Thai Democrats Face Tough Choice In By-Election

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE

Democrats face tough choice in by-election

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

Chitpas

BANGKOK: -- Finding the right candidate to run for the by-election in Bangkok's constituency 6 (Beung Khum and Kannayao) to replace the late Tiva Ngernyuang is causing a stir within the ruling Democrat Party.

The Democrats have high expectations of winning the by-election on July 25 and they are concerned about finding the most suitable candidate. However, they have a choice of too many candidates backed by senior figures.

The most favoured candidate is Kriengyos Sudlapha, a former candidate in the same team as Tiva, but he has not been selected. Kriengyos, now secretary to Deputy Interior Minister Thavorn Sennium, has been a strong campaigner.

Putthipong Punnakan, vice minister to the PM's Office, and Panich Vikitsreth, former Bangkok Deputy Governor, now vice minister at the Foreign Ministry, were also named as candidates.

However, an underdog has emerged in the form of Chitpas Bhirombhakdi.

Chitpas resigned as a staff member of the PM's Secretariat Office after distributing beer calendars displaying pictures of nud_e models at Government House last year. Although the 25-year-old Singha beer heiress is new to the Democrats - she applied for Democrat membership only in March - she has a big supporter in Deputy Prime Minister and Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.

"We are keeping our eyes on this matter as it could be a turning point for our party. Especially, it will show if we will lean on financiers or not. We will see which way Democrat Party leaders Abhisit [Vejjajiva] and Suthep take the party between the conservatives and capitalism - the way former PM Thaksin [shinawatra' did," one key party leader commented.

Another MP, who asked not to be named, said that in the past candidates needed to work with and help the party for a long time.

"I think she [Chitpas] should start practising her 'wai'. It is too early for her to run for an election on the party ticket. She has had managerial experience but never a political job. To be an MP, you need to visit your constituency, in addition to management," he said.

Meanwhile, Putthipong, a former Bangkok deputy governor, said running an election in the constituency is hard as it covers a large area and consists of many Muslim communities.

"I think she should run for the next election because this is a by-election, which allows less time for campaigning," he said.

Putthipong, who is also a candidate, said he would understand if the party did not select him - but he would expect a good reason from his party for the decision.

"Sometimes they [the leaders] don't know how to tell us. Suthep would say 'please do me a favour for this person...' as he once told me," Putthipong said.

Although Chitpas has shown her desire to run in the by-election, the final decision will depend on a committee chaired by Banyat Bantadthan to decide on the candidate and seek approval from the party's executive board.

However, it is not the first time that Suthep has pleased his financiers. When Abhisit formed the government, Suthep succeeded in pushing Virachai Virameteekul from the CP Group as PM's Office Minister. Virachai remained in the Cabinet as Science Minister in the latest reshuffle.

It remains to be seen if Suthep can be successful again.

-- The Nation 2010-06-16

[virtualtraveller]

Thai politics as usual, a 25 year old without any significant political experience but from a very wealthy family is suddenly the wildcard threatening to trump several seasoned politicians as 'Suthep's' choice. This is why our country is in such a mess, because political parties are hijacked like this, and those who were sidelined get disgruntled and run to the opposition. Pity the Democrats have to function like this to get by, there must be a lot of beer money at stake. All the same, she's quite a looker, and I admire her ethics in previously resigning and taking responsibility over those beer calendars. Maybe when she's paid her dues and grown up a bit she might be capable of being a law maker.

[Thailand]

Money talking and no more than that,Thai politics as it is.

[Rucharee]

Bhirombhakdi. That's her citation in get a MP seat, and maybe a minister seat as well. Minister of women's trade?

[chainarong]

John Howard , Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbot from Australia are free ,they stuffed Au, though there's not much to do here, where the heck is George these days?

Edited June 16, 2010 by chainarong

[mazeltov]

what was the problem with the calendar?

That it was a beer calendar, that it was a nud_e calendar or that the calendar came with the logo of her daddy's company?

Edited June 16, 2010 by mazeltov

[mazeltov]

Money talking and no more than that,Thai politics as it is.

[hammered]

Ever since TRT came along and changed the rules you have to pander directly to what the financiers want. The old style conservative Dems may not have got this yet. Suthep has. Welcome to modern democracy. It aint that far off what happens in western democracies - look at Ashcroft and his power and the US lobbyists as a group

So the Dems either learn the new rules and become competetive or they say we dont things that way and continue to lose. Bear in mind the financiers bring seats with them and rejecting them just means they go to the other side as in the modern capitalist world the big money types need access to poltical power to protect and advantage their businesses.

It is just another clash between old and new thinking although this time at the ruling class level. Note the ruling classes run Dems and PTP prwetty much as in say the US they run Dems and Repubs and in the UK Labour and Conservative. Thailand is not unique in this respect.

[SomTumTiger]

Only Thai politics? Sounds like politics anywhere. How many Brit MP's have the 'right' last name lol

[Rucharee]

I support more women becoming MP, and even PM.