Chai Chidchob Hints At Political Surprise Today

[Lite Beer]

Chai hints at political surprise today

By The Nation on Sunday.

House Speaker Chai Chidchob said yesterday that he expected Parliament to be dissolved no later than Tuesday, joking that there would be "some surprise" today.

Chai made the remark after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva submitted a Royal Decree on dissolving the House of Represen-tatives for royal endorsement on Friday.

The House Speaker said it remained to be seen when His Majesty the King would bestow a royal command, as he was still recovering from surgery. But Chai said he expected the House dissolution would take place no later than May 10 (Tuesday).

He said he had called a House meeting for Wednesday and Thursday. However if the royal command was bestowed, he would call off the meeting.

Chai also joked with reporters, saying, "Are you coming tomorrow? I have a surprise."

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban dismissed polls that suggested Pheu Thai Party would win the most seats, saying he was totally confident that the Democrat Party would win more seats.

Responding to a Khon Kaen University poll that showed Pheu Thai Party leading the Democrat Party in the northeast, Suthep said he did not take these polls seriously because even exit poll results were sometimes wrong.

Suthep rejected a call to let the party that wins the most seats form the government first, saying the country's parliament would allow whichever party commanded the most seats to form the government.

He expressed confidence that the Democrat Party would win the most seats. While it will not be a landslide win the Democrats would win more seats for party-list MPs and constituency MPs. "The Democrats will win more than 200 seats and will win more constituency MP seats in the northeast region,'' he said.

Thepthai Senpong, spokesman of the Democrat Party leader, said the Party did not need to sign a pact to let the party that wins the most seats form a government first, saying even a pact signed by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was torn up.

He said Dusit poll results showed about 43 per cent of respondents supported any party that gets a majority forming a government first.

Meanwhile Thammasat University rector Somkid Lertpaitoon said the upcoming election would be more violent than any previous election because the system had changed from large to small constituencies. He said politicians would resort to every tactic to win.

Somkid said every party would resort to populist policies in their campaigns and that would create negative consequences for the country in the long term.

However, the public might benefit from some populist policies such as 12-years of free education and free healthcare in the short term. He said the future government should focus instead on long-term policies such as transforming the country into a welfare state.

-- The Nation 2011-05-08

[SanSaiExPat]

"...government should focus instead on long-term policies such as transforming the country into a welfare state." This is a good thing? This is something you want to campaign on? This government really wants to turn a nation of extremely hard working farmers and a burgeoning middle class into a shiftless, lazy, welfare state of dependent, poor, uneducated citizens looking for a handout? The financial burden on the government and the subsequent tax burden on the wealthy and middle class and the required increase in the VAT tax will destroy this country in a few years.

Edited May 8, 2011 by SanSaiExPat

[khaowong1]

"...government should focus instead on long-term policies such as transforming the country into a welfare state." This is a good thing? This is something you want to campaign on? This government really wants to turn a nation of extremely hard working farmers and a burgeoning middle class into a shiftless, lazy, welfare state of dependent, poor, uneducated citizens looking for a handout? The financial burden on the government and the subsequent tax burden on the wealthy and middle class and the required increase in the VAT tax will destroy this country in a few years.

It makes you wonder what this Somkid person is talking about. It sounds to me like he is taking a sort of round about communist line.

[Throatwobbler]

"...government should focus instead on long-term policies such as transforming the country into a welfare state." This is a good thing? This is something you want to campaign on? This government really wants to turn a nation of extremely hard working farmers and a burgeoning middle class into a shiftless, lazy, welfare state of dependent, poor, uneducated citizens looking for a handout? The financial burden on the government and the subsequent tax burden on the wealthy and middle class and the required increase in the VAT tax will destroy this country in a few years.

It makes you wonder what this Somkid person is talking about. It sounds to me like he is taking a sort of round about communist line.

I take it that you are both Americans. Any talk about Welfare to help people always has Americans shouting communist.. I guess we should just f@@@ the poor then.

[animatic]

"...government should focus instead on long-term policies such as transforming the country into a welfare state." This is a good thing? This is something you want to campaign on? This government really wants to turn a nation of extremely hard working farmers and a burgeoning middle class into a shiftless, lazy, welfare state of dependent, poor, uneducated citizens looking for a handout? The financial burden on the government and the subsequent tax burden on the wealthy and middle class and the required increase in the VAT tax will destroy this country in a few years.

It makes you wonder what this Somkid person is talking about. It sounds to me like he is taking a sort of round about communist line.

I take it that you are both Americans. Any talk about Welfare to help people always has Americans shouting communist.. I guess we should just f@@@ the poor then.

Well I have lived in America, and Europe in a very socialist environment with full health care, and definitely think the latter is MUCH better. And my tax rate was EXACTLY the same.

But they are right about this Uni Rector speaking in far left socialist code. And you need not be arch conservative American reactionary to see that. Some aspects of social support are very worth while, while going the full welfare state route, as he is suggesting, is not in any way a viable solution.

Edited May 8, 2011 by animatic

[Buchholz]

Chai also joked with reporters, saying, "Are you coming tomorrow? I have a surprise."

I can still do it... :jerk:

[asiawatcher]

Yawn...

[TAWP]

I take it that you are both Americans. Any talk about Welfare to help people always has Americans shouting communist.. I guess we should just f@@@ the poor then.

Coming from a socialist country I can tell you that a welfare state isn't the answer in the long run, it takes 2 generations and then it starts to go drastically downhill -- even faster if people have a low work-morale to begin with.

[rubl]

Yawn...

The anxiety, the waiting, short nails already ... still six hours to go

[Throatwobbler]

I take it that you are both Americans. Any talk about Welfare to help people always has Americans shouting communist.. I guess we should just f@@@ the poor then.

Coming from a socialist country I can tell you that a welfare state isn't the answer in the long run, it takes 2 generations and then it starts to go drastically downhill -- even faster if people have a low work-morale to begin with.

So the I'm alright Jack F you attitudeis a better way to go then. Just a question. I'm from a fairly socialist country at times and I'd have that any day of the week over the American alternative.

Sorry off topic I know.