Thaksin Allies Win Landmark Thai Election

[george]

Thaksin allies win landmark Thai election

by Daniel Rook

BANGKOK, July 3, 2011 (AFP) - Allies of Thailand's fugitive ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra stormed to victory in elections Sunday, in a remarkable comeback after years of turmoil sparked by his overthrow in a military coup.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva conceded defeat and congratulated the opposition led by Thaksin's youngest sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who is now set to become Thailand first female premier.

With almost all the votes counted, Puea Thai had won a clear majority with 263 seats out of 500, well ahead of Abhisit's Democrats with 161, according to the Election Commission, which estimated turnout at 74 percent.

"The outcome is clear -- Puea Thai has won the election and the Democrats are defeated," Abhisit told supporters at the party's Bangkok headquarters.

The poll was the first major electoral test for the elite-backed government since mass demonstrations by Thaksin's "Red Shirt" supporters last year paralysed Bangkok and unleashed the worst political violence in decades.

A smiling Yingluck earlier addressed jubilant supports at the Puea Thai Party's headquarters in the Thai capital, saying: "Thaksin has called to congratulate me and said there was a tough job ahead."

The 44-year-old telegenic businesswoman, a political novice who Thaksin has described as his "clone", said she was working on building a coalition with the smaller Chart Thai Pattana and other parties.

"People are giving me a chance and I will work to my best ability," she added.

Amid fears that an opposition victory could unleash more deadly protests or even another army takeover, Thaksin called on all sides to respect the outcome of the ballot.

"All parties must respect the people's decision otherwise our country cannot achieve peace," the former billionaire telecoms tycoon told Thai television by telephone from his base in Dubai.

"I think people want to see reconciliation. They want to move forward," he said. "We will not seek revenge."

Toppled by the military in 2006 and now living in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail term for corruption, Thaksin nevertheless dominated the election in Thailand, where he remains a hugely divisive figure.

He is adored by rural voters for his populist policies while in power such as cheap healthcare and microcredit schemes, but hated by the ruling elite who see him as corrupt, authoritarian and a threat to the revered monarchy.

The election is seen as a major test of the kingdom's ability to emerge from its long political crisis, which has seen years of street protests by Thaksin's "Red Shirt" supporters and the rival "Yellow Shirt" royalists.

More than 170,000 police were deployed to secure the vote, but it appeared to proceed peacefully. Long queues were seen at polling stations.

Political observers had said that a close result could have fuelled a fresh round of street protests or military intervention, but a clear win by the opposition will make it harder for the generals to justify seizing power.

The Puea Thai party has proposed an amnesty for convicted politicians -- a move apparently aimed at bringing Thaksin home, where he faces terrorism charges in connection with the April-May 2010 protests.

More than 90 people, mostly civilians, died in a series of street clashes between mostly unarmed red-clad protesters loyal to Thaksin and government soldiers firing live ammunition in the streets of the capital.

Many doubt the Bangkok-based establishment in government, military and palace circles would allow the one-time owner of Manchester City football club to come back as a free man.

If Thaksin tries to return the army may "strike back", said Thai academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun, of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

"If he sets foot in Thailand the military could accuse him of coming back and trying to create disunity among Thais."

Asked about his plans, Thaksin said Sunday he hoped to see his daughter marry in Thailand in December.

"I don't have to return home soon. I can stay here, but I just really want to attend my daughter's wedding. I don't want to cause trouble by returning home."

The military is a constant wildcard in a nation that has seen almost as many coups as elections. The judiciary also has a record of intervening in politics.

Thaksin or his allies have won the most seats in the past four elections, but the courts reversed the results of the last two polls.

British-born Abhisit took office in a 2008 parliamentary vote after a court ruling threw out the previous administration, and he was accused by his foes of being an unelected puppet of the military and the establishment.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-07-04

[hanuman1]

It will be interesting to see how much of a softly-softly approach PTP takes to paving the way for Thaksin to come back. They obviously know how much he pissed off those with the real power here.

Things have just got a lot more interesting.

[whybother]

It will be interesting to see how much of a softly-softly approach PTP takes to paving the way for Thaksin to come back. They obviously know how much he pissed off those with the real power here.

Things have just got a lot more interesting.

Things were going to get interesting regardless of who got into government.

[geriatrickid]

It will be interesting to see how much of a softly-softly approach PTP takes to paving the way for Thaksin to come back. They obviously know how much he pissed off those with the real power here.

Things have just got a lot more interesting.

You may want to do a bit of digging and see just who was talking to the former PM for the past 2 years. It will be shocking for some. Believe it or not, some of the people assumed to have been anti Thaksin were calling him and had their associates meeting with him. In politics, what one sees and reads in the newspapers does not necessarily reflect the reality.

[hanuman1]

It will be interesting to see how much of a softly-softly approach PTP takes to paving the way for Thaksin to come back. They obviously know how much he pissed off those with the real power here.

Things have just got a lot more interesting.

Things were going to get interesting regardless of who got into government.

Yay! We're both right!

[hanuman1]

It will be interesting to see how much of a softly-softly approach PTP takes to paving the way for Thaksin to come back. They obviously know how much he pissed off those with the real power here.

Things have just got a lot more interesting.

You may want to do a bit of digging and see just who was talking to the former PM for the past 2 years. It will be shocking for some. Believe it or not, some of the people assumed to have been anti Thaksin were calling him and had their associates meeting with him. In politics, what one sees and reads in the newspapers does not necessarily reflect the reality.

Way to pull the rug from under my Thai political universe! I will ask you to elaborate, and your refusal to do so will tell me what I need to know. Otherwise, just tell me whose associates you're going on about.

I thank you.

[geriatrickid]

It will be interesting to see how much of a softly-softly approach PTP takes to paving the way for Thaksin to come back. They obviously know how much he pissed off those with the real power here.

Things have just got a lot more interesting.

You may want to do a bit of digging and see just who was talking to the former PM for the past 2 years. It will be shocking for some. Believe it or not, some of the people assumed to have been anti Thaksin were calling him and had their associates meeting with him. In politics, what one sees and reads in the newspapers does not necessarily reflect the reality.

Way to pull the rug from under my Thai political universe! I will ask you to elaborate, and your refusal to do so will tell me what I need to know. Otherwise, just tell me whose associates you're going on about.

I thank you.

In the interest of respecting the forum rules, I must not comment further. However, there are some articles written in reputable non Thai newsmedia that discuss the issue that you may consult. My apologies,

I am not being a smartass with the above response. Suffice to say, that there are people in Thailand that really do care about the future of the nation and that see past Mr. Thaksin. He is but a bump in the long and winding political road. There are bigger issues at stake, bigger than Thaksin, PTP, Democrats etc. and I am grateful that some people do think longterm and place stability and peace ahead of window dressing issues. I just hope that people give this new government a chance and are not going to claim conspiracies when presumed enemies work together for the advancement and future of Thailand.

[hanuman1]

It will be interesting to see how much of a softly-softly approach PTP takes to paving the way for Thaksin to come back. They obviously know how much he pissed off those with the real power here.

Things have just got a lot more interesting.

You may want to do a bit of digging and see just who was talking to the former PM for the past 2 years. It will be shocking for some. Believe it or not, some of the people assumed to have been anti Thaksin were calling him and had their associates meeting with him. In politics, what one sees and reads in the newspapers does not necessarily reflect the reality.

Way to pull the rug from under my Thai political universe! I will ask you to elaborate, and your refusal to do so will tell me what I need to know. Otherwise, just tell me whose associates you're going on about.

I thank you.

In the interest of respecting the forum rules, I must not comment further. However, there are some articles written in reputable non Thai newsmedia that discuss the issue that you may consult. My apologies,

I am not being a smartass with the above response. Suffice to say, that there are people in Thailand that really do care about the future of the nation and that see past Mr. Thaksin. He is but a bump in the long and winding political road. There are bigger issues at stake, bigger than Thaksin, PTP, Democrats etc. and I am grateful that some people do think longterm and place stability and peace ahead of window dressing issues. I just hope that people give this new government a chance and are not going to claim conspiracies when presumed enemies work together for the advancement and future of Thailand.

On the face of it, your words promise hope for the future but without knowing the content of those meetings you suggest took place, it's difficult to form an opinion one way or another. They may have been reconcilliatory (if that's a word), or they may have been quite the opposite. Still, I'm with you on the hopeful sentiment. Cheers!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

You may want to do a bit of digging and see just who was talking to the former PM for the past 2 years. It will be shocking for some. Believe it or not, some of the people assumed to have been anti Thaksin were calling him and had their associates meeting with him. In politics, what one sees and reads in the newspapers does not necessarily reflect the reality.

Way to pull the rug from under my Thai political universe! I will ask you to elaborate, and your refusal to do so will tell me what I need to know. Otherwise, just tell me whose associates you're going on about.

I thank you.

In the interest of respecting the forum rules, I must not comment further. However, there are some articles written in reputable non Thai newsmedia that discuss the issue that you may consult. My apologies,

I am not being a smartass with the above response. Suffice to say, that there are people in Thailand that really do care about the future of the nation and that see past Mr. Thaksin. He is but a bump in the long and winding political road. There are bigger issues at stake, bigger than Thaksin, PTP, Democrats etc. and I am grateful that some people do think longterm and place stability and peace ahead of window dressing issues. I just hope that people give this new government a chance and are not going to claim conspiracies when presumed enemies work together for the advancement and future of Thailand.

On the face of it, your words promise hope for the future but without knowing the content of those meetings you suggest took place, it's difficult to form an opinion one way or another. They may have been reconcilliatory (if that's a word), or they may have been quite the opposite. Still, I'm with you on the hopeful sentiment. Cheers!

I know too that of which GeriatricKid speaks, You won't find this in the Thai based English language media, even though some of those did publicise part of the story.

Such is press freedom in Thailand right now, that you're intentionally not getting the full story.

[Jingthing]

I know too but it is very iffy as very important people feel quite rationally that Thaksin can't ever be trusted to make a deal in good faith.

[hanuman1]

Way to pull the rug from under my Thai political universe! I will ask you to elaborate, and your refusal to do so will tell me what I need to know. Otherwise, just tell me whose associates you're going on about.

I thank you.

In the interest of respecting the forum rules, I must not comment further. However, there are some articles written in reputable non Thai newsmedia that discuss the issue that you may consult. My apologies,

I am not being a smartass with the above response. Suffice to say, that there are people in Thailand that really do care about the future of the nation and that see past Mr. Thaksin. He is but a bump in the long and winding political road. There are bigger issues at stake, bigger than Thaksin, PTP, Democrats etc. and I am grateful that some people do think longterm and place stability and peace ahead of window dressing issues. I just hope that people give this new government a chance and are not going to claim conspiracies when presumed enemies work together for the advancement and future of Thailand.

On the face of it, your words promise hope for the future but without knowing the content of those meetings you suggest took place, it's difficult to form an opinion one way or another. They may have been reconcilliatory (if that's a word), or they may have been quite the opposite. Still, I'm with you on the hopeful sentiment. Cheers!

I know too that of which GeriatricKid speaks, You won't find this in the Thai based English language media, even though some of those did publicise part of the story.

Such is press freedom in Thailand right now, that you're intentionally not getting the full story.

Well, given your understanding of that of which Geriatrickid speaks, would you share his optimism regarding the unusual forward-thinking nature of these meetings?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

In the interest of respecting the forum rules, I must not comment further. However, there are some articles written in reputable non Thai newsmedia that discuss the issue that you may consult. My apologies,

I am not being a smartass with the above response. Suffice to say, that there are people in Thailand that really do care about the future of the nation and that see past Mr. Thaksin. He is but a bump in the long and winding political road. There are bigger issues at stake, bigger than Thaksin, PTP, Democrats etc. and I am grateful that some people do think longterm and place stability and peace ahead of window dressing issues. I just hope that people give this new government a chance and are not going to claim conspiracies when presumed enemies work together for the advancement and future of Thailand.

On the face of it, your words promise hope for the future but without knowing the content of those meetings you suggest took place, it's difficult to form an opinion one way or another. They may have been reconcilliatory (if that's a word), or they may have been quite the opposite. Still, I'm with you on the hopeful sentiment. Cheers!

I know too that of which GeriatricKid speaks, You won't find this in the Thai based English language media, even though some of those did publicise part of the story.

Such is press freedom in Thailand right now, that you're intentionally not getting the full story.

Well, given your understanding of that of which Geriatrickid speaks, would you share his optimism regarding the unusual forward-thinking nature of these meetings?

I have very mixed feelings about it. On the one hand I find it encouraging when people talk and negotiate to get to a mutually acceptable settlement, because it is much better than the alternative. On the other hand, a party winning an outright majority should not have to negotiate with the military and others in positions of power for the right to govern. I always knew that to be the case so it's hardly a surprise. It does underscore how far Thailand still has to go before elected government can govern without having to check with the people who actually run the country.

[hanuman1]

On the face of it, your words promise hope for the future but without knowing the content of those meetings you suggest took place, it's difficult to form an opinion one way or another. They may have been reconcilliatory (if that's a word), or they may have been quite the opposite. Still, I'm with you on the hopeful sentiment. Cheers!

I know too that of which GeriatricKid speaks, You won't find this in the Thai based English language media, even though some of those did publicise part of the story.

Such is press freedom in Thailand right now, that you're intentionally not getting the full story.

Well, given your understanding of that of which Geriatrickid speaks, would you share his optimism regarding the unusual forward-thinking nature of these meetings?

I have very mixed feelings about it. On the one hand I find it encouraging when people talk and negotiate to get to a mutually acceptable settlement, because it is much better than the alternative. On the other hand, a party winning an outright majority should not have to negotiate with the military and others in positions of power for the right to govern. I always knew that to be the case so it's hardly a surprise. It does underscore how far Thailand still has to go before elected government can govern without having to check with the people who actually run the country.

I agree, but without knowing the content of the meeting it's impossible to speculate. It could have been along the lines of 'We are PTP and mean no harm to various unassailable institutions during our tenure' or it could have been 'We are the military/others and you will abide by our rules'. Two very different possibilities.

[mccw]

I know too but it is very iffy as very important people feel quite rationally that Thaksin can't ever be trusted to make a deal in good faith.

I know what your talking about but seems to me it maybe even more complex than that.

Where one unscrupulous no so popular camp can do a deal with the devil for their survival; where as another sees a possible respected, almost similarly divine lady with impeccable morals and charitable works could b named successor, country to tradition, but for the best of the nation, in the final moments.

Like it's been said; this is a struggle within the elite itself!

One a future of corruption and possible clapse vs one of sustainable development and self sufficiency.

Looks like for now the dark side is winning

[chaoyang]

After a coup and a couple of elections nullified through "legal" decisions, this election will have to be allowed to stand regardless of what some influential group thinks of Thaksin, especially after the events in the streets of Bangkok last year.

Their influence is likely to continue to wane in any event and Thaksin's group offers a way forward to help bring the country a more modern form of government. This is good news.

[MaiChai]

I would say the free press in Thailand now live in fear of what happened before. If you ask, what happened before, then do some research. Expect a very friendly, not saying anything negative against the government, press from now on.

[losworld]

It will be interesting to see how much of a softly-softly approach PTP takes to paving the way for Thaksin to come back. They obviously know how much he pissed off those with the real power here.

Things have just got a lot more interesting.

You may want to do a bit of digging and see just who was talking to the former PM for the past 2 years. It will be shocking for some. Believe it or not, some of the people assumed to have been anti Thaksin were calling him and had their associates meeting with him. In politics, what one sees and reads in the newspapers does not necessarily reflect the reality.

Way to pull the rug from under my Thai political universe! I will ask you to elaborate, and your refusal to do so will tell me what I need to know. Otherwise, just tell me whose associates you're going on about.

I thank you.

In the interest of respecting the forum rules, I must not comment further. However, there are some articles written in reputable non Thai newsmedia that discuss the issue that you may consult. My apologies,

I am not being a smartass with the above response. Suffice to say, that there are people in Thailand that really do care about the future of the nation and that see past Mr. Thaksin. He is but a bump in the long and winding political road. There are bigger issues at stake, bigger than Thaksin, PTP, Democrats etc. and I am grateful that some people do think longterm and place stability and peace ahead of window dressing issues. I just hope that people give this new government a chance and are not going to claim conspiracies when presumed enemies work together for the advancement and future of Thailand.

You need help:)

[charmonman]

I would say the free press in Thailand now live in fear of what happened before. If you ask, what happened before, then do some research. Expect a very friendly, not saying anything negative against the government, press from now on.

I agree. Some people seem to have short memories and forget the atmosphere of intimidation in the 2001-2006 period. Anyone remember the case of Supinya Klangnarong?

[Siam Simon]

I would say the free press in Thailand now live in fear of what happened before. If you ask, what happened before, then do some research. Expect a very friendly, not saying anything negative against the government, press from now on.

I agree. Some people seem to have short memories and forget the atmosphere of intimidation in the 2001-2006 period. Anyone remember the case of Supinya Klangnarong?

On the other hand, we have the example of the BBC's Jonathan Head criticising Thaksin's excesses without persecution, then hounded out of the country after exposing the PAD's connections. We also have another prominent erstwhile Thaksin critic fleeing persecution to the UK (Ji Ungpakorn) not because of his criticism of Thaksin, but because he trod on the toes of the same people as Jon Head. That's that lie nailed. Next.

[charmonman]

I would say the free press in Thailand now live in fear of what happened before. If you ask, what happened before, then do some research. Expect a very friendly, not saying anything negative against the government, press from now on.

I agree. Some people seem to have short memories and forget the atmosphere of intimidation in the 2001-2006 period. Anyone remember the case of Supinya Klangnarong?

On the other hand, we have the example of the BBC's Jonathan Head criticising Thaksin's excesses without persecution, then hounded out of the country after exposing the PAD's connections. We also have another prominent erstwhile Thaksin critic fleeing persecution to the UK (Ji Ungpakorn) not because of his criticism of Thaksin, but because he trod on the toes of the same people as Jon Head. That's that lie nailed. Next.

That's WHAT lie nailed? So, you think there was no serious intimidation of the press under Thaksin? I was not aware that Ungpakorn was much of a critic of Thaksin. I have heard him defending Thaksin and the red shirt movement and I believe the cause of his exile was due to the application of lese majeste laws that were also used under Thaksin to, for example, expel the two correspondents from the Far Eastern Economic Review in 2002. Here is a reference http://cpj.org/2003/03/attacks-on-the-press-2002-thailand.php that you might find interesting if you still wish to believe that Thaksin was somehow a defender of the free press. Next.

[sbk]

In line with that is this article from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/101381/Thai-Journalists-Fight-an-Unexpected-Revival-of-Press-Restrictions.aspx

[charmonman]

In line with that is this article from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

http://www.nieman.ha...strictions.aspx

Thank you. A great link for people to educate themselves on some recent Thai history.