Election Victory, But A Rude Awakening For The Thai Democrats

[mazeltov]

Now Jakraprob is saying that elections and rallies are "childish aims". Whatever could he mean?

source?

[Piengrudee]

It is a fair fight. It is a honest victory by miles.

[Insight]

Now Jakraprob is saying that elections and rallies are "childish aims". Whatever could he mean?

source?

Yawn. Get on board, Disorder.

[rubl]

The new constitution was not written by the military, but by learned people and the like. Don't remember how input was asked/received to formulate. The referendum was relatively open, there was no obvious thread. Protest were not allowed, but voting was free. Don't know what would have happened if a majority would have voted against, that's speculation. Keep in mind that (at least) at first the army was greeted with flowers by ordinary citizens who started to be really upset by the slowly dictatorial behaviour of PM Thaksin. Papers were threatened with lawsuits or closure, journalists were shut up.

As you say yourself if you just ignore these facts you will fail to understand whats going on in Thai politics.

Ohh, flowers for the putschists, that is indeed a good argument for the military rule.

Of course Thaksin was not a PM without plenty controversies, but i heard he got some flowers at the airport when he returned after the coup.

Anyway, do you realise that specially in terms of civil liberties like freedom of expression and media freedom is has actually much more worse than it ever was under Thaksin.

Thailand currently ranking on 130. of 175 countries on the Press Freedom Index compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders

because in previous years the total number of countries in the list vary lets also compare the Notes/score Thailand got. a lower note indicated more freedom

Year/ note / rank

2009: 44.00 130. of 175 countries

2008: 34.50 124. of 173

2007: 53.50 135. of 169

2006: 33.50 122. of 168

2005: 28.00 107. of 167

2004: 14.00 59. of 167

2003: 19.67 82. of 166

2002: 22.75 65. of 135

http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=classement&id_rubrique=1001

There is the famous case of NGO-activist Supinya Klangnarong. In 2003 the newspaper Thai Post published a comment by her stating that Shin Corporation benefited from favours in the policies of the Thaksin governnment.

The company filled a lawsuit against her and the newspaper, some ridiculous claim of 400 mio for damage compensation and also for libel, a criminal offense in Thailand which can get you jail. Of course the public outcry was enormous. made that woman famous and a heroine for the the anti thaksin movement. Her case is often quoted as example for media suppression under Thaksin.

The libel case was finally rejected by the criminal court and she was acquitted of theses charges. That happened still under a Thaksin govt, before the coup.

I cannot remember any statements by Thaksin himself about the case, it was Shin Corp. who filled the case.

The current PM Abhisit files lawsuits by himself and is much more successful. Earlier this year two people got a 6 month /1 year jail sentence (suspended, cause first offender)for their defamatory claim the prime minister is unusually rich.

Abhisit brought also Jatuporn to the criminal court. The PM sued him for saying thatAbhisit had improperly behaved during an audience

Back to Supinya Klangnarong. She didn't welcomed the putschists with flowers, but was opposed the coup.

Instead of being thankful that the junta take civil liberties away in order to freed her and all other Thai from the dictatorial Thaksin she took part in protests, tried to enter the parliament building where the unelected and by junta appointed assembly hold a session.

So guess what happend, yep new criminal charges against her:

read about here: http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2008/2732/

Today she is active in the Thai Netizen Network and Campaign for Popular Media Reform (CPMR)

google her or that /thainetizen_dot_organisation

the usual suspects would her activities against censorship and pro-freedom of expression and right to access of information probably slag off as a paid by Thaksin campaign against the government.

For all the issues from the Big List Of All The Bad Things The Thakisn Government Did it is generally recommended to check who exposed or addressed these things first and then check what these critics of the Thaksin government have to say today.

Your reply indicates there are two sides to a coin.

As for the Press Freedom index study might show that there was an improvement when the junta stepped down voluntary and it worsened when the ASIAN was brutally interrupted and the first Songkhran riot organized by UDD. With the March - May riots and the need to shutdown PTV you probably see no improvement in those figures. Not really sure that's important.

PM Abhisit suing, why not. He is personally attacked, so should be allowed to defend himself. Calling him unusually rich seems hilarious, why not add K. Chuan to the list as well then.

Yes all sides have good and bad points, even those in 1932. The American revolution may have started with disgruntled 'elite' who managed to get the people on their side. Can we give K. Abhisit a chance for his road-map and try to avoid further bloodshed ?

[TAWP]

Legitimacy as Prime Minister isn't just something that can be reduced to the number of MP who voted for Abhist as the new PM (235 MP's).

Yes, it can. Infact, that is what the election law prescribes it as.

Technically it is maybe right, but

How surprising that while conceding that what we say is factually correct, there is a 'but' coming...

politics involves human beings, their society, their history, their believes and opinion, what the politicians say, what the acedemics says, what the newspaper writes, what the people say ....

Yes, and none change the fact that the mandate for a PM is determined from the election laws, not your feelings.

If 'feelings' of some few hardline people should define what is 'right', then we have some very big problems ahead of us. Namely, no PM will ever-ever have the 'mandate of the people', since a handful will claim it is their 'feeling' it is so.

[jesse89]

I find it interesting that the PPP candidate received such a high percentage of votes, despite being incarcerated and banned from participating in any campaigning. Mr Korkaew has been in prison and has not been able to communicate with his electorate in any fashion for weeks. The Democratic Party would have expected to do better than this in the polls after all of the Anti-Red-Shirt campaigning that has been in the media, and I would imagine would be worried after these results.

The results show that the Thai public are as divided as ever when it comes to politics. The fact that such a high percentage voted for a man under terrorism charges shows that many feel that the Red Shirt Movement's actions were just. Mr Korkaew is an awfully popular accused and imprisoned terrorist. While the high percentage of voters who voted for the Democrats candidate shows that another large portion feel that the Abhisit's heavy handed treatment of the Red Shirt's was warranted. There seems to be very little middle ground. Hopefully the peoples differences can be sorted out democratically this time, rather than by another coup d'etat or further violence.

[rubl]

I find it interesting that the PPP candidate received such a high percentage of votes, despite being incarcerated and banned from participating in any campaigning. Mr Korkaew has been in prison and has not been able to communicate with his electorate in any fashion for weeks. The Democratic Party would have expected to do better than this in the polls after all of the Anti-Red-Shirt campaigning that has been in the media, and I would imagine would be worried after these results.

The results show that the Thai public are as divided as ever when it comes to politics. The fact that such a high percentage voted for a man under terrorism charges shows that many feel that the Red Shirt Movement's actions were just. Mr Korkaew is an awfully popular accused and imprisoned terrorist. While the high percentage of voters who voted for the Democrats candidate shows that another large portion feel that the Abhisit's heavy handed treatment of the Red Shirt's was warranted. There seems to be very little middle ground. Hopefully the peoples differences can be sorted out democratically this time, rather than by another coup d'etat or further violence.

Interesting indeed the many votes for the PTP candidate. Still somehow I have the feeling those who voted for PTP in the previous election would have voted for PTP again even if the PTP had dressed up an elephant and managed to get him accepted as candidate by the E.C. Opinions seem to have hardened, partially the UDD leaders with their 'hate speeches' to blame for this indoctrination. PAD supporters haven't moved much either I'm afraid. the PM's road-map has a long way to go.

Edited July 28, 2010 by rubl

[whybother]

I find it interesting that the PPP candidate received such a high percentage of votes, despite being incarcerated and banned from participating in any campaigning. Mr Korkaew has been in prison and has not been able to communicate with his electorate in any fashion for weeks. The Democratic Party would have expected to do better than this in the polls after all of the Anti-Red-Shirt campaigning that has been in the media, and I would imagine would be worried after these results.

The results show that the Thai public are as divided as ever when it comes to politics. The fact that such a high percentage voted for a man under terrorism charges shows that many feel that the Red Shirt Movement's actions were just. Mr Korkaew is an awfully popular accused and imprisoned terrorist. While the high percentage of voters who voted for the Democrats candidate shows that another large portion feel that the Abhisit's heavy handed treatment of the Red Shirt's was warranted. There seems to be very little middle ground. Hopefully the peoples differences can be sorted out democratically this time, rather than by another coup d'etat or further violence.

1) How often do you see of listen to your candidate when voting in a local election? They guy got more publicity by being IN prison than he would have if he was out campaigning. Red shirts supporters voted for him BECAUSE he was jail. The PTP probably only put him up as a candidate BECAUSE he was in jail.

2) Red shirt supporters are going to vote FOR him because he is charged with terrorism. They don't think he should be charged so that's a plus for him and why he was put up as a candidate.

3) With only a 50% voter turnout, it's pretty much unknown (probably except by statisticians) what the result would have been if all eligible voters had voted. IMO, the reds would have done everything that they could to get their voters out there - and they still lost by a clear margin.

[jesse89]

1) How often do you see of listen to your candidate when voting in a local election? They guy got more publicity by being IN prison than he would have if he was out campaigning. Red shirts supporters voted for him BECAUSE he was jail. The PTP probably only put him up as a candidate BECAUSE he was in jail.

2) Red shirt supporters are going to vote FOR him because he is charged with terrorism. They don't think he should be charged so that's a plus for him and why he was put up as a candidate.

3) With only a 50% voter turnout, it's pretty much unknown (probably except by statisticians) what the result would have been if all eligible voters had voted. IMO, the reds would have done everything that they could to get their voters out there - and they still lost by a clear margin.

I am not sure that being publicly slandered as a terrorist is good publicity at all. I was more surprised that the number of Red Shirt supporters, who I am sure would vote for him if he was in or out of jail, were so high. The Red Shirts protests having being broken and the movement slandered by the current government and the Thai media. There seems to be very little drop in PTP popularity, after the recent events in Bangkok.

As to 50% turn out I believe that the poll being held on a holiday would be the cause. What proportion of voters who did not turn out due to celebrating the holiday would vote for either party, or turn up to an election vote at all is hard to say in my opinion. I am pretty sure the Democrats would have tried all they could to get voters out there also, after all it is their job, so I fail to see your point. Also, the point of the above article and others like it that we are discussing was that the results were hardly a clear margin in favor of the Democrats.

Edited July 28, 2010 by jesse89

[animatic]

That is what i prefer. Election is a cure for divisions in Thailand. Benefit for all but for recent Government, we could guess according to this so called victory.

Elections isn't a cure for anything, they are a symptom of the disease.

Just one of many symptoms, the biggest one is:

The Kow Tow idea that any way you get 'more than the next guy'

you get more respect, and it matters not HOW you got more,

top dog is top dog whether you used horrible means,

or fair ones, some brains and some good luck.

Money + Power = Face = ALL : the whole ball game for life.

And once face is gained, it is anathema to lose it,

and any and all means are fair play to win it back.

[whybother]

1) How often do you see of listen to your candidate when voting in a local election? They guy got more publicity by being IN prison than he would have if he was out campaigning. Red shirts supporters voted for him BECAUSE he was jail. The PTP probably only put him up as a candidate BECAUSE he was in jail.

2) Red shirt supporters are going to vote FOR him because he is charged with terrorism. They don't think he should be charged so that's a plus for him and why he was put up as a candidate.

3) With only a 50% voter turnout, it's pretty much unknown (probably except by statisticians) what the result would have been if all eligible voters had voted. IMO, the reds would have done everything that they could to get their voters out there - and they still lost by a clear margin.

I am not sure that being publicly slandered as a terrorist is good publicity at all. I was more surprised that the number of Red Shirt supporters, who I am sure would vote for him if he was in or out of jail, were so high. The Red Shirts protests having being broken and the movement slandered by the current government and the Thai media. There seems to be very little drop in PTP popularity, after the recent events in Bangkok.

As to 50% turn out I believe that the poll being held on a holiday would be the cause. What proportion of voters who did not turn out due to celebrating the holiday would vote for either party, or turn up to an election vote at all is hard to say in my opinion. I am pretty sure the Democrats would have tried all they could to get voters out there also, after all it is their job, so I fail to see your point. Also, the point of the above article and others like it that we are discussing was that the results were hardly a clear margin in favor of the Democrats.

Red supporters don't think he's a terrorist, so they will ignore the fact that he has been publicly slandered as a terrorist. This would actually make them more likely to get out there and vote for him.

As for the other 50%, who knows. We can only speculate. I did see comments that this was a TRT seat in 2001 and 2005, so they (TRT/PPP/PTP) do have support in the area.

Of course, this result says nothing about potential results for the rest of the country.

[march]

Interesting topic - funny that such a high percentage of posts (about the same as that of the losing Red candidate) come from the one poster, and another posts blatant mis-statements of the nature of the electorate.

To start with, a 15,000 winning margin is not a politician's nightmare - losing is the nightmare.

excerpts:

Pheu Thai satisfied with 25 July by-election

BANGKOK, 29 July 2010 (NNT) – The opposition Pheu Thai Party is happy with the outcome of the recent 25 July by-election in Bangkok’s Constituency 6

Pheu Thai Party MPs Chairperson, Police Captain Chalerm Yubumrung, regarded the election result as a victory

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255307290023

Edited July 29, 2010 by march

[march]

The Democrat Party might have been euphoric after its by-election victory over its chief rival Pheu Thai Party.

Pheu Thai Party MPs Chairperson, Police Captain Chalerm Yubumrung, regarded the election result as a victory

There is hope yet. An early sign of potential reconciliation can be seen when both political parties can equally claim victory.

[march]

"Election Loss, Plus A Rude Awakening For The Pheu Thai Party" as it continues to dwindle after they prepare to kick out Four of their own MP's.

4 opposition MPs banned

By The Nation

Published on August 4, 2010

An announcement was posted at the opposition Pheu Thai Party's headquarters yesterday identifying four dissident party MPs banned from taking part in its activities and facing expulsion.

The MPs are Porapol Adireksarn from Saraburi, Jumpot Boonyai from Sakon Nakhon, and party-list MPs Nikom Chaokittisophon and Somboon Wanchaithanawong.

The politicians are expected to join other political parties ahead of the next election.

The notice, posted by a party official about 3pm, said the four MPs "have failed to follow the party's resolutions and implementation plans. They have clearly acted in adversary and contrary with the party's policies. The party is in the process of withdrawing these people's party membership and banning them from acting on behalf of the party."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/08/04/politics/4-opposition-MPs-banned-30135183.html

Edited August 4, 2010 by march

[virtualtraveller]

Isn't this constituency one of those with a high number of Isarn immigrants living in Bangkok? Besides, you can never discount the 'vote buying' factor. it is disturbing the 81,000 people still voted for a candidate who was part of the red leadership that encouraged the burning of Bangkok, but this is a Thailand election remember. Rumours were out of lots of money being disbursed, it would have been a brilliant psychological blow if PT had won this one, especially with the candidate behind bars and unable to campaign.

[march]

"Election Loss, Plus A Rude Awakening For The Pheu Thai Party" as it continues to dwindle after they prepare to kick out Four of their own MP's.

4 opposition MPs banned

An announcement was posted at the opposition Pheu Thai Party's headquarters yesterday identifying four dissident party MPs banned from taking part in its activities and facing expulsion.

The MPs are Porapol Adireksarn from Saraburi, Jumpot Boonyai from Sakon Nakhon, and party-list MPs Nikom Chaokittisophon and Somboon Wanchaithanawong.

The politicians are expected to join other political parties ahead of the next election.

The notice, posted by a party official about 3pm, said the four MPs "have failed to follow the party's resolutions and implementation plans. They have clearly acted in adversary and contrary with the party's policies. The party is in the process of withdrawing these people's party membership and banning them from acting on behalf of the party."

One of the PTP MP above (Somboon) is accounted for below, but the other PTP MP below (Wuthichai) is not the ban list above, so perhaps PTP will ban 5 now

2 Pheu Thai MPs Set to Join Bhum Jai Thai

TAN Network

UPDATE : 4 August 2010

Six MPs, including two from the opposition Pheu Thai Party, are set to join the Bhum Jai Thai Party after they appeared at the party's meeting.

Two Pheu Thai Party MPs, Somboon Wattanachaiwong and Wuthichai Kititanaesuan from Nakhon Nayok, took part in a Bhum Jai Thai meeting yesterday as observers.

Also joining yesterday's meeting as observers were four MPs from two other coalition parties.

Three of them are from Puea Pandin and include Manop Patanawong, Yusaree Zoosaroe, and Nimukta Wabar. The first is a party list MP and the latter two are Pattani MPs.

Another is Chart Thai Patthana MP for Lop Buri, Malika Jirapan.

A former executive of the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, Sonthaya Kumpluem, also had lunch with Bhum Jai Thai de facto leader Newin Chidchob before the meeting.

Meanwhile, pictures of Pheu Thai's four dissident MPs, Porapol Adireksarn from Sara Buri, Chumpoj Boonyai from Sakhon Nakhon, and two party list MPs, Somboon Wattanachaiwong and Nikom Chaokittsopon have been posted at the entrance of the Pheu Thai Party for their violations of its policies.

The party is now seeking to nullify their membership and keep them from joining its future activities.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1033043

[march]

Never mind 5 being banned, now it's up to:

8 Pheu Thai MPs may defect to Bhumjaithai, Puea Pandin

BANGKOK, 4 August 2010 (NNT) – Eight MPs of the opposition Pheu Thai Party might defect to the coalition Bhumjaithai Party and Puea Pandin Party owing to conflicts with the stance of the Pheu Thai Party.

Pheu Thai MP for Sakhon Nakhon, Joomphot Boonyai, said seven Pheu Thai MPs would leave their opposition party to join the Bhumjaithai Party while the other would work with Puea Pandin. He however refused to reveal further details and lists of those MPs due to some uncertainties.

Justifying the defection, Mr Joomphot explained that the MPs had conflicts with some influential figures outside the Pheu Thai Party, as well as being unable to work on the party’s stance to support political movements of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) outside Parliament.

Nevertheless, Mr Joomphot believed that the defection would not affect public support for the MPs in the general elections.

Recently, the opposition Pheu Thai Party has posted pictures of four MPs prohibited by security guards from entering the party’s headquarters for their failure to abide by the regulations and resolutions of the party.

The four Pheu Thai MPs are Saraburi MP Second Lieutenant Porapol Adireksarn, Sakhon Nakhon MP Joomphot Boonyai, Chiang Rai MP Somboon Wanchaithanawong, and Party List MP Nikom Chourkittisopon.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255308040017

[hammered]

PTP MPs are also talking about important defections to BJT in the lower Isaan. I note the Adireksan family seem to have changed sides in central Thailand. The Chiang Rai one is interesting. Sonthaya talking to BJT indicates they are not amiss to trying to break the Dem stranglehold on the coastal east too

[march]

"Election Loss, Plus A Rude Awakening For The Pheu Thai Party"

The MPs are Porapol Adireksarn from Saraburi, Jumpot Boonyai from Sakon Nakhon, and party-list MPs Nikom Chaokittisophon and Somboon Wanchaithanawong.

Pheu Thai Party MP Wuthichai Kititanaesuan from Nakhon Nayok

The 5 Named Defectors =

Porapol:

Jumpot:

Nikom:

Somboon:

Wuthichai:

The 3 Other Defectors =

He however refused to reveal further details and lists of those MPs due to some uncertainties.

[march]

Justifying the defection, Mr Joomphot explained that the MPs had conflicts with some influential figures outside the Pheu Thai Party

He's NOT talking about the person on the left:

as well as being unable to work on the party’s stance to support political movements of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD)

I can't imagine why:

[march]

Pheu Thai to sack dissident MPs

By THE NATION

Published on August 5, 2010

The opposition Pheu Thai Party will soon vote to expel two dissident MPs who have failed to follow its policies and regulations or to take part in its activities, Deputy Party Leader Plodprasop Surasawadi said yesterday.

He said party MPs and executive members would meet next Tuesday to vote on whether to expel their party colleagues, Parapol Adireksarn from Saraburi and Jumpot Boonyai from Sakon Nakhon. Plodprasop added that he had learned that four or five party MPs planned to defect to the coalition Bhum Jai Thai Party.

The party's discipline and ethics committee concluded that Parapol and Jumpot had violated the party's regulations for failing to follow party policies and refraining from taking part in its activities while openly appearing at another political party's gatherings.

Parapol and Jumpot are among the four MPs whose names and images appear in an announcement posted at the Pheu Thai headquarters.

The four are described in the notice as wayward and disloyal to the party.

Plodprasop yesterday would not say if a similar action would be taken against two other dissident MPs, both of whom are party-list MPs, and suspected defectors.

With a decision of expulsion, the party would inform the Election Commission and the House of Representatives that the two MPs had been expelled, according to Plodprasop, who added they would lose their MP status without a counter order by the Constitutional Court.

Jumpot, one of the MPs targeted for expulsion, said he avoided the party's activities because he disagreed with its recent political moves, including its involvement with the red-shirts' political rally last year and their occupation of the Rajprasong shopping area and subsequent riots earlier this year.

"I can't get along with the way Pheu Thai has come under [the influence of] mobs," he said.

"Representatives who allow themselves to be freely dictated to by political bosses should not remain in politics any longer," he said. "I'd like to ask Pheu Thai to expel me so I can petition the Constitutional Court."

Jumpot also claimed to have a list of seven Pheu Thai MPs planning to defect to the coalition Bhum Jai Thai Party.

He said he would not disclose their names now, but he could say they are MPs from the Northeast.

In a related development, Plodprasop said Pheu Thai would move back within a week or two to the IFCT Building, which housed the old headquarters of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai and People Power parties, both the predecessors of Pheu Thai.

He said the current head office at the BBD Building is inconvenient and lacks parking space.

Plodprasop said he had consulted a soothsayer who said the old building housed political parties that had seen three of their leaders become prime minister - Thaksin Shinawatra, Samak Sundaravej, and Somchai Wongsawat.

"There could be a good chance for Pheu Thai to have a new prime minister," he said.

Meanwhile, the Bhum Jai Thai Party yesterday denied wooing MPs from other parties by paying in exchange for their loyalty - as alleged by critics.

"Bhum Jai Thai has churned out several popular policies on "dust-free" roads, tambon administration and rural irrigation, attracting MPs who want to work with the party," Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat said yesterday, claiming his party now has 56 MPs.

Boonjong said MPs flocked to his party because of its work record and not monetary incentives. He dismissed the allegation that his party was trying to publicise its new MPs in order to cover up its failure to expand the strongholds in the Northeast.

"The campaigning plans for the Northeast stay on course and Bhum Jai Thai is ready contest the race in every constituency of the region at the next general election," he said.

He also confirmed that veteran politican Sonthaya Khunpluem was negotiating for the defection of his faction from Chart Thai Pattana to Bhum Jai Thai, although no conclusion had been drawn at this juncture.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/08/05/politics/Pheu-Thai-to-sack-dissident-MPs-30135249.html

[march]

Pheu Thai says its members being bribed to defect

By THE NATION

Published on August 6, 2010

A Bt50-million bait is being dangled for Pheu Thai Party MPs to jump to a certain coalition party, key figures from the opposition party claimed yesterday.

Apiwan Wiriyachai, a Pheu Thai MP for Nonthaburi who is also a deputy House speaker, said he was told by some of his fellow party members that they were offered up to Bt50 million each, with Bt20 million as a "down payment".

The party has no plan to prevent anyone from leaving, as it was confident of support from constituents in many areas of the North and Northeast due to its good policies in addressing their problems, he said.

Pheu Thai has prepared an economic and social platform for the next general election with consultation from former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is the party's key backer, he said.

Thaksin's policies had proved successful in winning support from voters, he added.

Surapong Tovichakchaikul, a Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Mai, praised the party's four dissident MPs for clearly announcing their plan to move to other political parties.

At least they were better than those who keep their defection secret until the last minute before candidacy registration, which makes it difficult for the party to find a replacement, he said.

These people simply want to bargain for the best "deal" in exchange for their allegiance, he said.

The "powers-that-be" were trying to draw Pheu Thai MPs at a price ranging from Bt45 million-Bt50 million each.

The party has no plan to woo those MPs back because it was confident that its huge popularity would return it to power, he added.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/08/06/politics/Pheu-Thai-says-its-members-being-bribed-to-defect-30135354.html

[TAWP]

Basically he is saying that their MPs lack any ideology and base, and since they do lack these they can be bribed and this makes him afraid and upset, since it will erode his power-base...

[animatic]

Lets throw out the MPs who don't like B.S. and violence after they have quit.

Close the barn door after the cows escape.

But it makes PTP leadership appear like it's their idea,

and not their inability to hold their scurvy crew together.