Mingkwan Announces He Is Pheu Thai's PM Candidate

[webfact]

CENSURE DEBATE

Mingkwan announces he is Pheu Thai's PM candidate

By Kittipong Thavevong,

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The opposition's chief debater, Mingkwan Sangsuwan, on Friday night proposed himself as the opposition Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate to contest against the ruling Democrat Party leader in the upcoming general elections.

"After the House dissolution, I will volunteer to contest for the prime minister's seat against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The people will make their decision on that day," Mingkwan said in his closing speech for the opposition in the four-day censure debate.

After Mingkwan's closing speech, House Speaker Chai Chidchob scheduled 9 am on Saturday for the post-debate vote and then he declared the debate closed at about 11.15 pm, slightly behind the earlier agreed closing time of 11 pm.

Mingkwan, a key Pheu Thai figure, said he has the good qualities required to become a good prime minister - clean image, knowledge about the economy, and ability to work with all sides.

He also mentioned the day in February 2008 when he had an audience with His Majesty the King for a swearing-in ceremony following his appointment to the Samak Sundaravej Cabinet as deputy prime minister and commerce minister. "That is the day I will remember for the rest of my life," he said.

The marketing guru-turned-politician said he waited for the day the prime minister promised to dissolve the House of Representatives - in the first week of May - and the early election to be held afterwards.

Mingkwan reportedly has won a go-ahead from fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is regarded as Pheu Thai's patriarch and its de-facto leader, to become its prime ministerial candidate.

During his speech, Mingkwan spent a large part wooing for support from voters. He asked them to vote for Pheu Thai candidates in order that he would become the next prime minister.

He attacked the government for the way it is dealing with problems and promised to outperform the Democrat-led administration if he becomes prime minister.

For farmers, Mingkwan promised guaranteed the prices of rice paddy at between Bt15,000 and Bt20,000 for a 'kwian' (one metric tonne). For labourers, he called for the minimum daily wage to be raised to Bt300.

"Wake up, farmers! Choose the right political party and you will be happy," Mingkwan said. "Farmers, please vote for me and your happiness will be restored."

He said the government's policy of subsidising the diesel's price to keep it below Bt30 a litre failed to take into consideration the riders of some 17.2 motorcycles registered in Thailand that use the expensive petrol as fuel. "I ask the motorcyclists to vote for my party," he said.

In his concluding speech, Mingkwan also lambasted the government for its failure to curb the price of palm oil, which he said pointed to the government's "lack of experience". He also said this administration has amassed as much as Bt1.49 trillion in public debts - "the highest in the history of this country".

Earlier on the last day of censure debate, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva denied the government had any intention to kill unarmed protesters during the April-May red-shirt protest last year and it was red-shirt leaders who instigated violence. The remark was made toward the end of the four-day censure debate on Friday night.

Abhisit said violence was instigated by armed group working with red-shirt leaders and any fatalies were resulted from clashes between soldiers and these militants. "What reason would soldiers or police have in harming people?" he asked.

The premier cited soldiers who were on BTS skytrain tracks as saying they fired their guns because they encountered "armed militant". He added that armed militants entered Pathum Wanaram Temple, supposedly a declared sanctuary, leading to shootings and eventual six deaths. "This is the cause of violence."

Abhisit said the Department of Special Investigation's preliminary conclusion that 13 people were likely killed by soldiers was just a "probability" and not a finite conclusion.

"It was an analysis, speculation and hypothesis," he said, adding that all parties should wait until the investigation is fully completed by the police first.

On the handling of the economy, Abhisit said he has averted the Thai economy from crisis and insisted that figures such as investment, export and tourism are sound.

The said money deposit by farmers at the Bank of Agriculture and Cooperative has grown by 10 per cent per annum for the past two years.

Abhisit acknowledged, however, that living cost is going up but said food price is spiking up around the world too, along with the rise of crude oil price.

-- The Nation 2011-03-19

[siampolee]

Mingkwan reportedly has won a go-ahead from fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is regarded as Pheu Thai's patriarch and its de-facto leader, to become its prime ministerial candidate.

That no doubt explains that strange looking rictus on his face is due to Thaksins hand being inserted into lord knows where to manipulate him.

Does anyone really believe that the P.T.P. is anything more than Thaksins plaything ?

[whybother]

For farmers - subsidised rice paddy.

For labourers - minimum wage. (Does this apply to all workers too?)

For motorcycles riders - subsidised petrol. (But only for the 17.2 registered ones. Apparently no one registers their motorcycles in Thailand.)

And they are complaining about the governments debt. How do the PTP plan to fund all of this?

[hammered]

For farmers - subsidised rice paddy.

For labourers - minimum wage. (Does this apply to all workers too?)

For motorcycles riders - subsidised petrol. (But only for the 17.2 registered ones. Apparently no one registers their motorcycles in Thailand.)

And they are complaining about the governments debt. How do the PTP plan to fund all of this?

And the big one is massive subsidies for rice millers and agricutural middlemen who are the basis of a real lot of PTP rural control and who have a been a little bypassed by the current mob

[Buchholz]

Mingkwan reportedly has won a go-ahead from fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is regarded as Pheu Thai's patriarch and its de-facto leader, to become its prime ministerial candidate.

That no doubt explains that strange looking rictus on his face is due to Thaksins hand being inserted into lord knows where to manipulate him.

Does anyone really believe that the P.T.P. is anything more than Thaksins plaything ?

Sounds like things are falling into place for the Pheu Thai Party Financier's Master Plan...

Thaksin has gladly backed Mingkwan, all the way.

Right into a corner he can't ever hope to escape from.

If he fails then it's easier to bring his faction of MPs to heel

around Thaksin's real choices for 'leadership'.

There was an article in the other paper a while back that reported that was Thaksin's plan from the beginning.

Anoint Mingkwan with his blessings to be the Censure Leader and PTP nominated PM to appease that faction in the PTP, knowing full way that he would likely fail at the task and thus opening the door to the one he really wanted personally to become Party Leader and be the PTP nominated for PM... his sister, Yingluck.

[SomTumTiger]

LOL - Mingkwan = Fail

[TAWP]

For farmers, Mingkwan promised guaranteed the prices of rice paddy at between Bt15,000 and Bt20,000 for a 'kwian' (one metric tonne). For labourers, he called for the minimum daily wage to be raised to Bt300.

Again, government intervention into the free market that looks good for the uninitiated but eventually will end up hurting those it pretends to help.

And it is only the tip of the iceberg of problems that really hurt the 'little people' - corporatism.

[animatic]

Well seems that Minkwan got a full 15 minutes of fame.

Now Thaksin can do his best Inspector Clouseau and say:

'That's not my minky.'

Edited March 19, 2011 by animatic