit and Pruetichai Viriyaroj.

 

The secretary-general’s position went to Mitti, son of former Palang Prachachon MP Yongyuth Tiyapairath.

 

 

Other core leaders attending the meeting yesterday included Thaksin’s niece Chayika Wongnapachant, former finance minister Kittirat Na-Ranong’s son Ton, and former energy minister Pichai Naripthaphan’s son Pachara.

 

While it was previously believed that Pheu Thai’s big-name politicians might migrate to the sister party, they were conspicuously absent yesterday. 

 

However, the possibility of them moving to other sister parties has not been ruled out. 

 

Key Pheu Thai leader Chaturon Chaisang admitted in a Facebook post on Tuesday that due to the party-dissolution threat and the possibility of Pheu Thai losing a significant share in the Lower House due to the new election method, some party members were considering seeking shelter in other parties. 

 

However, he rejected the notion that the move was related to an internal conflict over Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan’s de facto leadership, saying it was not such a big issue for the members to be moving elsewhere. 

 

Chaturon, chosen to lead Pheu Thai’s policy committee just two weeks ago, was also expected to leave Pheu Thai to prepare for a worst-case scenario. In the Facebook post, he said he has developed a strong attachment to the party, but will have to eventually make a decision. 

 

“When the time comes, all of us will have to make a decision. I will consider the best way that allows me to work according to my ideology,” Chaturon wrote.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30358123

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-08

 

What ideology Mr. Chaturon?

 

You certainly didn't display any when you were education minister for 3 or 4 years. In fact you tackled nothing and achieved nothing.

 

The well known massive corruption in this ministry was untouched during his tenure (and many other governments also did nothing).

 

38 minutes ago, robblok said:

Yes damm if you do and damm if you don't.. We can get Prayut.. or we can get Thaksin... kinda like choosing between getting hanged and shot. 

 

Life under Taksin was better, certainly a better night life.......

1 minute ago, SupermarineS6B said:

Life under Taksin was better, certainly a better night life.......

Night life was better.. but that is about it. But if you really think that the PTP is going to change anything back from what the junta has done i think you will be wrong. 

38 minutes ago, robblok said:

What i find strange is that you applaud the PTP using loopholes .. but when the junta does so its bad. Why is that ?

 

Personally i say well done PTP but if the junta disbands them ill say well done junta.. its like chess match of 2 people i don't like, i just admire their game play and as they both go quite low i have to accept it from both.

If you trying to confuse me, you not doing a good job. The junta and their sycophants like Meechai are not finding loopholes; they are scheming, creating and writing the whole shebang like the skewed constitution and the MMA system. They aimed to disadvantage their political enemies and allowed a passageway for non electable Prayut to sneak in as PM. You applaud that kind of dictatorial behavior? Too bad that they are not the sharpest tool in the tool box. 

 

Honestly, this is no chess game between the politician and the junta. This more like the junta has the game to himself and the winner will be the people who have the guns. They are the lowest of the low.    

Hi so's in jeans t-shirts and jackets trying to connect with normal people, how funny.

Edited November 8, 20187 yr by sungod

Just now, Eric Loh said:

If you trying to confuse me, you not doing a good job. The junta and their sycophants like Meechai are not finding loopholes; they are scheming, creating and writing the whole shebang like the skewed constitution and the MMA system. They aimed to disadvantage their political enemies and allowed a passageway for non electable Prayut to sneak in as PM. You applaud that kind of dictatorial behavior? Too bad that they are not the sharpest tool in the tool box. 

 

Honestly, this is no chess game between the politician and the junta. This more like the junta has the game to himself and the winner will be the people who have the guns. They are the lowest of the low.    

Sorry unlike you i see two lowest of the low parties.. junta and PTP in a mud fight for power. Both are doing all they can legal and not legal to stay in power and both pull dirty tricks. 

 

Unlike you I don't have a side i support so i see things different. I see two parties of crooks trying to get to power so they have access to the goverment funds. I see a junta trying to use legal stuff they come up with to get rid of PTP and i see PTP exploiting loopholes to stay in the fight. 

 

No matter who of those two sets of undesirables wins nothing much will change besides who is profiting from the state funds. Now some seem to hope that if the PTP wins some changes in freedoms night life ect happens. I doubt it.. they will be too busy trying to scam money from the government budgets to solve anything and by doing so get in trouble with the law and a new crisis will happen. If i really thought they were going to turn some laws around and really do something i might look more favorably on them because the crooked junta certainly put in some appealing laws in place and curbed a lot of fun. But i doubt any of that will change.. i think they will keep all the powerful laws and use them for their own benefit against their enemies.. just like they have done in the past. I don't see them changing much.

Yes!!! and bravo.

4 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

One session at the trough is never enough ????

Is that why there have been 12 successful military coups with another one lurking not far away?

18 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Is that why there have been 12 successful military coups with another one lurking not far away?

That of course depends if the necessary nod is given. 

9 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

The eternal families of Thailand's/Asia's public lives.

 

Scratch the surface of almost any Thai/Asian politician and you find what I call a 'son of' or a 'daughter of'. Scratch the surface of the Thai military's generals and you find a 'son of'. Scratch the surface of Thai/Asian big business and you find a 'son of' or a 'daughter of'. Scratch the surface of a leader in a Thai/Asian bureaucracy and you find a 'son of' or a 'daughter of'.

 

The American notion of "All men were created equal..." is truly a Western concept, not an Eastern one. Yes, inevitably someone will come along and state that Western societies do the same, but it isn't to the same extent or prevalence.

 

What more to say?

 

 

 

Very true. Asia certainly ain't Kansas Toto!

 

I was once researching British politicians, several years ago. It was amazing how many were from extended "political families" going back to early Victorian and Georgian times; how many had changed their family names at some point, and how many were interrelated.

 

The US, Canada, Aussie etc are relatively new countries. But already there are family political clans where generations make a career in politics. Maybe not as prevalent and not as dominant as in Asia but it's still a force to be reckoned with.

 

I can't help thinking that these generations passing on to generations are safe guarding their own interests and following their own agendas.

 

And we masses think it's all lovely and democratic back home hahaha.

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Sorry unlike you i see two lowest of the low parties.. junta and PTP in a mud fight for power. Both are doing all they can legal and not legal to stay in power and both pull dirty tricks. 

 

Unlike you I don't have a side i support so i see things different. I see two parties of crooks trying to get to power so they have access to the goverment funds. I see a junta trying to use legal stuff they come up with to get rid of PTP and i see PTP exploiting loopholes to stay in the fight. 

 

No matter who of those two sets of undesirables wins nothing much will change besides who is profiting from the state funds. Now some seem to hope that if the PTP wins some changes in freedoms night life ect happens. I doubt it.. they will be too busy trying to scam money from the government budgets to solve anything and by doing so get in trouble with the law and a new crisis will happen. If i really thought they were going to turn some laws around and really do something i might look more favorably on them because the crooked junta certainly put in some appealing laws in place and curbed a lot of fun. But i doubt any of that will change.. i think they will keep all the powerful laws and use them for their own benefit against their enemies.. just like they have done in the past. I don't see them changing much.

 

Spot on Rob. And sadly probably prophetic.

3 hours ago, sungod said:

Hi so's in jeans t-shirts and jackets trying to connect with normal people, how funny.

 

Do you know who there Dad / Uncle is? 555!

 

4 hours ago, SupermarineS6B said:

Life under Taksin was better, certainly a better night life.......

Nice to see the the country's future being based on the night life, such an important indicator for long term benefits.

the ptp junior party, lets just keep it all in the family, no need to have a party that open to all thais, just the rich family members

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

And we masses think it's all lovely and democratic back home hahaha.

Spot on. As long as the process is democratic and leaders are elected. The 70+% turnout last few elections testify to the people’s sentiment. Important is no more coups and non elected governments tearing up constitution and granting themselves amnesty. Even extended families will need to be elected not crony appointments in the senate house. 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

But the military government's new constitution, which the military said aims to weaken major political parties, effectively cuts constituency seats in provinces where the Shinwatras have previously held dominance.

Clever, petty, evil and pretty disgusting all the same.

What if they STILL win?

 

7 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Getting confused about which political party to vote for?

 

 

Classic! Thanx.

Splitters...

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's Shinawatra clan, allies form new party ahead of polls

Will they be issuing calendars?

Scallawags and charlatans alike. 

Closer familial ties than what they all would care to admit.

Not really much difference between all political ideologies, is there? 

......except for those that can't see it.

 

Toss 'em all out. 

Problem solved. Nit Noy....

 

????