New Political Party Ready To Launch

[hammered]

Sanoh confirms Pracharaj will remain intact for election

....Former PM Chavalit Yongchaiyudh has been tipped to become new party leader.

A source close to Chavalit confirmed that Pracharaj and two other parties, Puea Pandin and People Power, had approached him and he would announce his decision soon.

well, apparently the Puea Pandin Party is out of the above contest, but I do rather like Chavalit's unique new solution... be a part of ALL the parties.

Chavalit gives up comeback bid

Former PM Chavalit Yongchaiyudh has given up any intention of re-entering politics, ending speculation he could lead the Puea Pandin party, according to his close aide Sornchai Montriwat. Puea Pandin is now under the leadership of Suvit Khunkitti. Conjecture that Chavalit might join Puea Pandin gained momentum recently after another of his aides, Gen Wichit Yathip joined the party. However, Chavalit felt that whichever party he joined he would become a target of criticism, said Maj-Gen Sornchai, a member of the People Power Party. Chavalit preferred to be an adviser to all parties. Wichit's decision to join Puea Pandin was a personal matter, Sornchai added. Meanwhile, former Deputy Leader of the Pracharaj Party Korn Dabbaransi (TRT Non-Banned #7) has completed his latest political jump and officially applied to join the Chart Thai Party. Chart Thai Party Leader Banharn Silpa-archa has also reportedly invited Pracharaj Party Leader Sanoh Thienthong (TRT Non-Banned #1) to return to the Chart Thai Party. Sanoh was Secretary-General of the Chart Thai Party in the mid-1990s. The Chart Thai Party has expanded rapidly over the past week, with Mahachon Party Leader Sanan Kachornprasart leading his followers into the party on Monday. Banharn declined to comment on remarks by the Chart Thai Party's estranged Deputy Leader Chuwit Kamolvisit, who said the Chart Thai Party's recruitment of new members would not compensate for his departure. Chuwit yesterday paid a visit to the Pracharaj Party headquarters.

Exceedingly confusing wheeling and dealing continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/02Nov2007_news05.php

Sitting on the fence is old Chavalit waiting for things to go the wrong way at the vote and then to come to the fore as the great uniter. Nice plan. Shame about his totally inept record as a PM and head of army.

[sriracha john]

Opportunity knocking....

Politicians cashing in at funerals

The election may revive the spirit of democracy when it takes place, but in the run-up some are trying to cash in on those mourning friends and family who have died. Nithas Thanuwong, a spokesman and coordinator at Wat Thammikaram Woraviharn temple in downtown Prachuap Khiri Khan province, said yesterday that potential candidates for seats on the local municipal council, the provincial administration organisation and the House, as well as political canvassers, were competing to sponsor and preside over funerals at the temple. These people want to preside over funeral rites in the place of relatives of the dead without consulting those relatives beforehand , Mr Nithas said. Local politicians had even asked him to announce their names as the sponsors of funerals and offered bribes in return for doing so without caring about the rights of the relatives or people close to the dead , who had planned to sponsor and preside over such rites, he added. Some candidates in the national election have even showed up simultaneously to preside over the same funeral rites on the same night , becoming inconvenient guests for the mourning relatives. While most people at funerals were extending their condolences to family and friends of the deceased, the political candidates took the opportunity to campaign for votes among the crowd.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/02Nov2007_news09.php

Edited November 2, 2007 by sriracha john

[hammered]

Opportunity knocking....

Politicians cashing in at funerals

The election may revive the spirit of democracy when it takes place, but in the run-up some are trying to cash in on those mourning friends and family who have died. Nithas Thanuwong, a spokesman and coordinator at Wat Thammikaram Woraviharn temple in downtown Prachuap Khiri Khan province, said yesterday that potential candidates for seats on the local municipal council, the provincial administration organisation and the House, as well as political canvassers, were competing to sponsor and preside over funerals at the temple. These people want to preside over funeral rites in the place of relatives of the dead without consulting those relatives beforehand , Mr Nithas said. Local politicians had even asked him to announce their names as the sponsors of funerals and offered bribes in return for doing so without caring about the rights of the relatives or people close to the dead , who had planned to sponsor and preside over such rites, he added. Some candidates in the national election have even showed up simultaneously to preside over the same funeral rites on the same night , becoming inconvenient guests for the mourning relatives. While most people at funerals were extending their condolences to family and friends of the deceased, the political candidates took the opportunity to campaign for votes among the crowd.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/02Nov2007_news09.php

I remember attending a wedding a while back where the Kamnan stood up ansd said something along the lines of I dont really know those getting married and why anyone would want to marry a foreigner rather than a Thai man is beyond me but more importantly dont forget to tun up for the laid on buses on Sunday so we can all go down and vote for the TRT and rewards and handouts will be provided. Followed by a long speech on the goodness of Mr. Thaksin and the evil of everyone else and few threats to not ruin things by voting for anyone but TRT. Interesting insight into the politcal decision making done in the villages. He got the round of applause that ones feudal betters tend to get in these places although a few people did seem a bit embarrassed for those not so local guests who sat through it.

[Tony Clifton]

Funerals?

A new low...

[hammered]

Interesting interview with Giles Ungpakorn on Prahcathai regarding Thai politics etc:

http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=344

May not be to everyones or even anyones thinking but it is worth a read imho

[John K]

Funerals?

A new low...

There is a time and a place for everything including politics, this is not one of them. I am a bit surprised the death count does not go up by one because of disrespected grieving family members.

[blaze]

Interesting interview with Giles Ungpakorn on Prahcathai regarding Thai politics etc:

http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=344

May not be to everyones or even anyones thinking but it is worth a read imho

Thanks for posting that Hammered. It's interesting to read his analysis of the nature of Thai society and the coup and then to re-read Sonthi L's- though they represent opposing ends of a political spectrum.

Does ANY serious analyist really believe that the aims of the coup were to advance democracy, enhance transparancy and rid the country of corruption?

[John K]

Blaze, you need to look at September 2006 and the days leading up to the coup. There was no indications the coup was though out months before. To me is seemed Sonthi made the call no more than 72 hours before based on Thaksin’s last minute orders to override class 10 placements, armed trouble makers coming down to expand the violence on PAD and so on. Thaksin was setting up the excuse to call martial law and sweep away any competition he may have about getting back in power. I feel when those orders came down, it was the straw that broke the camels back.

Taking Thaksin out mission #1

Restore what checks and balances Thaksin ripped out mission #2

[Plus]

"I never believed that Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai built up a patronage system out of the populist policies. "

That's his typical line - he physiologically cannot accept that poor were manipulated in electing Thaksin as it would go against his Marxist faith.

Yet again the reason was sacrificed on the altar of ideology.

Maybe he needs a shrink to learn how to live with the real world rather than the one he believes in.

Much of the anti-Thaksin movement was based on the premise that he duped and brainwashed the voters, and here is the man who denies it no matter what. End of discussion.

[blaze]

"I never believed that Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai built up a patronage system out of the populist policies. "

That's his typical line - he physiologically cannot accept that poor were manipulated in electing Thaksin as it would go against his Marxist faith.

Yet again the reason was sacrificed on the altar of ideology.

Maybe he needs a shrink to learn how to live with the real world rather than the one he believes in.

Much of the anti-Thaksin movement was based on the premise that he duped and brainwashed the voters, and here is the man who denies it no matter what. End of discussion.

Why is it so difficult to believe that the poor in Thailand would do what people in democracies the world over do: vote according to what they perceive is in their best interests? The populist policies that Thaksin initiated, for what ever reasons, sounded good to a large section of the population. How is that any different from the middle class in Canada voting for a party that promises to lower taxes for the middle class? Or the rich in the US voting for a party that promises to get rid of inheritance tax.

Thaksin promised to improve the material quality of their lives. Many felt and continue to feel, that he accomplished that to some extent in his first term. They were realistic enough to understand that after only five years of Thaksinomics they wouldn't be all sporting new Rolexes- but they benefitted from the policies.

Were they good policies? That's hard to say. As far as I know, no real analysis of those policies has been undertaken. But they were popular.

[younghusband]

"I never believed that Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai built up a patronage system out of the populist policies. "

That's his typical line - he physiologically cannot accept that poor were manipulated in electing Thaksin as it would go against his Marxist faith.

Yet again the reason was sacrificed on the altar of ideology.

Maybe he needs a shrink to learn how to live with the real world rather than the one he believes in.

Much of the anti-Thaksin movement was based on the premise that he duped and brainwashed the voters, and here is the man who denies it no matter what. End of discussion.

But, uncomfortable as it may be for you, it's not the end of discussion.You betray your prejudices in refusing even to consider as a possibility that the poor chose Thaksin's populist policies because they saw these benefited them, after decades of neglect by the metropolitan elite.Yes Thaksin was deplorable in many ways but like any smart politician he identified and exploited an opportunity,namely politicising the majority.Now the genie is out of the bottle and although the feudalists and their hangers on rant and foam, it won't be going back in the bottle again.If it's a question of living in the real world may I politely suggest that instead of fawning on a decadent feudal/military/corporate elite, it might be worth paying attention to the aspirations and wellbeing of the majority of Thais.

[blaze]

Blaze, you need to look at September 2006 and the days leading up to the coup. There was no indications the coup was though out months before. To me is seemed Sonthi made the call no more than 72 hours before based on Thaksin’s last minute orders to override class 10 placements, armed trouble makers coming down to expand the violence on PAD and so on. Thaksin was setting up the excuse to call martial law and sweep away any competition he may have about getting back in power. I feel when those orders came down, it was the straw that broke the camels back.

Taking Thaksin out mission #1

Restore what checks and balances Thaksin ripped out mission #2

Regardless of what it seemed to you , "General Saprang Kalayanamitr, commander of the Third Army, said last week that the planning began around seven months in advance. " (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/10/02/opinion/opinion_30015127.php)

[Plus]

Why is it so difficult to believe that the poor in Thailand would...

I don't need to believe anything as it's a common fact that Thaksin and TRT exploited all possible tricks and gimmics to get the votes. Did policies play part in this? Yes. Was it the only factor as Jon always says and you seem to believe - no.

If people refuse to acknowledge Thaksin's use of the media, feudal networks and plain old vote buying there's no point in talking to them.

[blaze]

Why is it so difficult to believe that the poor in Thailand would...

I don't need to believe anything as it's a common fact that Thaksin and TRT exploited all possible tricks and gimmics to get the votes. Did policies play part in this? Yes. Was it the only factor as Jon always says and you seem to believe - no.

If people refuse to acknowledge Thaksin's use of the media, feudal networks and plain old vote buying there's no point in talking to them.

Would you accept that any party, making the same promises- running the same policies- and after one term, being perceived as living up to those promises- and in a political landscape where other parties were offering at best, catch phrases, and advice about how to live more frugally - that that party, without dirty tricks- without an exhorbitantly large media budget- and without resorting to vote buying= would be popular with a large segment of the poor?

Edited November 2, 2007 by blaze

[hammered]

Blaze, you need to look at September 2006 and the days leading up to the coup. There was no indications the coup was though out months before. To me is seemed Sonthi made the call no more than 72 hours before based on Thaksin’s last minute orders to override class 10 placements, armed trouble makers coming down to expand the violence on PAD and so on. Thaksin was setting up the excuse to call martial law and sweep away any competition he may have about getting back in power. I feel when those orders came down, it was the straw that broke the camels back.

Taking Thaksin out mission #1

Restore what checks and balances Thaksin ripped out mission #2

I think if you analyse a simple thing like the troop movements in the coup it exposes quite a well thought out plan and not a 72-hour rush job. Troops came from as far away as Phitsanaloke, Chonburi and Lopburi to launch the coup as most of the troops in Bangkok were seemingly under Thaksin loyalists. That this was done rapidly and under a pre announced troop movement would expose quite a lot of long detailed planning. It was probably the most efficient thing associated with the coup as it was reported when the oficers went to talk to the pro-T commanders in certain barracks in Bangkok they asked them to look out the window and they saw they were surrounded. That kind of operation takes planning. Without careful plans it could so easily have resulted in a lot of bloodshed. All imho of course. In many ways it is a shame such detailed plans were not hatched for things like the economy but then again I guess soldiers do what soldiers do best - military stuff.

[hammered]

Why is it so difficult to believe that the poor in Thailand would...

I don't need to believe anything as it's a common fact that Thaksin and TRT exploited all possible tricks and gimmics to get the votes. Did policies play part in this? Yes. Was it the only factor as Jon always says and you seem to believe - no.

If people refuse to acknowledge Thaksin's use of the media, feudal networks and plain old vote buying there's no point in talking to them.

Mr. T and TRT employed all of the above you mention for sure. They were often interlinked too. Policies were popular and backed up by a bunch of donations and extremely well marketed to the degree that that maybe people believed they were more effective than they were. It is all quite complicated, and not made easier by the fact that the rural constituencies include large and increasing minorities of urban workers who have to travel home to vote and who have different wants and neds to those of the purely rural constituents. The urban worker group is also nowhere near as supportive of the TRT/PPP as the rural group in the N and NE (in my experience) although because they are pretty evenly spread across constituencies and many dont even travel to vote their voice tends never to be heard. The poor is not one huge voting group but an amalgamation of many different voices. Giles is right about one thing - the people movement has no voice and never has. Even if one doesnt like his brand of politcs his analysis is at times glaringly and obviously correct. The establishment of true worker parties in Thailand is overdue. As these tend to come from the actual urban working class it is easy to see why they dont develop when we see how disenfranchised and disorganised the urabn workers are and have always been. Maybe in a lifetime or so, but first they will need to be removed frm being tied to some piece of land hundreds of kilometers from where they live and work. Until that time iot is likely any party wanting to win Thai elections will continue to need populist rhetoric and at last some real populist policies coupled with mass use of patronage system, cash and......

[Plus]

Would you accept that any party, making the same promises- running the same policies- and after one term, being perceived as living up to those promises- and in a political landscape where other parties were offering at best, catch phrases, and advice about how to live more frugally - that that party, without dirty tricks- without an exhorbitantly large media budget- and without resorting to vote buying= would be popular with a large segment of the poor?

You propose an impossible scenario but clearly hint at real life parties. It's trap of sorts. Yes. That party would be popular, no, you can't draw parallels with TRT and Democrats.

I like that you mentioned exhorbitant media budget. I forgot about it myself.

To what degree the percieved success of those policies was due to constant media bombardment about how good they are?

Would people even know about those wretched 300 Ua Arton houses or taxies if they were not mentioned on prime time TV every bloody day? Or take OTOP - they had Ad Carabao singing about it so everyone knows it's good. But is it really? Or is it just a perception created by the media?

Do people think that Thaksin cared about them because he actually does or because it's been said over and over again on TV?

Would that emotional bond between voters and TRT exist if not for the brainwashing propaganda?

Ungpakorn is too one-dimensional in his analysis to be taken seriously. And no one does so far, btw.

[Plus]

Giles is right about one thing - the people movement has no voice and never has.

And never will, and it doesn't even exist, I might add.

It's not 19 century Europe anymore. Urban desinfranchised workers do not lead social reforms and they'd rather vote for ultra rightists (where do you think Samak's voter base comes from?).

I bet the main political base of EVERY social democratic party is middle class, but in Thailand leftists like Giles hate middle class as much as they hate junta. Good luck to them and their social theories, I'm not interested.

[blaze]

Giles is right about one thing - the people movement has no voice and never has.

And never will, and it doesn't even exist, I might add.

It's not 19 century Europe anymore.

It is here. Ok- a mix of 19th cent with a few shakes of 14th century and a healthy dollop of dark ages. And representing the 20th century- awesome malls.

[Plus]

Seriosly - can anyone show any evidence of this alleged "people's movement"? In 19th century there were barricades and French Revolutions and bombs and Marx and The International and what not so it looked real for a while.

How many urban desinfranchised workers are in Giles own party?

I'm all for discussion about this people movement if it existed, but Giles talks about ghosts of communism escaped from Europe.

[sriracha john]

Wait... there's more horse-trading:

Wadah faction denies defection to People Power Party

A Wadah faction [part of the banned Thai Rak Thai Party] member yesterday denied reports of a move to the People Power Party, but a source said the group might defect if it can control the selection of candidates in the South.

The group will make its decision today.

Wadah is still with the Matchima Thipataya Party, but that might change depending on the political situation, he said.

Well, some of them made their decision...and change, they did...

Wadah faction defects to PPP

Seven members of Wadah faction decided to defect from the Matchima Thipataya party to the People Power party on Friday.

The members include Den Tohmeena, Areepen Uttarasin and Sommart Jaena. The Wadah faction, which projects itself as the voice of Muslim voters in a predominantly Buddhist parliament, is popular in the three southernmost provinces. People Power Party officially welcomed its new members at its head office on Friday. Areepen said the Wadah group decided to join PPP because it champions democracy policy in solving southern unrest, which is the faction's ideology.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=123218

[sriracha john]

Democrats and PPP to battle for Bangkok

Bangkok will be a battlefield between only two major political parties _ the Democrats and the Thai Rak Thai-reincarnation the People Power party (PPP) in the upcoming Dec 23 general election. While the Democrats have announced they are confident of winning 26 of the 36 seats for Bangkok, PPP spokesman Kudep Saikrachang said his party believes it will win at least half of the 36 seats and more seats than the Democrats on the proportional representation list. Other parties seem to be focusing their efforts on their respective strong-holds upcountry. The Democrats and the PPP are not only vying for seats in Bangkok, the two parties' leaders are also regarded as the two key contenders for the post of premier. The Democrats may be able to achieve their target of garnering 26 Lower House seats for Bangkok, given the fact that they have a leader projecting the image of a well-bred and well-educated premiership contender, while Samak has been seen as losing his popularity.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/03Nov2007_news14.php

[John K]

Blaze, you need to look at September 2006 and the days leading up to the coup. There was no indications the coup was though out months before. To me is seemed Sonthi made the call no more than 72 hours before based on Thaksin’s last minute orders to override class 10 placements, armed trouble makers coming down to expand the violence on PAD and so on. Thaksin was setting up the excuse to call martial law and sweep away any competition he may have about getting back in power. I feel when those orders came down, it was the straw that broke the camels back.

Taking Thaksin out mission #1

Restore what checks and balances Thaksin ripped out mission #2

Regardless of what it seemed to you , "General Saprang Kalayanamitr, commander of the Third Army, said last week that the planning began around seven months in advance. " (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/10/02/opinion/opinion_30015127.php)

A good read blaze, I am glad you pointed it out to me. Yes now in reflecting it did make sense to put a contingency plan in place. Where the mention of seven months in advance would put it at the time Thaksin dissolved parliament, and not the Shin deal that actually came to light eight months before the coup.

It appears than when thaksin did the radical move of dissolving parliament hence removing the government himself, it set off some warning bells. The dissolving of parliament only severed Thaksin’s personal desires and not the country.

When the military did it’s moves to put class 10 in dormant positions clearly Thaksin was not please but publicly he said it was military business. However just before he left Thailand for the last time he issued orders placing class 10 back in key positions. Add to that the violence now taking place against peaceful protesters and it left no doubt Thaksin wanted complete control so no challenge to him would succeed.

If you want to look at it in another light, Thaksin himself was conducting a slow motion coup that was nearing completion. He had removed the government, he was moving to get control of the military, he already had control of the police, the courts, virtually every part of government was under his control.

The elections and having a seated parliament under Thaksin control would only have the appearance of being democratic. This way people who find themselves stuck on the word and not what they see would actually be supporting a dictator dressed as a PM because he looks like a PM.

Edited November 3, 2007 by John K

[Plus]

There was also a widely publicised remark by Sonthi that people like Saprang had nothing to do with the coup at all and only a few Sonthi's personal aides were involved.

>>>>

Wadah faction that had lost all its seats in the last election because they were linked to Thaksin will have a hard time campaigning under PPP banner.

I aslo doubt PPP will win half of Bangkok seats. While Samak is still popular, 1.2 million voted him for governor in 2000, his popularity took a deep dive since and only 250 thousand voted for him in senatorial elections last year. I doubt he could beat Demos on proportional list votes in Bangkok, and his MPs are viewed as Thaksin's proxies rather than Samak's, so no popularity boost there.

When PPP released their poll results that showed they would win 250 seats I was worried - TRT pollsters were always uncunningly right, but the current boasting about winning 26 seats in Bangkok shows that they resorted to talking up the numbers. Apparently they release their targets rather than actual predictions.

240 seats needed to form a government and it looks almost certain PPP won't win that alone and it is also politically isolated at the moment.

[blaze]

Blaze, you need to look at September 2006 and the days leading up to the coup. There was no indications the coup was though out months before. To me is seemed Sonthi made the call no more than 72 hours before based on Thaksin’s last minute orders to override class 10 placements, armed trouble makers coming down to expand the violence on PAD and so on. Thaksin was setting up the excuse to call martial law and sweep away any competition he may have about getting back in power. I feel when those orders came down, it was the straw that broke the camels back.

Taking Thaksin out mission #1

Restore what checks and balances Thaksin ripped out mission #2

Regardless of what it seemed to you , "General Saprang Kalayanamitr, commander of the Third Army, said last week that the planning began around seven months in advance. " (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/10/02/opinion/opinion_30015127.php)

A good read blaze, I am glad you pointed it out to me. Yes now in reflecting it did make sense to put a contingency plan in place. Where the mention of seven months in advance would put it at the time Thaksin dissolved parliament, and not the Shin deal that actually came to light eight months before the coup.

It appears than when thaksin did the radical move of dissolving parliament hence removing the government himself, it set off some warning bells. The dissolving of parliament only severed Thaksin’s personal desires and not the country.

When the military did it’s moves to put class 10 in dormant positions clearly Thaksin was not please but publicly he said it was military business. However just before he left Thailand for the last time he issued orders placing class 10 back in key positions. Add to that the violence now taking place against peaceful protesters and it left no doubt Thaksin wanted complete control so no challenge to him would succeed.

If you want to look at it in another light, Thaksin himself was conducting a slow motion coup that was nearing completion. He had removed the government, he was moving to get control of the military, he already had control of the police, the courts, virtually every part of government was under his control.

The elections and having a seated parliament under Thaksin control would only have the appearance of being democratic. This way people who find themselves stuck on the word and not what they see would actually be supporting a dictator dressed as a PM because he looks like a PM.

In the period following the call for fresh elections, what was the evidence that Thaksin had 'control of the courts'. (recall that three EC officials were imprisoned for bias in favor of the TRT).

What was the evidence that he had control of the police (though I sure hope in this country somebody has control of them- ideally the government).

And as far as control of the army- well had he had control of the army, there'd have been no coup.

And violence against peaceful protesters? Do you think he ordered the old man to get smacked? I've seen more political violence in runups to the municipal elections in Moose Jaw.

[Plus]

Control of the Courts was wrestled from Thaksin only after that famous HM speech.

He always had police under his control - they were his allies in taking on old Prem's network. Kowit was given a place on CNS just for show and was kicked out very soon afterwards.

Thaksin had control of the military until Sonthi shifted his officers on the ground and still the Supreme Commander was Thaksin's man, but, as he found out, he was outmanuevered.

While the beating up of an old man is not a big deal in a large scheme of things, the really dangerous part was that it was a state directed violence against its own people. Last time Thailand stepped on that path it ended up with lynching and burning hundreds on people on Sanam Luang.

Let's not forget that the opposition party was violently prevented form holding political rallies in Thailand's second largest city, and there has never been any law enforcement in the countryside at all.

[sriracha john]

Thaksin niece joins the fray

Chinnicha Wongsawat, a 26-year-old niece of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will be contesting the general election in Chiang Mai.

Even though 100 million baht in her bank accounts has been frozen - the Assets Examination Committee suspects the money was part of the proceeds from the sale of Shin Corp to Singapore's Temasek Holdings - Chinnicha said it would not affect her campaign.

*above issue is covered here*:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...p;#entry1630511

AEC Freezes Thaksin's Assets, Proceeds From Shin Corp Sale

Additionally, she might not need it so much anyway as Money & Banking Magazine listed her as 64th on Thailand's 500 Richest People list with 760 million baht, while her siblings Chayapha and Yoschanant had 645 million baht and 636 million baht, respectively.

"I think it is a different issue. Politics is politics, while the case is in the justice system. Therefore it should not be linked," she said.

Chinnicha says she has no need to make people understand the controversial case, adding she has talked to voters as a candidate who wants to serve the country.

Chinnicha, daughter of Thaksin's younger sister Yaowapa Wongsawat (TRT Banned #13), received a master's degrees in MSc E-Commerce at Birkbeck University in London.

She has been known as businesswoman but when her mother was banned from politics, she decided to quit business and enter politics.

Chinnicha denies she is a nominee of Yaowapa and claims that being a niece of Thaksin will not give her an advantage.

"Whether I win or not will be up to the people's decision," she said, although she believed in her ability to serve the people of Chiang Mai.

Chinnicha will contest Chiang Mai's constituency 1, which is her mother's former base for the Thai Rak Thai Party.

- The Nation

[sriracha john]

Pua Paendin Party boasts to win 85 MPs

The Pua Paendin Party on Friday has made an upbeat projection to win some 85 of 480 House seats with a margin of error of plus or minus about 20 seats, a party source.

In the Northeast, the party expects to claim 54 seats from 136 up for grabs via direct vote.

The outcome should comprise seven seats from Sakon Nakhon, six seats each from Nong Khai, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani, five seats each from Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima, four seats each from Yasothon and Surin, two seats from Amnat Charoen and one seat each from Chaiyaphum, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom and Si Sa Ket.

For the Central Region and the Eastern Seaboard, the party will likely grab eight seats consisting of five from Samut Prakan, two from Chachoengsao and one from Prachin Buri.

In the North, the outcome should see six seats comprising one seat each from Chiang Mai and Phayao and two seats each from Lamphun and Mae Hong Son.

The party should win three seats from Bangkok and four seats from three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwas.

For the proportionate vote, the party has projected securing 10 seats from eight constituencies nationwide.

The party's campaign managers include its leader Suwit Khunkitti and veterans like Pracha Phromnok, Kwang Robkob, Waemahadee Wadaoh, Suradej Yasawat, Vatana Asavahame, Pinij Charusombat and Preecha Laohapongchana.

- The Nation

[sriracha john]

Education is made new party's watchword

The Matchima Thipataya Party's slogan for its campaign rallies will be "Good-hearted Uncle Prachai: Free education up to bachelor's degree" to highlight its education policies, party leader Prachai Leophairatana said yesterday.

Prachai said the party would hold its first rally in Chiang Mai on Thursday, to be followed by a rally in Bangkok on November 17.

"All party rallies will be under the slogan 'Good-hearted Uncle Prachai: Free education up to bachelor's degree' in order to woo young voters," he said.

Prachai said he planned to hold major rallies in Nakhon Sawan, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani and Nakhon Pathom, but none in the South, considered the Democrats' stronghold, because he did not want to clash with the Democrat Party.

The party's policies on education include free schooling from kindergarten through undergraduate level, halting the policy to make universities autonomous, raising salaries of education personnel and a 10-year debt moratorium for teachers, he said.

Prachai said he had put party candidate Thawatchai Sajjakul in charge of campaigning in all 12 constituencies in Bangkok, where his party expects to win all 36 House seats. *guess he hasn't read the article contained in Post #922 regarding Bangkok.*

He was optimistic that party secretary-general Anongwan Thepsuthin would secure victory in direct as well as proportionate voting in Sukhothai.

Prachai said the party expected no adverse impact from the Wadah faction's decision on Thursday to team up with People Power Party since it had not planned to campaign in the South.

"Matchima Thipataya will field some candidates in the South, but does not expect to campaign hard," he said.

Thawatchai said his Bangkok constituents appeared enthusiastic about his party's policies.

"My constituents have asked a lot of questions about the economy and this led me to devise a campaign strategy to promote my party leader Prachai, an experienced hand in business and economics, as the next prime minister," he said.

The party denied news reports about the appointment of Somsak Thepsuthin as its campaign manager, saying that Somsak could not hold any executive position because of his five-year ban from politics related to the court order that disbanded the Thai Rak Thai Party for committing electoral fraud.

It said the former Thai Rak Thai executive offered advice, but was not involved in campaigning.

- The Nation

[hammered]

Giles is right about one thing - the people movement has no voice and never has.

And never will, and it doesn't even exist, I might add.

It's not 19 century Europe anymore. Urban desinfranchised workers do not lead social reforms and they'd rather vote for ultra rightists (where do you think Samak's voter base comes from?).

I bet the main political base of EVERY social democratic party is middle class, but in Thailand leftists like Giles hate middle class as much as they hate junta. Good luck to them and their social theories, I'm not interested.

The people movement itself is a reference to the wants, desires, needs and aspirations of the majority of ordinary people and how they will get them. Right now the people movement if it even exists as such (moot) is split across supporting several politcal parties and pressure groups althought the TRT was good at manipulating and using the desires of this "grouping". None of those trying to graft the people's support on has any real support for the people beyond use of them as voting block although that is probably hard for the people to see in the abscence of their own formed parties and pressure groups outside the patronage system, and with their constant denial to access to decent education, or at least the education to which the middle and upper classes aspire.

The disenfranchised urban workers do not have any voice right now but certainly have their own set of grievances very different from any their rural forefolk have had and in that there is a problem of disunity too. Whether they will lead or be part of social change in Thailand may well seem moot right now although to disenfrachise so obviously the largest expanding group in the country would seem to be a dangerous thing for politicains and elite to do. As the youth deserts the rural areas for the attractions of a "better" life in urban areas things will only get worse if better jobs and better accomodation and opportunities are not afforded this group which is also expanding rapidly around the power centers and does not have to worry about things like crops or how to travel hundreds of kilometers. Both the PAD and the TRT demos enjoyed support either voluntary or recruited from these very workers.

By the way, Samak's support hails from the ultra-traditionalist native working class of Bangkok who are neither disenfrachised or particularly poor compared to the more recently developing urban groups.

I would also argue that if there were a true party of labour representing the very people in a system not so tied to the land the country would be a lot more stable and it would actually have been a lot more difficult for opportunist politicians like Thaksin to rise to such a position of total domination of the politcal sphere. That the political system was and remains so feudal and traditional does a diservice to the country. The middle classes themselves may also actually find their own interests more stable with a politcal system that actually allows for the creation of a system that includes the majority (urban poor as well as the rural ones and recognizes the differences). However, we are now talking about something that may develop in the future. As to whether the poor can be part of a movement to create more equity and opportunity in a country we dont have to look much further than parts of South America which very much see this happening not on the scale of the very capitalist Thaksin government but with control being taken of countries resources so that they better benefit those in poverty. Although that analogy may not be to the liking of some on here, it does highlight what can happen if the poverty gap incessently increases in a country and nothing is done to alleviate this. In the case of Thailand it could eaily be argued that the Thaksinistas were actually the capitalists trying to slightly reform the system so as to keep those in poverty happy rather than see them inevitably develop their own politcal voice and take control of things through democractic development of their own movement.

The development of European style social democratic parties with large midle class support is a stage or two furtehr on from where Thailand is now. First the middle class needs to be much much larger and first the working people need to develop their own politics and representation that will give them the opportunity of a generation or so down the line having their offspring actually become middle class. European countries and the US did not just become middle class over night, they went through a process. The process in Thailand may not end up being the same but still without a large and politically active and represented working class as a pre-step a large and secure middel class will also not develop imho.

Anyway interesting to debate things on this level in a country that is changing albeit hopefully in a peaceful way.