With Move Forward unbending, 8-party alliance hangs in the balance

[snoop1130]

 

Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew had intended to deliver a single message to a planned meeting with its political allies this afternoon (Tuesday). Even without the meeting, which was abruptly cancelled without explanation, the message is already clear to everyone.

 

Cholnan told Thai PBS World on Monday that he wanted to inform the meeting formally that his mission to mobilise wider support for a prime ministerial candidate, to be nominated by the now Pheu Thai-led alliance, had failed.

 

“Every political party we talked to made it clear that working with us is impossible, as long as the Move Forward Party advocates mending Article 112 (the lèse majesté law),” said Cholnan.

 

Caption: Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/with-move-forward-unbending-8-party-alliance-hangs-in-the-balance/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-07-25

 

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[tomacht8]

As long as all pro-democracy parties stand together with their 2/3 majority, they can only win. If they sit this out until the end of May 2024, then the time from this army-ordained blockade senators will end. Then a new group  of  Senators  comes in, which will appointed by a more grassroots process. There is then hope that the new Senate will recognize democratically elected majorities.

[mfd101]

It is also possible that guidance be provided by HM in his speech this Friday. That may be the only way forward.

[anchadian]

 

[cleopatra2]

32 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

As long as all pro-democracy parties stand together with their 2/3 majority, they can only win. If they sit this out until the end of May 2024, then the time from this army-ordained blockade senators will end. Then a new group  of  Senators  comes in, which will appointed by a more grassroots process. There is then hope that the new Senate will recognize democratically elected majorities.

If the strategy is to wait for May when the senators no longer have a vote, this would be a mistake for the MF party.

 

The coalition only exists in an attempt to nullify the Senators vote. Once the Senators  no longer have a vote , there is no reason for the coalition to exist. Both MF and PT have sufficient numbers to bring about their own separate majority with other parties.

 

Of course there is no guarantee that before May next year an opposition party nominates another candidate and bypassing the existing coalition.

 

 

[BangkokReady]

Can't they just have the same coalition as before, or does having MFP in the alliance mean that whomever they nominate will be rejected?

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

As long as all pro-democracy parties stand together with their 2/3 majority, they can only win. If they sit this out until the end of May 2024, then the time from this army-ordained blockade senators will end. Then a new group  of  Senators  comes in, which will appointed by a more grassroots process. There is then hope that the new Senate will recognize democratically elected majorities.

"Then a new group  of  Senators  comes in, which will appointed by a more grassroots process."

 

Interesting. Where did that statement come from? Link? 

[mancub]

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

It is also possible that guidance be provided by HM in his speech this Friday. That may be the only way forward.

Dependant on who writes the speech ? 

[dinsdale]

The people wanted change. Change is not possible or permitted. TIT. You vote and it doesn't count. No democracy just a minority of self serving dinasaurs. PTP now will sleep in the same bed as the military. PTP massive support base will see this as treason. It will not matter until the entire system is overthrown and the dinasaurs go the same way of the actual dinasaurs that roamed this planet. EXTINCT.

[anchadian]

2 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

As long as all pro-democracy parties stand together with their 2/3 majority, they can only win. If they sit this out until the end of May 2024, then the time from this army-ordained blockade senators will end. Then a new group  of  Senators  comes in, which will appointed by a more grassroots process. There is then hope that the new Senate will recognize democratically elected majorities.

It's actually 11 May 2024 when senators will be powerless to vote for a PM.

Caretaker Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam clarified that the current Senate will continue to hold power as a caretaking senate after its terms end in May 2024. However, their authority to vote for a prime minister will cease on May 11, 2024, as stated in the charter.

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1683789135054782464

 

[cliveshep]

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

It is also possible that guidance be provided by HM in his speech this Friday. That may be the only way forward.

Hmmm - I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. Any guidance would be likely to be aimed at mutual support of the Army.

[cliveshep]

What I find remarkable is that the Parlimentary Vote on the choice of a new PM has been postponed indefinitely by the Speaker of the House following a statement by the Constitution Court. This could well bring matters to a head in a vote taking place after the current Senate is dismissed and assuming they cannot find justifiable reasons to abrogate the people's choice and ban Pita could see him made PM yet with a new and more amenable law-abiding bunch of senators prepared to abide by the wishes of the majority of the Thai voters..

 

Certainly the next lot of Senators won't be Prayut's stooges unless there is another democracy-denying coup.

[cleopatra2]

19 minutes ago, cliveshep said:

What I find remarkable is that the Parlimentary Vote on the choice of a new PM has been postponed indefinitely by the Speaker of the House following a statement by the Constitution Court. This could well bring matters to a head in a vote taking place after the current Senate is dismissed and assuming they cannot find justifiable reasons to abrogate the people's choice and ban Pita could see him made PM yet with a new and more amenable law-abiding bunch of senators prepared to abide by the wishes of the majority of the Thai voters..

 

Certainly the next lot of Senators won't be Prayut's stooges unless there is another democracy-denying coup.

The new Senators do not have a vote. It will solely be the House of Representatives. 

[eisfeld]

46 minutes ago, scorecard said:

"Then a new group  of  Senators  comes in, which will appointed by a more grassroots process."

 

Interesting. Where did that statement come from? Link? 

Section 269 of the constitution lays out the selection process for the initial term: https://www.ect.go.th/ect_en/download/article/article_20170517132144.pdf

 

After that the Organic Act on the Acquisition of Senators takes over. Senators can only serve one term so next year all Senate will be swapped out. https://www.ect.go.th/ect_en/download/article/article_20210806135906.pdf

 

But the Senators don't get a vote in who gets to be PM from that moment either.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, eisfeld said:

Section 269 of the constitution lays out the selection process for the initial term: https://www.ect.go.th/ect_en/download/article/article_20170517132144.pdf

 

After that the Organic Act on the Acquisition of Senators takes over. Senators can only serve one term so next year all Senate will be swapped out. https://www.ect.go.th/ect_en/download/article/article_20210806135906.pdf

 

But the Senators don't get a vote in who gets to be PM from that moment either.

Thank you.

[greeneking]

8 hours ago, mfd101 said:

It is also possible that guidance be provided by HM in his speech this Friday. That may be the only way forward.

Thailand is a country of compromise.

Who said that?

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“Every political party we talked to made it clear that working with us is impossible, as long as the Move Forward Party advocates mending Article 112 (the lèse majesté law),” said Cholnan.

So we can see what's coming next... he will not relinquish power.

They will oust MFP and bring in Anutin and a few others to get the votes they require.

If ever there was a time for the populous to rise up and be heard it's now...

But we know that won't happen, moaners don't make doers.

[Eric Loh]

14 hours ago, mfd101 said:

It is also possible that guidance be provided by HM in his speech this Friday. That may be the only way forward.

If the speech repeats the previous HM’s benevolence on criticism, it will change the dynamics on the senates recalcitrance. 

[mfd101]

3 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

If the speech repeats the previous HM’s benevolence on criticism, it will change the dynamics on the senates recalcitrance. 

Precisely.

[bradiston]

Pheu Thai should be banned. Its "owner" and "CEO" is a convicted felon living abroad. They banned Future Forward for far less. How much money has Tony sunk into it? Have any other parties been investigated?

[bradiston]

Unbending? Has anyone suggested abandoning their proposed 112 amendments would make the slightest bit of difference? No! Because it wouldn't. The target isn't 112 at all. It's the whole reform movement. 112 is simply a convenient peg on which to hang all their fake moral outrage. How dare they etc etc. Reforming the military and other aspects of Thai society are far more of a threat. The 112 amendments are nothing. They're not even achievable as things stand, even if the coalition by some miracle was able to form a government. MFP has only a minority of seats in the House. The proposed amendments would be tabled, debated, voted on, and dumped. End of. Such hypocrisy to blame the 112 amendments.

[Purdey]

How can Parliament wait until May 2024 without a prime minister? Announce an interim PM maybe? 

Maybe possible as Belgium went 592 days without a government at all so I guess it could happen. But the entire period will see more cases against MF that may lead to its dissolution. 

[bamnutsak]

17 hours ago, mfd101 said:

It is also possible that guidance be provided by HM in his speech this Friday. That may be the only way forward.

Did he give a birthday speech last year?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayut said HM King told him not to use lese majeste laws against civilians; opposition calls for its abolishing

 

June 15, 2020

 

King Vajiralongkorn has instructed the Thai government not to use Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, or the lèse-majesté law, to prosecute civilians, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said on Monday.

 

“You can see that today that we have not been using 112 at all.” he told reporters on Monday, “You know why? It was because the King was kind enough to instruct that it should not be used.”

 

https://www.thaienquirer.com/14457/prayut-said-hm-king-told-him-not-to-use-lese-majeste-laws-against-civilians-opposition-calls-for-its-abolishing/

 

 

Fast Forward (new MFP party name?) to November 19 2020, yes five months later... 

 

PM Prayuth promises to use ‘all laws’ against Thai protesters

Rallies calling for Prayuth’s resignation and reform of once untouchable monarchy began in July.

 

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Thursday the government would use all forms of legislation against protesters who broke the law, as demonstrations calling for his removal and reforms to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn that began in July, continued to escalate.

 

Activists voiced concern the prime minister’s comments could signal the resumption of prosecutions under some of the world’s harshest laws on royal insult.

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/19/pm-prayuth-promises-to-use-all-laws-against-thai-protesters

 

 

 

 

It's this sort of capriciousness in "using" the law to suppress free speech that is vexing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bradiston]

13 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

Did he give a birthday speech last year?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayut said HM King told him not to use lese majeste laws against civilians; opposition calls for its abolishing

 

June 15, 2020

 

King Vajiralongkorn has instructed the Thai government not to use Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, or the lèse-majesté law, to prosecute civilians, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said on Monday.

 

“You can see that today that we have not been using 112 at all.” he told reporters on Monday, “You know why? It was because the King was kind enough to instruct that it should not be used.”

 

https://www.thaienquirer.com/14457/prayut-said-hm-king-told-him-not-to-use-lese-majeste-laws-against-civilians-opposition-calls-for-its-abolishing/

 

 

Fast Forward (new MFP party name?) to November 19 2020, yes five months later... 

 

PM Prayuth promises to use ‘all laws’ against Thai protesters

Rallies calling for Prayuth’s resignation and reform of once untouchable monarchy began in July.

 

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Thursday the government would use all forms of legislation against protesters who broke the law, as demonstrations calling for his removal and reforms to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn that began in July, continued to escalate.

 

Activists voiced concern the prime minister’s comments could signal the resumption of prosecutions under some of the world’s harshest laws on royal insult.

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/19/pm-prayuth-promises-to-use-all-laws-against-thai-protesters

 

 

 

 

It's this sort of capriciousness in "using" the law to suppress free speech that is vexing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excellently researched and linked. I remember an article which spelt out the number behind bars from the previous spate of demonstrations. It was well over 1000 IIRC. Can't locate the link. What you see is not what you get.