Suwat Says End Of Ban Next Year Will Make Thai Politics 'Fun' Again

[webfact]

Suwat says end of ban next year will make politics 'fun' again

By Satien Wiriyapanpongsa

The Nation

Veteran politician Suwat Liptapanlop foresees a more vibrant political atmosphere next year when the five-year ban on 111 politicians from the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party ends, opening up the prospect for many of them to return to the political scene.

Suwat, himself one of those facing the ban, blamed a lack of choice in Thai politics for the unsolved political dispute.

"I try to figure out why poli?tics in our country is going in circles. Partly it is because we have limitations in terms of political personnel. We will have to wait until May 2012. I think the banned politicians want to make a comeback and politics will be fun again next year," Suwat said.

"Those politicians were elected MPs for four to five terms and they are a senior group with a lot of experience. However, so far they have been unable to offer themselves as a choice to voters," he said.

"Had the 111 politicians been free today, the political scene would have been different - so would the political poles and structure. There would have been more political parties and leaders for the voters to choose from." Suwat denied he was call?ing for an early return of the banned politicians.

In May 2007, the Constitution Court dissolved the Thai Rak Thai Party for electoral fraud and abrogated the electoral rights of 111 exec?utive members for five years. Among the banned politicians were former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the party's former leader and co-founder, and many veteran politicians who are now pulling the strings from behind.

Viewed as de-facto leader of the coalition Ruam Chart Pattana Party, Suwat said Thai politics would remain polarised with the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties dominating the scene. However, smaller parties like his would also play an important role in helping main?tain political stability in the next coalition government. He saw only a slim chance of the two largest parties forming a gov?ernment together after the elec?tion.

He also called on all sides to respect the result of the upcom?ing general elections to prevent the rise of any further conflict.

"We all have to help maintain a good atmosphere to ensure the next election takes place. And all sides involved have to accept the election results, oth?erwise the conflict will never end," Suwat said.

-- The Nation 2011-04-01

[Buchholz]

Suwat has been dearly missed in politics.

Who else would be ballsy enough to steal an Olympic gold medal from a Thai athlete?

"But Suwat denied the reports, telling reporters Tuesday that he only borrowed the medal from Udomporn for a day in order to make a genuine gold replica of it as a special gift for her, and would return the medal back to her by a Thai Airways flight."

Make a replica for her when she held the real thing?

[Sydebolle]

Dark days ahead indeed. While banning was never a solution it is remarkeable, that during these five years not much changed and yes, the "group of 111" will be up for grabs again soon. Anyone considering translating "happy days are here again" into Thai prior to New Years Eve?

[hammered]

Nice to know the politcal elite that were at least partly responsible for creating the hideous mess will soon be back to help solve it and even worse to parade their hi so asses around telling everyone how to lead their lives. Lets also not kid ourselves or allow them to kid us. While they were serving their little ban they put their useless spoilt kids up as their puppets or some enforcer they could rely on to do exactly what told. The problems of the last 5 years havent been resolved because the 111 were banned but because it was business as usual as they found ways around the ban while serving it. The political elit ein Thailand in all parties is quite small and no ordinary person gets to play. If you ban one somone else just fills the seat while doing what told

[Siripon]

The Democrats are at a big disadvantage in the next election regarding the smaller coalition parties, for instance Pheua Thai could offer the premiership to Chart Thai Pattana or Pumjaithai as a sweetener to join forces, especially as their potential PM is a mere Thaksin nominee.

That will be very hard for a smaller party to resist.

The Democrats could never do that,the best the coalition partners could hope for is some grade A ministries, as they have under the present government.

[whybother]

The Democrats are at a big disadvantage in the next election regarding the smaller coalition parties, for instance Pheua Thai could offer the premiership to Chart Thai Pattana or Pumjaithai as a sweetener to join forces, especially as their potential PM is a mere Thaksin nominee.

That will be very hard for a smaller party to resist.

The Democrats could never do that,the best the coalition partners could hope for is some grade A ministries, as they have under the present government.

Can you imagine Thaksin letting someone he couldn't trust be PM?

If PTP can put a coalition together to get into government, it will only be a Thaksin lackey from PTP that will be PM.

[Buchholz]

Nice to know the political elite that were at least partly responsible for creating the hideous mess will soon be back to help solve it and even worse to parade their hi so asses around telling everyone how to lead their lives. Lets also not kid ourselves or allow them to kid us. While they were serving their little ban they put their useless spoilt kids up as their puppets or some enforcer they could rely on to do exactly what told. The problems of the last 5 years haven't been resolved because the 111 were banned but because it was business as usual as they found ways around the ban while serving it. The political elite in Thailand in all parties is quite small and no ordinary person gets to play. If you ban one someone else just fills the seat while doing what told

Case in point... is the subject referred to in an earlier post as Moron of the Month...

Take this example - Suwat Liptapanlop was banned from politics, yet he installed his completely unqualified wife as a minister, when his wife was dismissed from the government after Samak's conviction, he replaced her with a brother in law. Samak claimed legitimacy until his last day, only to find out that he was cheating the country since February.

[Buchholz]

It's mildly amusing to watch His Excellency's public exploits while he's been banned.

Just can't give up the grandiose titles since his days as Deputy Prime Minister. The webpage reflects that as it shows off the President of the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand...

[Siripon]

The Democrats are at a big disadvantage in the next election regarding the smaller coalition parties, for instance Pheua Thai could offer the premiership to Chart Thai Pattana or Pumjaithai as a sweetener to join forces, especially as their potential PM is a mere Thaksin nominee.

That will be very hard for a smaller party to resist.

The Democrats could never do that,the best the coalition partners could hope for is some grade A ministries, as they have under the present government.

Can you imagine Thaksin letting someone he couldn't trust be PM?

If PTP can put a coalition together to get into government, it will only be a Thaksin lackey from PTP that will be PM.

Don't discount General Sanan from Chart Thai Pattana, all in the name of 'reconciliation' of course.

[Tony Clifton]

Wait until the 111 banned from politics step back in the arena.

It will have been like starving infected pirhanas for 5 years instead of culling them altogether forever.

They will eat each other alive at the slightest disagreement or more generous cash offer from above once they are released from quarantine.

We will surely shower them with even more gold medals then.

I haven't been here for quite a while and still, Thailand sure isn't out of the woods with such characters in the picture.

[animatic]

They will not be up for grabs, it is they that will do the grabbing.

And no this will not bring good times and peaceful resolution of the countries problems.

If anything just the opposite.

[yoshiwara]

The Democrats are at a big disadvantage in the next election regarding the smaller coalition parties, for instance Pheua Thai could offer the premiership to Chart Thai Pattana or Pumjaithai as a sweetener to join forces, especially as their potential PM is a mere Thaksin nominee.

That will be very hard for a smaller party to resist.

The Democrats could never do that,the best the coalition partners could hope for is some grade A ministries, as they have under the present government.

Can you imagine Thaksin letting someone he couldn't trust be PM?

If PTP can put a coalition together to get into government, it will only be a Thaksin lackey from PTP that will be PM.

It is not so much a matter of 'trust'. Thaksin doesn't trust people. He buys them. The important consideration here is that in the unlikely scenario the PT Party can form a government with the aim of bringing back Thaksin then no PM must be strong enough to stand in his way the moment Thaksin hits the tarmac. Alternatively if PT doesn't form the next government then the formal leader of the PT must not stand in the way of Thaksin's next move which will be to try to set the red dogs loose again. Be under no illusions, Thaksin has no parliamentary strategy which will not be pushed aside in his attempts to get back powerone way or another. This is why each of the red organisations are kept separate from each other even though Thaksin controls them all. If the PT had a clear parliamentary and party leader able to consolidate a party base in the country then Thaksin no longer is the key man. Can't have that.