Thaksin Will Only Return If Granted Amnesty: Chaiyasit

[metisdead]

Just a reminder that posts using derogatory nicknames for people will be deleted.

[SanSaiExPat]

We should welcome him back if it is the will of the Thai people. Some people seem to forget he is still extremely popular.

Let's hope he can change the decades of military interference in Thailand's political system and lessen their influence once and for all.

I suspect it is a pipedream however and further interference will be inevitable taking us closer to Burma politically than ever before.

It's rare but refreshing to see a post on this board that reminds us of PM Thaksin's popularity. In January 2001 he in fact won 248 parliamentary seats in what was called at the time the most corruption free election in Thai history. This is I'm sure what many find an "inconvenient truth". I agree it's a long shot,as the cards are stacked against true grass roots democracy in Thailand, but wouldn't it be amazing if Pheu Thai could form a new government..

[jdinasia]

We should welcome him back if it is the will of the Thai people. Some people seem to forget he is still extremely popular.

Let's hope he can change the decades of military interference in Thailand's political system and lessen their influence once and for all.

I suspect it is a pipedream however and further interference will be inevitable taking us closer to Burma politically than ever before.

It's rare but refreshing to see a post on this board that reminds us of PM Thaksin's popularity. In January 2001 he in fact won 248 parliamentary seats in what was called at the time the most corruption free election in Thai history. This is I'm sure what many find an "inconvenient truth". I agree it's a long shot,as the cards are stacked against true grass roots democracy in Thailand, but wouldn't it be amazing if Pheu Thai could form a new government..

In 2001 Thaksin had bought up the regional political machines, which he continued later. He "lucked out" with a court decision about him hiding assets with family household staff. He was considered :too rich to be corrupt" which has been proven fallacious.

Should a corrupt politician be welcomed back even if it is the will of the people? No. Democracy relies on checks and balances and Thaksin cannot return as PM for 2 very clear reasons. The first is he has been sentenced to jail, and thus cannot be elected as an MP, and you must be an MP to be elected PM by parliament. The second reason is that Thaksin has taken citizenship in another country as an adult and is thus ineligible for the position.

Would it be amazing if the political arm of the redshirt/Thaksin movement could form a new government? No. It is within the realm of possibility. Would they last? No. They would attempt to make changes to the constitution to benefit one man and it would lead to outright armed conflict imho.

[SanSaiExPat]

We should welcome him back if it is the will of the Thai people. Some people seem to forget he is still extremely popular.

Let's hope he can change the decades of military interference in Thailand's political system and lessen their influence once and for all.

I suspect it is a pipedream however and further interference will be inevitable taking us closer to Burma politically than ever before.

It's rare but refreshing to see a post on this board that reminds us of PM Thaksin's popularity. In January 2001 he in fact won 248 parliamentary seats in what was called at the time the most corruption free election in Thai history. This is I'm sure what many find an "inconvenient truth". I agree it's a long shot,as the cards are stacked against true grass roots democracy in Thailand, but wouldn't it be amazing if Pheu Thai could form a new government..

In 2001 Thaksin had bought up the regional political machines, which he continued later. He "lucked out" with a court decision about him hiding assets with family household staff. He was considered :too rich to be corrupt" which has been proven fallacious.

Should a corrupt politician be welcomed back even if it is the will of the people? No. Democracy relies on checks and balances and Thaksin cannot return as PM for 2 very clear reasons. The first is he has been sentenced to jail, and thus cannot be elected as an MP, and you must be an MP to be elected PM by parliament. The second reason is that Thaksin has taken citizenship in another country as an adult and is thus ineligible for the position.

Would it be amazing if the political arm of the redshirt/Thaksin movement could form a new government? No. It is within the realm of possibility. Would they last? No. They would attempt to make changes to the constitution to benefit one man and it would lead to outright armed conflict imho.

I appreciate your considered response. I'm trying to recall exactly, but to my knowledge I don't believe it wasn't established fact by anyone or any court or other government body that the Former Prime Minister was corrupt and unfit for office when he was in office. Let me ask you this. Do you feel it was acceptable and in comport with democratic principals of government and the constitution for the Military to remove Thaksin because some "felt" he was corrupt? Is it and was it OK for a democratically elected leader of a country to be removed from office by force? Is it acceptable for the will of the people who elected a leader to have their voice and vote nullified? I'd be interested in hearing your opinion. Finally, could you explain to me why it is OK for Prime Minister Aphisit Vejjajiva to be a citizen of England and be the Prime Minister of Thailand while it's not ok for Thaksin to be a citizen of another country and be Prime Minister. I'm not sure I understand the distinction your trying to make by saying "as an adult". I believe PM Vejjajiva, as an adult, is still a citizen of England or did he renounce his English citizenship?

[DP25]

It's rare but refreshing to see a post on this board that reminds us of PM Thaksin's popularity. In January 2001 he in fact won 248 parliamentary seats

"He" didn't win anything. The same factions that had controlled those seats for decades won their elections once again, as expected. The only thing unique about Thaksin was being wealthy enough to gather the whole NE in to one party to elect him PM. The results were no referendum on him. It was the same factions elected before Thaksin, and it's the same after Thaksin.

[jdinasia]

We should welcome him back if it is the will of the Thai people. Some people seem to forget he is still extremely popular.

Let's hope he can change the decades of military interference in Thailand's political system and lessen their influence once and for all.

I suspect it is a pipedream however and further interference will be inevitable taking us closer to Burma politically than ever before.

It's rare but refreshing to see a post on this board that reminds us of PM Thaksin's popularity. In January 2001 he in fact won 248 parliamentary seats in what was called at the time the most corruption free election in Thai history. This is I'm sure what many find an "inconvenient truth". I agree it's a long shot,as the cards are stacked against true grass roots democracy in Thailand, but wouldn't it be amazing if Pheu Thai could form a new government..

In 2001 Thaksin had bought up the regional political machines, which he continued later. He "lucked out" with a court decision about him hiding assets with family household staff. He was considered :too rich to be corrupt" which has been proven fallacious.

Should a corrupt politician be welcomed back even if it is the will of the people? No. Democracy relies on checks and balances and Thaksin cannot return as PM for 2 very clear reasons. The first is he has been sentenced to jail, and thus cannot be elected as an MP, and you must be an MP to be elected PM by parliament. The second reason is that Thaksin has taken citizenship in another country as an adult and is thus ineligible for the position.

Would it be amazing if the political arm of the redshirt/Thaksin movement could form a new government? No. It is within the realm of possibility. Would they last? No. They would attempt to make changes to the constitution to benefit one man and it would lead to outright armed conflict imho.

I appreciate your considered response. I'm trying to recall exactly, but to my knowledge I don't believe it wasn't established fact by anyone or any court or other government body that the Former Prime Minister was corrupt and unfit for office when he was in office. Let me ask you this. Do you feel it was acceptable and in comport with democratic principals of government and the constitution for the Military to remove Thaksin because some "felt" he was corrupt? Is it and was it OK for a democratically elected leader of a country to be removed from office by force? Is it acceptable for the will of the people who elected a leader to have their voice and vote nullified? I'd be interested in hearing your opinion. Finally, could you explain to me why it is OK for Prime Minister Aphisit Vejjajiva to be a citizen of England and be the Prime Minister of Thailand while it's not ok for Thaksin to be a citizen of another country and be Prime Minister. I'm not sure I understand the distinction your trying to make by saying "as an adult". I believe PM Vejjajiva, as an adult, is still a citizen of England or did he renounce his English citizenship?

When Thaksin was removed by the coup in 2006 he was a non-elected caretaker PM that had quit and returned, and thus by nature extra-constitutional. Nobody had elected Thaksin at the time and in fact the previous elections were nullified.

I am sure you don't see the distinction about nationality, but the Thai constitution DOES see a difference between someone who is Thai by birth that also has another nationality at birth and a person who is Thai by birth and accepts another nationality as an adult The issue isn't holding dual nationality, it is taking up another nationality as an adult. If you marry and return home and take your wife with you she would lose her eligibility to become PM IF she took up your nationality. She would not lose her eligibility if she didn't choose to do so.