'I'll be PM of change', says Thai opposition candidate ahead of vote for PM

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat

 

Thai parliament members attend a session to vote for prime minister in Bangkok, Thailand June 5, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - An upstart Thai opposition politician vying to become prime minister called for change on Wednesday, as both houses of parliament convened for the first time since a 2014 coup to vote for either him or the chief of the ruling junta to be leader.

 

The vote will officially restore civilian rule after more than five years under junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has been nominated to stay on as prime minister by a coalition led by the pro-army Palang Pracharat Party.

 

The retired general is considered to have a big advantage over Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a charismatic political newcomer nominated by the opposition Democratic Front of seven parties that want to remove the military from politics.

 

"Coups will only lead Thailand to dead-ends ... We must make parliament a place of honour, not a place where people's faith goes to die," Thanathorn said in a speech just outside the parliamentary chamber.

 

"I am ready to be Thailand's next prime minister ... I will be the prime minister of change."

 

Thanathorn was barred from taking up his seat in the lower house last month after being suspended, pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court on his alleged illegal holding of shares in a media company.

 

He denied the allegation and said the case was the latest politically motivated bid to block him from politics.

 

The vote for a prime minister who will form the next government this month, comes 10 weeks after a March 24 general election the opposition says was heavily weighted to favour pro-army parties.

 

Each parliamentarian will be called on by the house speaker to verbally vote for either candidate. It could be hours before they start voting.

 

ABHISIT OUT

 

A new prime minister will need at least 376 votes, or more than half the parliament. That includes 500 members in the lower House of Representatives elected in the March election and 250 senators, who were all appointed by the junta.

 

Neither the opposition nor Palang Pracharat's side officially has a majority in the lower house, with 246 seats and 203 respectively.

 

Palang Pracharat gained the Democrat Party as a new ally on Tuesday and that would likely also attract the Bhumjaithai Party, which holds 51 seats but hasn't officially declared an alignment with either side.

 

Former Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is also a former prime minister, gave up his seat in parliament earlier on Wednesday, saying he could not break a pre-election promise and vote along with his party to support Prayuth.

 

"We have seen abuse of state power ... The (junta's) extension of power is not just rhetoric, it is reality," Abhisit said.

 

The Democratic Front has said the appointed Senate's votes give Prayuth an unfair advantage and urged senators to vote in line with the will of the people.

 

With the backing of the Senate, Prayuth could easily gain enough votes to stay in power.

 

The junta will remain in power until a new cabinet is sworn in.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-05

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The result is inevitable, however it hasn't been as easy to rig as they might have predicted... That's why Big P is keeping a low profile, he is likely to explode if someone asks the right questions ????????

Unfortunately the country is not ready to change...

I'm hoping the Western countries are waiting to see what happens, and if Prayut is put back into power because of this rigged system, that they will immediately sanction him and his minions. Hopefully shutting off any further communication until such time as a democratic election is held and the coup/junta leaders removed.

4 minutes ago, shady86 said:

Unfortunately the country is not ready to change...

Never will be with that attitude... 

1 minute ago, ocddave said:

I'm hoping the Western countries are waiting to see what happens, and if Prayut is put back into power because of this rigged system, that they will immediately sanction him and his minions. Hopefully shutting off any further communication until such time as a democratic election is held and the coup/junta leaders removed.

Keep hoping, the Western world have had dozens of opportunities over the past years and have done bugger-all, so why will they do anything this time? 

7 minutes ago, ocddave said:

m hoping the Western countries are waiting to see what happens, and if Prayut is put back into power because of this rigged system, that they will immediately sanction him and his minions. Hopefully shutting off any further communication until such time as a democratic election is held and the coup/junta leaders removed

Western countries can buy and P. have big chineese bro now 

5 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Keep hoping, the Western world have had dozens of opportunities over the past years and have done bugger-all, so why will they do anything this time? 

I am hoping that the reason was these elections, in that the hope was that they would fix the issue before a stance was made. This way no confrontation, but if Prayut using this rigged election becomes PM again, I would say all bets are off.

4 minutes ago, ocddave said:

I'm hoping the Western countries are waiting to see what happens, and if Prayut is put back into power because of this rigged system, that they will immediately sanction him and his minions. Hopefully shutting off any further communication until such time as a democratic election is held and the coup/junta leaders removed.

Is just as likely the  western countries  will make meaningless expressions  of disapproval while at the same time  taking  notes on the process!

The principles that most would consider democratic are  being eroded internationally in favor of  "legal" definition and re definition.

7 minutes ago, ocddave said:

I am hoping that the reason was these elections, in that the hope was that they would fix the issue before a stance was made. This way no confrontation, but if Prayut using this rigged election becomes PM again, I would say all bets are off.

" a stance "  ??? ????????

23 minutes ago, ocddave said:

I'm hoping the Western countries are waiting to see what happens, and if Prayut is put back into power because of this rigged system, that they will immediately sanction him and his minions. Hopefully shutting off any further communication until such time as a democratic election is held and the coup/junta leaders removed.

Dream on!

52 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

The result is inevitable, however it hasn't been as easy to rig as they might have predicted... That's why Big P is keeping a low profile, he is likely to explode if someone asks the right questions ????????

 

Agree.

 

And I suggest there's a further point, given the nasty games of the current folks, there is some progress and I believe (hope) that ultimately, step by step Khun Thanathorn will surmount the stumbling blocks they are throwing in his path and gain even more credibility and support and respect.

 

But sad that it has to be like this and further time lost to create and implement solid real change for Thailand. 

 

Hopefully we will soon see the results of the claim by the FF lawyer in regard to 30 army junta folks having shares in media companies.

 

Let'a also hope the FF team keep digging and quickly find more dirt to throw back at Khun Thanthorn's accusers. 

Edited June 5, 20197 yr by scorecard

31 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Never will be with that attitude... 

Good point and I suspect that Khun Thanthorn can make valuable change, and no doubt he realizes step 1 is to carefully politely educate the masses to realize things can be different and why they should be different and the benefits for all Thais from real change.

 

God speed Khun Thanathorn.

 

 

250 pre-picked senators, speaks volume of this election. It's just a facade of democracy, everything about it. And, how many of them are actually educated enough to be involved in politics lol

 

 

 

^ Live voting of PM now

Edited June 5, 20197 yr by KhunBN

The junta will remain in power until a new cabinet is sworn in.

11 minutes ago, KhunBN said:

250 pre-picked senators, speaks volume of this election. It's just a facade of democracy, everything about it. And, how many of them are actually educated enough to be involved in politics lol

 

 

 

^ Live voting of PM now

Why is it a public vote? Yes I do know the answer.

5 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Why is it a public vote? Yes I do know the answer.

Ridiculous isn't it. Full respect given to those that dare to vote publicly against the military

Edited June 5, 20197 yr by KhunBN

3 hours ago, shady86 said:

Unfortunately the country is not ready to change...

I tend to agree and in the same breath also disagree as that change has to come also in the politicians and there possibly might now be a game changer in Future Forward as there certainly hasn’t been for the best part of a century as opportunity for democracy has been given but never taken. Difficult in a country built on patronage and the corruption it breeds. Winemakers, cheese makers etc. saying comes to mind....”good things take time”. In this case that time could be Future Forward serving this term under what was always known as a stacked deck all along to gain the experience and to show the voting public they are a better option than the corrupt Shinawatra’s. Build on what they have and at the next election bury Pheu Thai at the ballot and it will be difficult for the Senate not to anoint then. The opportunity is worth the time and the time the opportunity 

Edited June 5, 20197 yr by Roadman

3 hours ago, shady86 said:

Unfortunately the country is not ready to change...

I wouldn't be so sure about that... the younger generations are starting to voice their opinions, quietly and behind closed doors albeit. But they don't seem happy with the status quo. 

4 minutes ago, djayz said:

I wouldn't be so sure about that... the younger generations are starting to voice their opinions, quietly and behind closed doors albeit. But they don't seem happy with the status quo. 

Yeah right, so after 5 years of sitting on hands there will be an uprising now and risk another coup? 

 

wont happen 

6 hours ago, madmen said:

Yeah right, so after 5 years of sitting on hands there will be an uprising now and risk another coup? 

 

wont happen 

I did not say or imply there would be an uprising. I said "the younger generations are starting to voice their opinions". The very fact alone that they are talking about these issues shows that they have an interest in politics and an understanding of what's going on (at least in the Bangkok / Central Thailand area). 

1 hour ago, vinniekintana said:

I never met any of the 'younger generation' that had any interest or knew f-all about politics.

They do exist. You just need to change the younger people you interact with. 

1 hour ago, djayz said:

I did not say or imply there would be an uprising. I said "the younger generations are starting to voice their opinions". The very fact alone that they are talking about these issues shows that they have an interest in politics and an understanding of what's going on (at least in the Bangkok / Central Thailand area). 

Sadly, just voicing opinions on social media will not cut it. The militarists can easily ignore it. There is only one 'language' the militarists understand ...

 

And for those who think that at the next 'election' (if there is one), Future Forward will ride into government after the Thai People have seen how good they are: dream on!

 

The next 'election' will be even more rigged than this one. The militarists will have learnt from their current mistakes. There will be NO CHANCE (ZERO POSSIBILITY) that Future Forward or Pheua Thai will be permitted to form the next government. 

 

No. It is time for everyone to face facts (some of us on here have faced them literally for years - and warned about them - and today have been proven right): ALL 'LEGAL' MEANS TO DISPLACE THE MILITARISTS HAVE BEEN BLOCKED.

 

So what remains?

 

No need to say it. And it won't happen anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 6, 20197 yr by Eligius

Now a moot point - Thailand doesn't want 'change', but just 'business as usual."