Exit Poll Results Show PPP Wins

[Old Man River]

If coups can't accomplish anything anymore, as this one didn't, maybe the silver lining is no more coups?

Hopefully, that message will sink in with the elite/military powerbrokers.

The world is changing, even for Thailand and unless they want to end up like Burma, sooner or later they will have to understand that democracy is the way to go. Its going to be a painful transition for the old ruling class elite. Maybe one more try at holding back the tide of change is definately on the cards IMHO.

The junta used corruption to try and sell the idea to the populace that the coup was needed (i.e. national reconciliation). They ultimately failed to accomplish this. However, as most of us understand, the real reason for the coup was something entirely different. To this end, the junta was able to put laws into place giving them judicial power to make sure that their ends are met going forward. This is why there was a rush at the end to pass so many laws. Having accomplished this, from this standpoint, the coup was a complete success.

[blaze]

Thaksin is not going back into politics again.

What, you mean he ever left?

Well if you missed it somewhere between today and yesterday the PPP announce they wanted more than a simple majority, they want enough to root up the new constitution. I don't need to tell anyone who has been paying attention what that means.

I would totally support that of course!!!

The constitution that was torn up was referred to as the 'People's Constitution'. There's an excellent wikipedia article on it. This was replaced by something VERY doctored by the military, with the specific aim to cement military influence in Thai politics.

The current constitution is a piece of trash, and changing it is near impossible because that would require a 2/3 majority in the house and ALSO IN THE SENATE, and..... under this constition, half the senate is APPOINTED, not elected.. SO.. . . . That effectively means we might as well stop discussing amending the constitution because it's not going to happen. (Not without a serious fight anyway).

Of course it MUST happen sooner or later if Thailand is to make democratic progress... For now though, I think all parties have said that other things are more urgent than amending the constitution and I think they're right.

And besides, the constitution is a law. Laws in Thailand: Always a workaround.

If we believe- naively in my opinion- that the coup was about Thaksin (and not that he merely provided the rationale) then it was at best a farce. An expensive, demoralizing humiliating farce.

But if we believe that the army and certain elements of the aristocracy have been increasingly frustrated with their lack of 'input' into political affairs and that this coup was actually aimed at providing the archconservative military and its supporters with a voice in politics disproportinate to their numbers- then the coup was a brilliant stroke of genius.

By placing their members in key positions in the state enterprises- and with their charter- they and their brothers in the beaurocracy- will be able to exert more control over the senate than they have had in a long time. Constitutionally- every law that is passed will have to meet with the approval of the army- through its representatives and proxies in the senate. At any time non-confidence votes can be launched- not from the Senate- and impeachment proceedings. And this is what the analysts refer to when they talk about a 'managed' democracy.

The hope should be that the current military leadership will be removed and replaced with generals who actually believes that the army should NOT participate in politics- Let alone state enterprises- But even that will, I expect, not be easy.

There is just too much profits involved- never mind political positioning.

The point about the senate is particularly pertinent. the NLA will act as the senate when the next government is formed. That will make it extremely difficult to get any controversial legislation passed and I would say unlikey any constitutional change will happen. Even after the half elected seate is seated only changes with broad consensus are likely. Any controversial or big changes or laws proposed will inevitably set off a potentially explosive clash. Some argue that it is better to have this sooner than later although reality is that at some point the clash is inevitable. This is imho of course where we are today. Personally I would prefer to see calmer heads prevail but that really is up to the Thai politcal elite and other players.

I think so too Hammered- for at least as long as the PPP is in power (if it acedes to power) I expect non confidence votes- and at best- a political stalemate- just a real ugly mess where any pretense of ideology is going to be lost. But lets not forget- there are those who would welcome a government that doesn't legislate- such a government gurantees the status quo- and for some- that's pretty attractive.

Now I'm gonna go way out on a limb: could it be that such a stalemate is what the NLA saw coming down the line- and so they passed a whole bunch of legislation- knowing that whatever legislation that goes through before the new legislature takes office- will be the only new laws for a long time to come. Another brilliant stroke.

The pure cunning of these coup people- well- ya gotta respect it.

All this fear about Thaksin coming back and rigging the judicial system also sounds pretty- off base too. The bodies that will be responsible for hearing his case(s)- correct me if I'm wrong- are ultimately veted by---- the Senate- aren't they?

Edited December 25, 2007 by blaze

[sriracha john]

my best holidays wishes to Thailand. pls. solve this problem by charging Dr. Thaksin with the evidence against him, and fight it out in a court of law. you do have a court of law don't you? pls. forgive my naivety.

Not so easy when Dr Thaksin fails to show up in court, to face his trials, and prefers to become a fugitive from justice instead.

i really am not too up on all this, so pls. bear with me. are you stating that Thailand issued a international arrest warrant for the Dr.? i actually thought that he was barred from entering the country.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=137480

Arrest Warrants Issued For Former PM Thaksin And His Wife

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=137657&hl=

Thaksin May Face More Arrest Warrants

and exactly who is hampering his arrest and extradition back to Thailand? it's not like no one knows where he is. my god, a fugitive is not what it used to be, i guess.

7 minutes?? That was extremely fast reading for 2 rather lengthy threads....

but anyway, it's Thaksin who is hampering his arrest. Extraditions world-wide are often bogged down for years with litigations... his case is not so different from many others.

if Thaksin is "hampering" his own arrest ... i give up.

In any extradition, if the defendant wishes to contend the extradition and not comply with an arrest warrant (which many defendants willingly do so chose to comply with an arrest warrant) then it can be construed as hampering his arrest.

Edited December 25, 2007 by sriracha john

[dog412]

my best holidays wishes to Thailand. pls. solve this problem by charging Dr. Thaksin with the evidence against him, and fight it out in a court of law. you do have a court of law don't you? pls. forgive my naivety.

Not so easy when Dr Thaksin fails to show up in court, to face his trials, and prefers to become a fugitive from justice instead.

i really am not too up on all this, so pls. bear with me. are you stating that Thailand issued a international arrest warrant for the Dr.? i actually thought that he was barred from entering the country.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=137480

Arrest Warrants Issued For Former PM Thaksin And His Wife

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=137657&hl=

Thaksin May Face More Arrest Warrants

and exactly who is hampering his arrest and extradition back to Thailand? it's not like no one knows where he is. my god, a fugitive is not what it used to be, i guess.

7 minutes?? That was extremely fast reading for 2 rather lengthy threads....

but anyway, it's Thaksin who is hampering his arrest. Extraditions world-wide are often bogged down for years with litigations... his case is not so different from many others.

if Thaksin is "hampering" his own arrest ... i give up.

In any extradition, if the defendant wishes to contend the extradition and not comply with an arrest warrant (which many defendants willingly do so chose to comply with an arrest warrant) then it can be construed as hampering his arrest.

i won't belabor the point, but the Thai can just add it to the Drs. court docket if and or when he returns.

[sriracha john]

Fighting the extradition is within his legal right and won't result in any additional charges... but I'm glad I was able to play a minor part in your 31 minute education...

i really am not too up on all this, so pls. bear with me. are you stating that Thailand issued a international arrest warrant for the Dr.? i actually thought that he was barred from entering the country.

ok. let me just say that i seriously doubt that Thailand attempted in any way to have the Dr. extradited back to Thailand, in any way, shape or form. and i seriously doubt most people would consider him a "fugitive" from the Thai justice department. i only believe the man should face the music in Thailand. unfortunately, justice doesn't rate very high on the scale here, so what can one say.

[dog412]

so am i , cheers

[Old Man River]

We all know that the Democrats had vowed to amend the new FBA to make it more receptive to foreign investment as well as release capital controls. Is anyone aware of where the PPP stands on these issues?

[A_Traveller]

AFAIK PPP made no campaign comments about FBA. they were and are Thai centric. However, looking at likely members of the team, I'd not expect a more liberal FBA view to be pre-eminent.

It should be noted that the FBA was not amended because the junta pulled it after the NLA wanted to add even more stringent conditions. Since the NLA will become the senate it would be open to a tougher version, if PPP were so minded.

Regards

/edit add NLA point//

Edited December 25, 2007 by A_Traveller

[wintermute]

The junta used corruption to try and sell the idea to the populace that the coup was needed (i.e. national reconciliation). They ultimately failed to accomplish this. However, as most of us understand, the real reason for the coup was something entirely different. To this end, the junta was able to put laws into place giving them judicial power to make sure that their ends are met going forward. This is why there was a rush at the end to pass so many laws. Having accomplished this, from this standpoint, the coup was a complete success.

Correct. I will never understand why the military junta was the darling for so many farang armchair politicians. They were just as corrupt and military led juntas have a very poor track record anywhere in the world. Their short lived reign has been incompetent so far with various populist/nationalist policies and flip flops on several issues that have hurt the Thai economy overall. Thaksin may have been corrupt but he isn't anything new in Thai politics. The fact is he's a much better businessman than the military junta and in the end it's the overall welfare and success of the Thai economy that will speak to the masses. I don't believe that anyone in Thailand, aside from a few ivory tower academics, really gives a rat's ass about democracy. The entire nation is fueled by nationalist sentiment and short term populist policy gains. That's how it is and how it will always be. This is what will keep Thailand in the permanent third world developing index in the foreseeable future.

In addition Thailand is really two separate countries. You have the ridiculously wealthy "hi-so" Thailand governed by the old guard that consists of wealthy Thai CEOs, connected generational politicians, and the Siam family elite. They don't like new money, foreign influence, or outsiders rocking the boat. Then you have the poor populist policy led Thailand that is just making ends meet. The difference is the poor Thailand comprises the majority and they will always vote for whoever is perceived to have their interests in mind. The wealthy rub it in their faces by flaunting wealth and corruption. The Junta was just an instrument used by the old guard to preserve their status and wealth.

Edited December 25, 2007 by wintermute

[John K]

Questioned about his possible role as a PPP adviser, Mr Thaksin said that he would be happy to help out if the PPP needed his advice.

The above quoted is from today’s Bangkok post. To more quickly draw the dots Thaksin has indicted his intention to not pay any attention to the May ruling that dissolved the TRT and later clarified by the Election Commission. He is however welcome to advise the PPP or any other party on and after June 1, 2012. He never bothered listening to others before, so why start now.

[dog412]

lest we forget... friday june 01, 2007... thailand military coup leader supports amnesty for ousted P.M. i actually found the Asian Sentinal piece posted a bunch of pages back quite in line with my thinking.

[lukamar]

not pay any attention to the May ruling that dissolved the TRT and later clarified by the Election Commission.

That would be the Military appointed and hand picked Constitutional Tribunal and the equally military picked and appointed EC you are talking about. The same Constitutional Tribunal that threatened contempt and 20 year jail terms to those that openly opposed their rulings. I'm sure the current Military lackey EC is wondering if they are going to be the next ones sent to the rebar hotel if they piss the new new masters off too much in the next week.

[John K]

lest we forget... friday june 01, 2007... thailand military coup leader supports amnesty for ousted P.M. i actually found the Asian Sentinal piece posted a bunch of pages back quite in line with my thinking.

Is that the one where a few days later it came to pass it was a misprint and or and putting words in his mouth? Not to mention it never happened.

[John K]

not pay any attention to the May ruling that dissolved the TRT and later clarified by the Election Commission.

That would be the Military appointed and hand picked Constitutional Tribunal and the equally military picked and appointed EC you are talking about. The same Constitutional Tribunal that threatened contempt and 20 year jail terms to those that openly opposed their rulings. I'm sure the current Military lackey EC is wondering if they are going to be the next ones sent to the rebar hotel if they piss the new new masters off too much in the next week.

I am not sure about military picked. Was it not the top judges from each part of the court system that make up the tribunal? I am not sure but that may have been spelled out someplace in perhaps a law or other place as to what judges make up the tribunal and not the junta.

As for the 20 years, check with younghusband, I think he may have done some research on that.

Edited December 25, 2007 by John K

[sriracha john]

Actually if you check it was very publicized that the judges had a few visits to the palace for guidance and the military along with the people accepted the ruling. Please be sure you get your facts straight and not end up in trouble for criticizing the court, that part was made very clear[/u]. Now it looks like the PPP plans to go beyond all that and just rip out the ruling by the roots. It is like giving people in jail the keys.

The rebuttal to that argument about HRH and his military advisers is a no go area here under forum rules. Are you trying to bait someone?

Re the "people" accepting the ruling as you claim, I would think the results of the most recent election clearly shows that the "people" did not accept the ruling. The people simply did not have any say in the matter at the time.

I also recall that under the protective umbrella of the military dictatorship, the judiciary threatening legal action against anyone who publicly challenged their integrity and impartiality. Now that's a real case of freedom of speech in a democratic society isn't it? The judiciary sets itself above scrutiny by the media and is backed up by a bunch of generals who have seized political power under force of arms. The outcome of being tried in the courts for the crime of criticizing the courts would be pretty much a foregone conclusion in most peoples minds I think. Its quite obvious to the "people" as demonstrated in Sundays vote, that the judiciary is not impartial, and in fact leans towards the old elite power base which includes the military. The fact that the "people" voted for a party campaigning on a platform of reviewing decisions in relation to Thaksin made by the courts which were previously unquestionable, indicates that the people do not have faith in the impartiality of the courts.

I think your statement about, --- ending up in trouble for criticising the court, adequately demonstrates the suppression of freedom of speech that was resented by the people under the military dictatorship.

Excuse me, but apparently you are under the mistaken belief that this is something new. It most certainly is not.

Judge warns critics

Constitution Court judge Preecha Chalermvanich yesterday threatened to take legal action against any politician unduly criticising his rationale for voting for the acquittal of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on his graft indictment, warning that the politician’s party could be dissolved.

Preecha said in a statement that the court and the bench had constitutional immunity aimed at ensuring the independence of judicial review.

The Nation / Aug. 17, 2001

not pay any attention to the May ruling that dissolved the TRT and later clarified by the Election Commission.

That would be the Military appointed and hand picked Constitutional Tribunal and the equally military picked and appointed EC you are talking about. The same Constitutional Tribunal that threatened contempt and 20 year jail terms to those that openly opposed their rulings.

Apparently you missed the post above.... but that's ok, it's worth repeating.

Now then, what was the make-up of the Constitutional Tribunal and what were their positions under the previous government?

Edited December 25, 2007 by sriracha john

[dog412]

lest we forget... friday june 01, 2007... thailand military coup leader supports amnesty for ousted P.M. i actually found the Asian Sentinal piece posted a bunch of pages back quite in line with my thinking.

Is that the one where a few days later it came to pass it was a misprint and or and putting words in his mouth? Not to mention it never happened.

can't really say. try to google" arrest warrant thaksin shinawatra" and look for "jurist". believe a pa. university or some such thing. just another piece of some puzzle or other.

[John K]

lest we forget... friday june 01, 2007... thailand military coup leader supports amnesty for ousted P.M. i actually found the Asian Sentinal piece posted a bunch of pages back quite in line with my thinking.

Is that the one where a few days later it came to pass it was a misprint and or and putting words in his mouth? Not to mention it never happened.

can't really say. try to google" arrest warrant thaksin shinawatra" and look for "jurist". believe a pa. university or some such thing. just another piece of some puzzle or other.

Probably best just to go and poke around in that thread to find the answer but I do recall some mention of some anxious people wanting that. About 111 of them I think. Perhaps a news leak by them...

[dog412]

lest we forget... friday june 01, 2007... thailand military coup leader supports amnesty for ousted P.M. i actually found the Asian Sentinal piece posted a bunch of pages back quite in line with my thinking.

Is that the one where a few days later it came to pass it was a misprint and or and putting words in his mouth? Not to mention it never happened.

can't really say. try to google" arrest warrant thaksin shinawatra" and look for "jurist". believe a pa. university or some such thing. just another piece of some puzzle or other.

Probably best just to go and poke around in that thread to find the answer but I do recall some mention of some anxious people wanting that. About 111 of them I think. Perhaps a news leak by them...

as i did state before, post no.535 somehow hit my nerve. if your search uncovers any other unique bits of info, i am sure you will post them.

[marshbags]

The Nation. Breaking news 15:31

Quote

HARD TALK

Election win does not give PPP a blank cheque

Since it won the most number of seats in Sunday's general election, the People Power Party (PPP) can easily claim legitimacy to form the next coalition government.

But the poll results are far from a blank cheque for the party to push an agenda dictated by personal interest.

Therefore, it's quite regrettable that one of the first things PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said he would do as prime minister is to seek amnesty for the 111 former executives of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party. There is no question that Samak, a self-confessed nominee of the self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is dancing to his political master's tune.

The Thai people have spoken loud and clear through the ballot box: they are still as divided as they were almost two years ago. Voters in the North and Northeast have again demonstrated their unwavering loyalty to the former prime minister by voting overwhelmingly for candidates from the reincarnation of Thai Rak Thai. Meanwhile, those in Bangkok and the South voted for the Democrat Party to show how strongly they detested the man who they believe ruled with an iron hand and systematically plundered the nation.

So, instead of bringing about political reconciliation, the election only highlighted the political divide that is unlikely to be bridged any time soon. The political animosity that resulted from five years of Thaksin's rule will continue to haunt the country unless all sides concerned make a genuine effort toward reconciliation. But with Thaksin still pulling the strings, political peace is something that one should not expect in the near future.

Samak is now only one step away from becoming Thailand's next prime minister. Barring any last-minute political incident, the PPP will form the core of a coalition that will likely embrace most of the medium-sized and small parties, leaving the Democrats out in the cold. But an absolute House majority is no guarantee for stability and longevity for the PPP-led coalition.

As long as the new government is seen as operating under Thaksin's shadow, it will be hounded by distrust and even resistance from those who voted against the PPP, especially the Bangkok middle class. This is not to say that these people are rejecting the election results, but rather that they see Samak and the PPP as nothing more than Thaksin's puppets - their only mission being to pave the way for his political revival.

Samak has repeatedly insisted that one of his priorities will be to introduce a bill to seek amnesty for the 111 former Thai Rak Thai executives. Of course, it's just a smokescreen for Thaksin's political reinstatement.

Defiantly defending Thaksin against all charges of corruption and conflicts of interest, Samak has also vowed to have the Assets Examination Committee set up by the military junta abrogated. The committee has been a key instrument used by the coup-makers to build up cases against the former prime minister.

While one could question the legitimacy of the military-appointed mechanism, there have never been any doubts that Thaksin and his cronies were engaged in massive corruption. And all the members of the investigation commission are well respected, highly credible figures. Besides, all the charges filed against Thaksin, and those still pending, will eventually have to be decided by the courts.

Samak will certainly run the risk of inflaming those who want to see justice served if he tries to interfere with the investigations. The People's Alliance for Democracy, which spearheaded the year-long anti-Thaksin demonstration that eventually triggered the former prime minister's downfall, has already vowed to take to the streets again if Samak moves to seek amnesty for the former Thai Rak Thai executives or meddle with the corruption investigations against Thaksin.

Samak needs to be reminded that his party's poll victory doesn't represent a blank cheque for him to pursue what is not in the public interest. And having the 111 former Thai Rak Thai politicians pardoned or whitewashing Thaksin certainly is not something that can be considered to be in public interest.

Besides tackling the worsening economic problems and soaring cost of living, a top priority for the new government is to heal the political rift that has so polarised the country so society can move forward. But judging from Samak's stand so far, it looks like he is bent on pushing the country toward a new political showdown.

Because of the continuing political polarisation, most political observers have predicted a potential for violent political confrontation in the aftermath of the election. And it appears that Samak - apparently with Thaksin's blessing - will want to make that prophecy come true.

Thepchai Yong

The Nation

Unquote

Without getting political or bias, can anyone convince us, knowing of Samaks capablities to open mouth and let fly without engaging the old grey matter.

That he is capable or even has the desire to unite the people, seems to me he is a recipe for disaster and the consequent return of military intervention.

A certain blood bath and violence will follow it seems to me, if his proposed agenda is followed through, assuming he takes the mantle of P.M. and the party get the support they need to allow him to do so.

Not exactly a good candidate on diplomacy and uniting Thailands citizens together, which is already a very diificult proposition as it is without him polarising opinion even further.

marshbags

Please edit if the article is posted elsewhere and i have missed while scrolling ect. to locate it,s possible inclusion somewhere on the threads.

Edited December 25, 2007 by marshbags

[John K]

EC sets no cap on red and yellow cards

The Election Commission would rely on evidence to rule on how many red and yellow cards to be issued on electoral fraud and set no limits on the number of candidates to be disqualified, EC member Sodsri Satayathum said on Tuesday.

"The EC will not be pressured to cap the number of disqualified candidates simply because the law requires the presence of 456 of 480 MPs to convene the new House," she said.

Although Parliament is scheduled to convene within 30 days of the December 23 election, the charter prescribes for the National Legislative Assembly members to act in lieu of MPs in the transition period, she said, hinting that the EC would not rush to endorse the voting results before the completion of probes into votebuying.

At the earliest date, the EC could start to endorse noncontested results on January 3 because it is obliged to allow seven days to lapse after the voting in order to allow time to contest the outcome, she said.

She dismissed the speculation that the EC would disqualified no more than 24 candidates.

She said the EC already started to look into electoral fraud complaints and that it has scheduled January 13 as the date for the first of two new rounds of voting.

Next week, the EC will begin to review and rule on the first batch of 48 cases, she said.

In regard to a possible recount of votes, it was too late to review the issue because any complaints about the tallying of votes must be lodged within 24 hours after the release of the unofficial results, she said.

She was reacting to remarks by Matchima Thipataya Party leader Prachai Leophairatana who questioned his party's defeat in proportionate votes in Zone 6 covering Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.

The Nation

[John K]

Gen Sonthi promises full protection of ASC

(BangkokPost.com) – The Council for National Security (CNS) vowed not to interfere with politics but offered full protection of the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) if the People Power party (PPP) orders its dissolution.

Deputy prime minister in charge of security and former CNS chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin underlined his readiness to let politicians handle political matters from now on but expressed concern for the future of the ASC.

More: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=124689

PPP eyeing that first sharp tooth that needs to come out I guess.

[Jingthing]

Besides tackling the worsening economic problems and soaring cost of living, a top priority for the new government is to heal the political rift that has so polarised the country so society can move forward. But judging from Samak's stand so far, it looks like he is bent on pushing the country toward a new political showdown.

Because of the continuing political polarisation, most political observers have predicted a potential for violent political confrontation in the aftermath of the election. And it appears that Samak - apparently with Thaksin's blessing - will want to make that prophecy come true.

This fits in with my feeling that the Thai voters have expressed a desire for blood lust. They voted for Samak, what were they "thinking"?

[marshbags]

Besides tackling the worsening economic problems and soaring cost of living, a top priority for the new government is to heal the political rift that has so polarised the country so society can move forward. But judging from Samak's stand so far, it looks like he is bent on pushing the country toward a new political showdown.

Because of the continuing political polarisation, most political observers have predicted a potential for violent political confrontation in the aftermath of the election. And it appears that Samak - apparently with Thaksin's blessing - will want to make that prophecy come true.

This fits in with my feeling that the Thai voters have expressed a desire for blood lust. They voted for Samak, what were they "thinking"?

Unfortunately many were mesmerised by the usual common denominator of Moneyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy and didn,t even think about what could possibly happen.

Along with impossible promises made to entice them and suck them in.

They were all well informed via publicised media articles and television interviews as to what sort of agenda they were voting for.

Do they care ???? i think not sadly.

This has nothing to do with being educated or otherwise, before anyone comes in on that old excuse.

Even the most uneducated locals in my M.Ban are coherent in the realities of violence via past experiences over the years and have passed it down from past generations, Father / Mother to sons and daughters.

marshbags

Edited December 25, 2007 by marshbags

[dog412]

"the peoples alliance for democracy, which spearheaded the year long anti Thaksin demonstration that eventually triggered the former prime ministers "downfall" has already vowed to return to the streets again, if, Samak moves to seek amnesty for the former Thai Rak Thai executives OR meddle with the corruption investigations against Thaksin...... so the Democrats did instigate the coup, or so this statement would seem to infer.

[Ricardo]

"the peoples alliance for democracy, which spearheaded the year long anti Thaksin demonstration that eventually triggered the former prime ministers "downfall" has already vowed to return to the streets again, if, Samak moves to seek amnesty for the former Thai Rak Thai executives OR meddle with the corruption investigations against Thaksin...... so the Democrats did instigate the coup, or so this statement would seem to infer.

Sorry but I don't see how you can draw that inference, the PAD who led the demonstrations were not the same as the Democrats or the Military. Or do you have any evidence to the contrary ?

[ando]

Gen Sonthi promises full protection of ASC

(BangkokPost.com) – The Council for National Security (CNS) vowed not to interfere with politics but offered full protection of the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) if the People Power party (PPP) orders its dissolution.

Deputy prime minister in charge of security and former CNS chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin underlined his readiness to let politicians handle political matters from now on but expressed concern for the future of the ASC.

More: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=124689

PPP eyeing that first sharp tooth that needs to come out I guess.

The people have spoken. Sonthi should stick to running the army and keep his nose out of politics instead of making threats to disrupt the future government if he doesn't get his own way. Its not democracy when the army runs the government through the back door. I suspect Sonthi may find himself to be one of the falling stars in the upcoming power struggle.

TIT, not Burma. The military is giving it one last shot to keep control of government, but their era is almost over. I suspect they have got at best one or two coups left in them before the people revolt against their belligerent authoritarian interference in Thai politics. If they (generals) don't want to focus on the job they are getting paid to do, perhaps they should be removed. In a democracy, there is no place for the military in politics.

[bino]

Gen Sonthi promises full protection of ASC

(BangkokPost.com) – The Council for National Security (CNS) vowed not to interfere with politics but offered full protection of the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) if the People Power party (PPP) orders its dissolution.

Deputy prime minister in charge of security and former CNS chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin underlined his readiness to let politicians handle political matters from now on but expressed concern for the future of the ASC.

More: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=124689

PPP eyeing that first sharp tooth that needs to come out I guess.

I'm wondering how Sonthi plans to provide this protection? As I see it, he will no longer be the Deputy PM, and he is retired from / no longer in charge of the military.......

[Jingthing]

The new constitution keeps the military in the equation no matter who is in power, correct? So until that constitution is changed, that part of it is not over.

[nickynomates]

Call me stupid.

But I recon the following will happen.

As the PPP have only a slim majority the election committee will throw out several of them for cheating in marginal areas. The Thai public now awakened from what they have done will change there voting and make it even more marginalized and harder for the PPP.

Does any one here really think Thaksin will be allowed back.

Just who do you think signed the paper to allow the military to take over in the first place.

The many who protested when Thaksin was in power do you think they will just fade away.

And while all this is going on where do you think the tourists and foreign investment from industry will go. Once gone its harder to get back.

Thailand will survive but it will not be pleasant.

My concern is the damage and harm being done to the one man who can hold this together.

This is killing Thailand and the longer it goes on the worse it will be at some stage the guns will come out.

I hope that I am wrong

[raybingham]

Latest from Aunty:=

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7159719.stm