Thai junta chief vows to "do his best" as civilian PM

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um

 

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha gestures while speaking to media members at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand June 6, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's junta chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha called on Thursday for national unity and thanked members of parliament after they voted him in as a civilian prime minister, five years after he seized power in a military coup.

 

Prayuth easily defeated Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a charismatic political newcomer, by 500-244 votes in a combined ballot by both houses of parliament, one of which was entirely appointed in a process controlled by the junta.

 

The late Wednesday vote followed a general election on March 24, the first since Prayuth's 2014 coup, when he ousted an elected government and ushered in a phase of strict military rule.

 

The opposition Democratic Front of seven parties that voted for Thanathorn says the electoral system was designed to extend and legitimise military domination of civilian government.

 

The newly endorsed prime minister wanted all Thais to join hands with him to take the country forward, a government spokesman said.

 

He would now "do his best for the nation, religion, monarchy, and the people", said the spokesman, Lieutenant General Werachon Sukondhapatipak.

 

Prayuth will lead an unwieldy 19-party coalition government that has a slim majority in the lower House of Representatives, but could be vulnerable to defections and infighting.

 

Some Thais were unhappy by the Wednesday day vote with hashtag #RIPTHAILAND and #NotMyPM trending on Thai twitter in the aftermath of Prayuth's confirmation.

 

"I was disappointed because I'm part of a new generation and I hope that the country could move forward to be better than it is now," Suchanya Boonchu, 19, told Reuters.

 

'UNDER CONTROL'

Others say Prayuth's victory was well deserved because he brought stability after years of partisan turmoil stemming from confrontation between the military-royalist establishment and loyalists of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

 

"I am happy because I have always favoured him," said Wilai Pomarrin, 55, who sells newspapers in Bangkok.

 

"Judging from the past five years, he has the situation under control," she said.

 

Opposition lawmakers argued for hours on Wednesday that Prayuth was unfit for office.

 

Thanathorn told reporters outside parliament after the vote that his party would continue to work to end military dominance.

 

"We did not lose. But because of the rules we have been robbed of victory," he said.

 

"This election is one battle, and I believe the people will still call for freedom and justice," Thanathorn said.

 

After the preliminary results of the March election, the Democratic Front projected that it had won a majority in the House.

 

However, the Election Commission later announced a change in a seat-allocation formula that gave 10 small parties one seat each, mostly at the expense of Thanathorn's Future Forward Party. The 10 small parties joined Prayuth's alliance.

 

The Palang Pracharat Party thanked lawmakers for the vote that endorsed Prayuth as prime minister and urged the Democratic Front to work constructively as the opposition in parliament.

 

"The people are waiting for the new government to solve their problems so we have to quickly form the cabinet," party spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana told reporters.

 

"The seven parties that voted for Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit should prepare to work as the opposition to check the government and fight in parliament rather than engage in verbal attack on General Prayuth so politics can become more constructive like the people want," he said.

 

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Kay Johnson and Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-06

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The triumph of plunderers.

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai junta chief vows to "do his best" as civilian PM

Can someone pass the sick the bucket.

"Arkela we promise to do our best" - it sounds like the cub scouts.

 

His Best would be to gi sky diving with no chute. ????

5 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Can someone pass the sick a bucket.

Arkela we promise to do our best - it sounds like the cubs scouts.

sick bucket is right. I especially baulked at the "...wants all Thais to join hands with him."

1 minute ago, Just1Voice said:

His Best would be to gi sky diving with no chute. ????

He could buy it from Ikea - don't they do flat-packs?

Time for another song?  song of betrayal   

3 minutes ago, nikmar said:

sick bucket is right. I especially baulked at the "...wants all Thais to join hands with him."

Sounds ominously like he could have started penning a new hit single - if only he was.

 

Is he off to funeral or something .. And the hand gesture .. Is he checking which way the wind blows .. 

1 minute ago, Justgrazing said:

Is he off to funeral or something .. And the hand gesture .. Is he checking which way the wind blows .. 

At Dignitas?

Will be fun how he manages without article 44 and a relatively strong opposition. My prediction a lot more explosions and shooting himself in the foot. 

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

He would now "do his best for the nation, religion, monarchy, and the people",

Not forgetting his dear self, head of the trough !

I do wish press reports would pixelate his face though, getting sick of it now. 

He is going to have to pay off his many coalition partners every time he wants to get things done, something he has not had to do before. Have to keep the military happy as well, he could be in for many problems.

Just now, robblok said:

Will be fun how he manages without article 44 and a relatively strong opposition. My prediction a lot more explosions and shooting himself in the foot. 

If it isn't a punch in the mouth, it's a shot in the foot. Why is it all violence with this guy?

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

Others say Prayuth's victory was well deserved because he brought stability after years of partisan turmoil stemming from confrontation between the military-royalist establishment and loyalists of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Not for one minute think that this will put the turmoil back in the box .. It will only ferment now .. 

Winning a rigged election. That's certainly something to be proud of. ????

Just now, Justgrazing said:

Not for one minute think that this will put the turmoil back in the box .. It will only ferment now .. 

That fermenting does remind me of fertiliser.

2 minutes ago, Thailand said:

He is going to have to pay off his many coalition partners every time he wants to get things done, something he has not had to do before. Have to keep the military happy as well, he could be in for many problems.

Not to mention that there will be more economic problems, so it won't be an easy ride for him combined with loss of article 44 and an opposition and keeping his coalition together. He will be in for a rough ride. (will be fun to watch). 

So many on TV just don't seem to get it.  Apart from a few 'educated' people around the cities, the vast majority of the population don't give a toss who the PM is.  They may  give a grimacing smile, make a few remarks under their breath, but they just don't care enough to get worked up about it all.  So neither should temporary residents and visitors on TV.   

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

So many on TV just don't seem to get it.  Apart from a few 'educated' people around the cities, the vast majority of the population don't give a toss who the PM is.  They may  give a grimacing smile, make a few remarks under their breath, but they just don't care enough to get worked up about it all.  So neither should temporary residents and visitors on TV.   

I take your point, I really do. But my brain doesn't work in Thai mode, even though I've been here 'temporarily' for twenty years.

 

He vows doing "his best"? Oh dear, we are in for a lot of trouble judging from how "his best" panned out in the immediate past. 

5 minutes ago, robblok said:

Not to mention that there will be more economic problems, so it won't be an easy ride for him combined with loss of article 44 and an opposition and keeping his coalition together. He will be in for a rough ride. (will be fun to watch). 

 

Democratic progress nonetheless.

 

He also knows it only takes a moment to arrange another coup - should it become necessary.

What if ... "his best" .. simply isn't good enough.

1 minute ago, Misterwhisper said:

He vows doing "his best"? Oh dear, we are in for a lot of trouble judging from how "his best" panned out in the immediate past. 

His best: The new high speed railway will be up and running within two years, He told us before. So now he'll be able to blame someone else stick to his word.

I just hope that they look at every MP who voted for him and see how wealthy they just became from the bribes. No amnesty or article 44 anymore.

Someone explain to me why a country the size of Thailand needs 250 senators.  States funds are used to pay these Senators and they were hand-picked by the Junta to support the Junta.  Not voted by the Thai citizens.  Sounds like corruption to me.

7 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

Someone explain to me why a country the size of Thailand needs 250 senators.  States funds are used to pay these Senators and they were hand-picked by the Junta to support the Junta.  Not voted by the Thai citizens.  Sounds like corruption to me.

Shurely shome mishtake?

Lets hope they can ALL somehow work towards making the country a little better rather than just having an obstructionist and reactionary sheet fight for the next "X" years.

if he really wants to do what's best

he could resign

2 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

if he really wants to do what's best

he could resign

Or do whats honorable, ceremonial Seppuku.