Ability, Not Gender, Is What Makes A Good Thai PM

[webfact]

Ability, not gender, is what makes a good PM

By Budsarakham Sinlapalavan

The Nation

A candidate's gender should not be the main factor for voters to decide on the country's government leader, human rights advocates have said.

They said voters should instead base their decisions on the candidate's qualifications and his or her ability to run the country as prime minister - qualities which do not depend on gender.

The question whether the next prime minister would be a man or a woman arose after the Pheu Thai Party unveiled Yingluck Shinawatra as its prime ministerial candidate to contest as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is the Democrat Party leader.

Yingluck, who turns 44 next month, is the youngest sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is overseas to escape an imprisonment sentence. She had been a top executive of family businesses before being declared Pheu Thai's number 1 candidate on its party list.

If she is voted by the House of Representatives to become the next prime minister, Yingluck will join a league of women leaders of the world.

The world has had 67 women prime ministers or presidents over the past five decades since Siramavo Bandaranaike became the world's first female government leader when she began serving as the prime minister of Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon).

The latest female government leader is President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, who assumed her office in early January. She is the 95th of the 100 most influential women of the world, according to Forbes magazine.

Wilaiwan Saetia, head of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, said that in her view, gender should not be the main factor in deciding who is a better leader.

She said that basic qualities for a good leader are - highly experienced, comprehensive understanding of the problems, and decisiveness and power to make decisions by himself or herself.

"I don't think a prime minister must be [judged on being] a woman or a man. That person must be well qualified to run the country and able to solve the problems of the 63 million people [Thailand's entire population]. The government leader must have obvious qualities and capability that can be trusted by the people," she said.

Political scientist Assadang Panikabutr said that for him, it does not matter whether the next prime minister is a man or a woman, as long as that person makes the people happy and can solve their problems.

"Khun Yingluck succeeded in running businesses and I don't think running the country is too difficult for her. What is important is sincerity and determination to really solve the country's problems," he said.

Jadet Chaowilai, director of the Woman and Man Progressive Foundation, said he believed Yingluck and Abhisit are equally capable in terms of management, although the caretaker premier is more experienced politically.

He said that as Pheu Thai is campaigning for Yingluck to become the country's first female prime minister, it also should have concrete policy platforms about women, such as the problems of violence and unfair treatment against women.

-- The Nation 2011-05-19

[anterian]

"Concrete policy platforms about women, such as the problems of violence and unfair treatment against women".

In a nation of predominantly male chauvinists that would be a real uphill struggle.

[Thaddeus]

Thatcher.

[NanLaew]

The author of this article, a Thai, quoting 'human rights advocates'?

Did somebody spike my morning Jack & water?

[Crushdepth]

What's ability or gender got to do with it? She's a puppet.

[hyperdimension]

basic qualities for a good leader are - highly experienced,

Yingluck has almost no experience in politics.

comprehensive understanding of the problems,

There is no evidence of this, and I doubt there is as she has been busy taking care of her brother's companies and their profits for most of her career. She must be frantically catching up with the details of what's been going on in politics and the country in the past 5 years (maybe reading the "red" version of Thai history books).

and decisiveness and power to make decisions by himself or herself.

With lack of the previous two qualities, she's going to need others, including of course her brother, to do much of the important decision making.

She therefore fails to meet the aforementioned qualities for a good leader.

Edited May 19, 2011 by hyperdimension

[JetsetBkk]

Thatcher.

Indeed. The best PM we ever had in the UK.

[PingManDan]

Ya the ability to pass everything under the table, and fill their pockets with cash and forget about the real people of Thailand, not just the wealthy.

[cdnvic]

"Concrete policy platforms about women, such as the problems of violence and unfair treatment against women".

In a nation of predominantly male chauvinists that would be a real uphill struggle.

Thatcher.

Ghandi

Bhutto

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Aung San Suu Kyi -- Greatly admired in the Red Shirt movement

Corazon Aquino -- Was a housewife, when a great outrage resulted in her becoming a leader, ultimately of the country. (As president, not PM of course)

[dunkin2012]

Aung San Suu Kyi -- Greatly admired in the Red Shirt movement

Corazon Aquino -- Was a housewife, when a great outrage resulted in her becoming a leader, ultimately of the country. (As president, not PM of course)

K. Khwai - Red likes Suu Kyi?

I talked to a Burmese lady and she said we cannot trust Suu Kyi.. She also added that "She is a snake". but

I have very good point of view for Suu Kyi.

[Thaddeus]

"Concrete policy platforms about women, such as the problems of violence and unfair treatment against women".

In a nation of predominantly male chauvinists that would be a real uphill struggle.

Thatcher.

Ghandi

Bhutto

"SNAP"

Assuming you mean Indira and Benazir.

[Robby nz]

The one big problem with all that, gender aside, is the PT slogan "Thaksin thinks PT delivers"

This to me indicates she wont be allowed to think for herself.

If she starts to think and assert authority over big brother there is likely to be trouble in the family.

[geriatrickid]

"Concrete policy platforms about women, such as the problems of violence and unfair treatment against women".

In a nation of predominantly male chauvinists that would be a real uphill struggle.

Thatcher.

Ghandi

Bhutto

Not a good omen. Ghandi and Butto were assassinated. The IRA nearly got Mrs. T.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Aung San Suu Kyi -- Greatly admired in the Red Shirt movement

Corazon Aquino -- Was a housewife, when a great outrage resulted in her becoming a leader, ultimately of the country. (As president, not PM of course)

K. Khwai - Red likes Suu Kyi?

I talked to a Burmese lady and she said we cannot trust Suu Kyi.. She also added that "She is a snake".

Sure; I'm sure there are plenty ethnic, regional and class differences in Burma too that would cause not everyone to hold the same saint-like view of a person, even ASSK. Especially as she's called all kinds of things on state controlled media in Burma, with the army portrayed as the savior of the country. This parallel resonates with the Reds. There are important differences too of course, ASSK and her party have been advocating peaceful opposition very consistently. That has not been the case in the Red Shirt movement, though of course there is no shortage there also of people who subscribe to peaceful protest. Arguably, uniting behind the more aggressive and gung-ho leadership likely resulted in a weaker movement. Crucially, the inability to get to an agreement with Abhisit when a very reasonable one was on the table was ultimately the downfall which hurt peaceful and militant protesters alike.

[hyperdimension]

The one big problem with all that, gender aside, is the PT slogan "Thaksin thinks PT delivers"

This to me indicates she wont be allowed to think for herself.

I'm thinking maybe she's just being used as a front, like the "pretties" for hire used in promotion of products. It fits in with her statement that she will use her "femininity". The "brains" will be Thaksin, which fits in with the Pheu Thai slogan "Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai acts".

[Buchholz]

The one big problem with all that, gender aside, is the PT slogan "Thaksin thinks PT delivers"

This to me indicates she wont be allowed to think for herself.

I'm thinking maybe she's just being used as a front, like the "pretties" for hire used in promotion of products. It fits in with her statement that she will use her "femininity". The "brains" will be Thaksin, which fits in with the Pheu Thai slogan "Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai acts".

Agreed. While in essence she is not un-different from the "pretties" of the Bangkok Auto Show, you'd think they could find someone closer in the "femininity" department to Miss Subaru...

but then again, Miss Subaru's surname is not Shinawatra.