THAI TALK

Managing victory will prove tougher than winning election

By Suthichai Yoon

The Nation

As it turned out, winning a major electoral majority on July 3 was the easy part.

Managing a big victory is the real challenge for Yingluck Shinawatra, poised to become Thailand's first female prime minister of a 299-seat coalition government.

Keeping all the populist election promises is a Herculean task in itself. Inevitably, lots of back-pedalling and "redefining" the election pledges will have to be made to pacify people who are already asking when, and not if, the new minimum wage (Bt300 a day), salary level guarantee for university graduates (Bt15,000 a month), free tablet PCs for all students, etc, will be delivered.

How then to form a Cabinet that will not be a letdown for the public is of immediate concern, of course. The widely held belief that Yingluck isn't the person making the decisions may be somewhat unfair to her. But the fact that her brother, Thaksin, is talking to both the Thai and foreign press in Dubai about the shape and form of the new government more than she is doesn't help to change too many sceptics' view.

Then, there is the question of how she will handle the red shirts. Will any of them be included in her Cabinet? She has given some indications on the speculation that there won't be any real "red presence" in her Cabinet but there hasn't been any confirmation.

During the election campaign, Yingluck repeatedly declared that she couldn't tell the red shirts not to interrupt Democrat leader Abhist Vejjajiva's campaign activities. Now, can she prevent certain red chiefs from being named to her Cabinet?

Trying to prove that she isn't her brother's puppet will be even harder. Most difficult of all, however, is how Yingluck will handle the controversial issue of her brother's amnesty.

She has been conspicuously "ambiguously eloquent" on perhaps the most explosive issue since she was thrown into politics six weeks ago by her very own brother.

Her scripted line has always been: There won't be an amnesty for just one person. But if reporters press the issue, her answers go from confusion to obfuscation.

Perhaps it's not her fault at all. One must blame her handlers for allowing her to be questioned by foreign and Thai reporters, after she successfully wriggled her way out of any real debate during the election campaign.

When the idea of amnesty for Thaksin was first proposed from within the Pheu Thai Party, the proverbial smelly stuff hit the fan. It was promptly rephrased: any amnesty would be for all parties concerned, and not for Thaksin alone.

The when a CNN reporter interviewed Yingluck two days after her party's staggering victory, she said her big brother's case would be reopened and reviewed "along with others" as part of national reconciliation.

The issue appeared to have taken a new turn: from the original idea of offering a blanket political amnesty for the sake of national reconciliation to a process of reviewing cases first before further action could be taken. She didn't say how or whether this latest plan might affect the usual judicial authority.

But what did she really mean? It was difficult to tell from her halting responses. But then, as she denied any move to help her brother, stories quoting "Pheu Thai party sources" have been circulating to the effect that such a bill had in fact been on the drawing board, waiting only for "the right time" to be submitted.

Adding to the confusion was Yingluck's statement on another occasion that she would let the Independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission (ITRC) which had been set up by the Abhisit government handle the amnesty issue.

As she told CNN the other day: "Give me a chance. As time passes by, I will prove myself… I will try my best to run the government. … This is a very proud [sic] job, a huge job, and tough job."

She also told China's CCTV that she was her own self and that she wasn't taking orders from her brother, Thaksin.

I am sure a lot of people who want to see the country return to "normalcy" and respect the outcome of this reasonably well-organised election would want to believe what Yingluck has been trying to tell the world.

She will need a lot of help to persuade her brother to get off his "clone's" back, and convince the public that she can be her own real self, whatever that means.

She needs to succeed if this clear electoral mandate is to produce any concrete results for genuine national reconciliation and real economic improvement.

-- The Nation 2011-07-08

"ambiguously eloquent" A lovely way of saying that she's slipperier than a greased eel. Maybe if she could have an open line to Dubai, the puppeteer could feed her answers via an earplug.

"......... I will try my best to run the government. … This is a very proud [sic] job, a huge job, and tough job." Specially when it's your first real job, with people who actually dare to criticize your actions/words/experience; or should that be your lack of.

I hope Yingluck does well. Thailand deserves a fair go.

If she tackle's Mr T issue early sounds brave but could be the right thing to do. Need to revisit the judgement on the 4 issues he was charged with. They in themselves are not as serious as many make out as many in the parliament have strayed into these areas. His greatest crime was to make too much money, or his children made it. The AEC then set up a committee to give the parameters in which to make a judgement which is trying to take the money off Mr T family. Wouldn't you want your money back?

Its about jobs and industry tapping into the relationships with the countries that are still producing. China and possibly India,but also the car industry that is very strong due to the brands and what they are producing. Looking at some of the social policies and getting the easiest ones off the ground first to repay the people that voted them in. Giving back to the country people and regional areas.

It will be sad to see the also rans trying ti discredit the win, but they have a job to do.

Yeah, just get on with the job, and good luck.