Now the hardest part for Prayut

By Tulsathit Taptim 
The Nation

 

An unlikely source recently offered the best advice for Prayut Chan-o-cha. The man giving up his unorthodox powers to lead a rocky return to civil rule must not get carried away by the circumstances that his 2014 coup helped shape, or he would regret it, according to the People’s Alliance for Democracy. 

 

The PAD staged a prolonged and sometimes controversial protest against the government of Thaksin Shinawatra over a decade ago. The movement’s former spokesman last week fell short of threatening more mass rallies, but he warned Prayut that a repeat could happen nonetheless.

 

Thailand’s political crisis has two major causes. The first is corruption under elected governments. The second is intervention by the military – which often uses the graft scandals as its excuse.

 

If this sounds like a chicken-and-egg situation, don’t be deceived. Take corruption out of the equation and the military opportunists would have nothing left to justify coups. The PAD leader was warning that Prayut will face all the old-fashioned problems of parliamentary politics – nasty horse-trading and relentless, stop-at-nothing attempts to destabilise his government – but he is doomed if he handles them in the same old-fashioned ways.

 

In other words, the PAD man was telling Prayut to tackle corruption head-on. The prime minister can transfer scandal-plagued ministers to other posts, or even dissolve the House to nullify a censure threat, knowing that he has senators on his side. “But he cannot afford to underestimate public anger when it comes to corruption,” the activist said.

 

The gist of his warning is this: “When the people think the parliamentary system can’t help them, they will hit the streets.”

 

He has a point. The PAD took controversial actions in the past, but without widespread public anger at what were perceived as attempts to “evade” graft problems, its protests could not have been sustained. Critics of the PAD ignored the fact that it was the politicians in power who opened the door, and the gap was big enough for anything to slip through.

 

Prayut will face all kinds of the usual political problems. His key allies are ready to turn against him any time, especially if anti-corruption action goes against them. With his mandate in the House of Representatives wafer-thin, friends and foes alike could take advantage, meaning any seemingly trivial matter could trigger a major political game. The opposition, meanwhile, is strong and hell-bent on doing whatever is necessary to unseat him. His military links and coup background ensure he will receive little or zero sympathy from overseas.

 

All these problems may make Prayut forget his core mission. For example, if a coalition partner is hit by a corruption scandal, the PM’s first priority will be to ensure it survives to prop up his government.  He will also be tempted to sweep certain secrets under the rug, fearing that the opposition or Western critics will chorus, “We told you so.”

 

But Prayut will have to bite the bullet. Allowing corruption cases to fester under his rule would have drastic consequences. Even mere suspicion of graft can do serious damage – as Prayut should know better than anyone. Public anger over suspected scandals such as his deputy’s luxury watch collection made Prayut’s return to power much harder than it should have been.

 

Failure to tackle corruption effectively will amplify criticism that he is here not to eradicate graft from politics, but to eliminate political enemies. It would reinforce claims that the military was never sincere in its efforts to cleanse democracy, and that corruption in Thailand is irresolvable despite the “best efforts” of any proclaimed saviour.

 

Ongoing action against Thaksin Shinawatra and the pre-coup government’s rice-pledging scheme are nowhere near enough. After all, Thai politicians are second to none when it comes to exposing corruption in their enemies. If corruption were a monster, it would be laughing hard, thrilled as selective campaigns against graft are duly dismissed, one by one, as “a conspiracy”. This situation feeds rather than destroys the monster.

 

Prayut has been mocked left and right for promising a “new politics” after his 2014 coup, which nevertheless ended a spate of violence. The ridicule will continue, because the return to civil rule is barely acceptable and by no means orthodox. His core challenge remains the same as that which presented itself on the day of his coup: He must establish proof that between “democracy” and “dictatorship”, there is something that works better than either.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30370935

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-06-12

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

You cannot tackle corruption if you are a part of it !

There is no mention of another factor in the equation and that is the part the business elite play in the political background and from whom Prayut also takes orders.

The Thai elite business world is the hub of political corruption which feeds the trough from where the politicians get their nourishment and in turn give the business elite the protection and support they need to further increase their wealth. 

Keeping all the balls in the air may be an impossible task for Prayut.

Sadly, not Prayuth, before  him or after him will make any different to the way people live in this country, the PM position is just that, a position to be filled but the in reality there are higher powers than him that pull the strings and the PM reduced in most parts to to the roll of a marionette,

this has been been for many decades now, the governing system in Thailand, and unless somehow it will radically changed, so it will be for the next decades...

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

You cannot tackle corruption if you are a part of it !

No it's others from the other side of politics who are corrupt, he is just taking care of business.

20 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Sadly, not Prayuth, before  him or after him will make any different to the way people live in this country, the PM position is just that, a position to be filled but the in reality there are higher powers than him that pull the strings and the PM reduced in most parts to to the roll of a marionette,

this has been been for many decades now, the governing system in Thailand, and unless somehow it will radically changed, so it will be for the next decades...

its not true just drink the next beer and keep talking if its help

4 minutes ago, martinhp said:

its not true just drink the next beer and keep talking if its help

How do you see it then, Martin?

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s political crisis has two major causes. The first is corruption under elected governments. The second is intervention by the military – which often uses the graft scandals as its excuse.

then thailand won't go anywhere positive in our lifetimes

Hmm, track record over the last years: watches, brother's unusually extravagant new house, relatives remarkable success in winning contracts from the military...

Edited June 11, 20197 yr by JAG

Khun Prayuth will be fine, he's not the slightest bit interested in what this guy is babbling on about. Thailand has and always will continue to move forward as long as projects are being implemented and infrastructure being built.

 

 

 

43 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Khun Prayuth will be fine, he's not the slightest bit interested in what this guy is babbling on about. Thailand has and always will continue to move forward as long as projects are being implemented and infrastructure being built.

 

 

 

 

Yes, definitely a man of the people as demonstrated for the past 5 years. Onward and upward, Thailand! 

3 hours ago, Cadbury said:

The Thai elite business world is the hub of political corruption which feeds the trough from where the politicians get their nourishment and in turn give the business elite the protection and support they need to further increase their wealth. 

Sadly that's true for many countries.  Democracy is a game created for normal people to play because it offers them an illusion of self determination.

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

then thailand won't go anywhere positive in our lifetimes

One of the great thing about Thailand is that most things (except politics and government) get better every year. Look at the roadways and plans for the railways...look at the quality of the cars on the roads.....look at the stuff in the shops you couldn't get 10 years ago. Life is getting better here for many people, especially the middle class, but sadly the poor, as always are getting left further and further behind.

Why wait PAD. Corruption is staring at you in the form of blatant corruption by the military and the same ministers are still in the next cabinet. Cheap talk by the PAD who like the PDRC has little principle. 

Prayut is held in very low esteem in the north of Thailand. It's only the military presence which prevents the north from seceding.

A good start by him would be to cut armed forces spending, and funnel more into social welfare. Age pensions in Thailand for people who don't work in the government sector are laughable.

Yeah, the pigs in my GF's village will start growing wings.

7 hours ago, Cadbury said:

There is no mention of another factor in the equation and that is the part the business elite play in the political background and from whom Prayut also takes orders.

The Thai elite business world is the hub of political corruption which feeds the trough from where the politicians get their nourishment and in turn give the business elite the protection and support they need to further increase their wealth. 

Keeping all the balls in the air may be an impossible task for Prayut.

I generally agree, but isn't Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit (the Future Forward guy) from one of these elite families? If so, there is hope for change... but sadly, probably not in this old fart's lifetime.