Rift In Yellow-Shirt Camp Over Thai Poll Boycott Call

[webfact]

Rift in yellow-shirt camp over poll boycott call

By SOMROUTAI SAPSOMBOON

THE NATION

Signs of a split within the leadership yellow shirts' leadership became evident yesterday as leaders of the New Politics Party, the People's Alliance for Democracy's political arm, failed to back a PAD call to boycott the upcoming elections.

New Politics Party leader Somsak Kosaisuk, a key PAD figure, said yesterday that the party's executives and branch heads had resolved at their meeting on Tuesday to field candidates in the election.

He said the decision was reached after the party was informed of PAD co-leader Sondhi Limthongkul's proposal to campaign for the public not to vote for any political party and for New Politics not to contest the election.

Somsak said he considered Sondhi's call "a comment", adding that New Politics is required to abide by the Political Party Act and the party's own regulations.

However, he also said the party resolution could be reviewed if the situation changed.

"The New Politics Party was set up in accordance with a resolution by PAD members from all over the country, as well as some 6,000 PAD members in the United States - not just from the five PAD leaders," Somsak said.

"The principle is that a political party needs to be independent and nobody should be able to dominate it. Whether there is an order for us to go forward or backward, we have to follow the party's resolutions, which are made collectively by many people."

Sondhi earlier said that PAD leaders agreed to campaign for the public not to vote for any political party in the upcoming general elections to prevent a return of greedy and power-hungry politicians.

He also admitted that he was among those who did not want to see elections take place soon.

"If the election is allowed to go ahead, we will see a return of beasts from hell," he said.

"It has been proven that no political parties have the public interest in mind. Their ultimate goal is to gain money and power. That's why the PAD leaders have resolved that we will campaign for people all over the country to not vote," Sondhi said while addressing PAD followers on Wednesday night at their protest site outside Government House.

He added that as long as Thai politics and politicians remained unchanged, there would be no improvement, whichever party won the next election.

Sondhi also said PAD leaders would inform Somsak and New Politics secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila that the party should not contest the upcoming election.

Sondhi conceded that New Politics could decide to field candidates anyway. If that was the case, "we will meet again to decide whether our ties with the New Politics Party will be retained or severed".

Sondhi called on Somsak and Suriyasai - who are both key yellow-shirt figures - to choose whether they wanted to stay with the party or the PAD.

"If they want to be with the PAD, they should leave the New Politics Party. The standpoint of all the leaders remains unchanged. We have said repeatedly that the New Politics Party is a tool of the PAD and the party must not be more important than the PAD," he said.

Meanwhile, Suriyasai yesterday said he regarded the PAD's call for a boycott of the election as a move to exercise their constitutional right, adding that such a call should not be overlooked by society.

He said that on April 24, New Politics would hold a general meeting to allow party executives, branch representatives and coordinators, as well as ordinary members - most of them yellow-shirt supporters - to discuss the matter in order to reach a solution.

"I am confident that with the common goal under the PAD movement, we will be able to find a good solution that ensures unity," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-03-25

[asiawatcher]

Shock, horror - surely not a rift in the PAD?

[SomTumTiger]

The PAD and UDD and PTP - all organizations in their slow death spiral. Fun to watch!

[anterian]

The PAD and UDD and PTP - all organizations in their slow death spiral. Fun to watch!

Not just these three, rather all political groups, Thais are increasingly disenchanted with Thai politicians.

[drdoom6996]

Some one must have decided that their vote was worth more than 100 baht. Or more likely they just want their share of the vote pay out money.

[rayw]

Some one must have decided that their vote was worth more than 100 baht. Or more likely they just want their share of the vote pay out money.

NOBODY should ever boycott a poll as that achieves exactly what they are trying to avoid and wrongly let the other side gain power. What they really SHOULD be doing is to use all their energy in demonstrating to get the forthcoming elections properly and fairly and honestly monitored by an independent external body. This will ensure that there is NO, or at least very little, corruption to make the election yet again an unacceptable and pointless sham. The Thai people should all stop listening to corrupt and/or idiot people like Suthep whether they side with his political party or not. His comment yesterday is totally unacceptable and racist and should be seen as such by all honest Thais who should demand he retracts it or resigns from his obviously undeserved position.

Edited March 25, 2011 by rayw

[hbullinger]

The PAD has its finger firmly on the self destruct button. I just wonder if the public will notice when they finally vanish. The UDD has been standing with their feet on the same button for quite some time, but they are so disconnected from reality that not even the self destruct command is functioning any longer. So we have to wait for the process of decomposition to take its course. So let's be patient and hope that one day Thailand gets rid of any colour coding.

[jdinasia]

I rather expected that NPP wouldn't kowtow to the PAD's no-vote idea. Being a new party for them to not participate in elections would suggest to many people that they are not confident that they would win even a single seat in parliament.

The PAD nor the NPP are not on the same level as the Democrats. The Dems could assure a failed election by running a no-vote campaign, NPP in all probability does not control more than 80% of even a single constituency (not even in Nakhon Pathom) which means that there would likely be someone elected everywhere.

[featography]

Shock, horror - surely not a rift in the PAD?

6000 PAD members in the U.S.??

What are 6000, Royalist, keep the status quo, PAD doing in the U.S.? Enjoying freedom of speech, relative freedom of censorship, right to carry guns for protection, vote in an election more honest than a Thailand one, excercise all the amendments and laws of the Constitution, buying land, businesses, and homes??? Why are they not here, fighting for their Thai political beliefs???

[rubl]

6000 PAD members in the U.S.??

What are 6000, Royalist, keep the status quo, PAD doing in the U.S.? Enjoying freedom of speech, relative freedom of censorship, right to carry guns for protection, vote in an election more honest than a Thailand one, excercise all the amendments and laws of the Constitution, buying land, businesses, and homes??? Why are they not here, fighting for their Thai political beliefs???

They're probably studying the situation in Wisconsin

[jdinasia]

6000 PAD members in the U.S.??

What are 6000, Royalist, keep the status quo, PAD doing in the U.S.? Enjoying freedom of speech, relative freedom of censorship, right to carry guns for protection, vote in an election more honest than a Thailand one, excercise all the amendments and laws of the Constitution, buying land, businesses, and homes??? Why are they not here, fighting for their Thai political beliefs???

They're probably studying the situation in Wisconsin

And the consequences of the Patriot Act. They can't vote if they are not citizens but calling US elections "more honest" is arguable when individual votes don't count. Why are they there? Some are expats, some are students, some are dual citizens etc etc etc

I assume those that are eligible to vote and can vote absentee will, featography. If you question why they are there (certainly much harder for an average Thai to go there than for an average farang to come to Thailand) --- it begs the question why you are in Thailand?

[jimbeam1]

The PAD and UDD and PTP - all organizations in their slow death spiral. Fun to watch!

Not just these three, rather all political groups, Thais are increasingly disenchanted with Thai politicians.

Very much the same for any Nation these day's,. Me thinks.

jb1

[VegasTim]

Time for the more sensible leaders of the NPP to abandon Sonthi and Chamlong and join the Democrats. It's never a good idead to use the word new in the name of a political party, thay all fail-ask Chavalit.

[anterian]

The PAD and UDD and PTP - all organizations in their slow death spiral. Fun to watch!

Not just these three, rather all political groups, Thais are increasingly disenchanted with Thai politicians.

Very much the same for any Nation these day's,. Me thinks.

jb1

Very true, I wonder if any member can name a country where the majority of the people are happy with their MPs?

[Steely Dan]

If the PAD support is diluted any more it's going to end up homeopathic.