Bhichai: Abhisit Is Best To Lead Party

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Bhichai: Abhisit is best to lead party

By Pimnara Pradubwit

The Nation

But he has to be open to advice of senior Democrats, former leader says

Former Democrat Party leader Bhichai Rattakul said yesterday that outgoing prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is still the best choice to lead the party but he has to be open to the advice of senior members so the party can mature into a real political institution.

Even though Abhisit's major weakness is management, especially personnel management, he is still young and he has plenty of time to improve, said Bhichai, who was a deputy premier and is now deputy chief party adviser.

Even if the Pheu Thai Party takes the country's helm for two terms or eight years, Abhisit is only in his early 50s. But he must change and the Democrat Party must successfully and truly evolve into a political institution, he said.

The road ahead is still long even though the Democrats have already gone through thick and thin in struggling to achieve the goal of becoming an institution.

One of the problems was the party had forgotten its culture of respecting seniors and heeding their advice.

The new-generation Democrats were arrogant, especially those who were given ministerial posts even though they were only first-term MPs.

"I strongly disapprove giving the new MPs and politicians the chance to become party leader,'' he said.

Abhisit was a man of integrity and honesty but he did not know how to manage work and utilise human resources - both outsiders and party members - such as Tarrin Nimanahae-minda and Anant Anantakul, who are competent and experienced in running the country, he said.

"Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai [and] former Democrat Party Banyat Bantat warned Abhisit about this but he did not pay attention. Some people say Abhisit is foolish.

"Why didn't he use me, at least make me a party-list MP? I can help with work nationwide not just in Bangkok because I have 300 Rotary Clubs supporting me to accomplish tasks,'' he said.

Abhisit has not been able to develop the party into a full-fledged institution because he was embroiled in a host of political and economic problems and failed to seek the help of people and listen to senior party figures.

"Abhisit relies on only three to five people around him who dominate and influence him. These words may be too strong but they did not give [him] the correct advice,'' he said.

The party advisers are not put to full use even though they are valuable resources, for instance Sawit Bhotiwihok and Khunying Supatra Supap. Abhisit came to see him twice and he advised Abhisit about steps to achieve reconciliation, but Abhisit did not follow any of his suggestions.

"Many months before the July 3 election, I was planning to fly to talk to Thaksin (Shinawatra) on a personal mission not related to the Democrat Party because Thaksin saw me as a neutral party. I fixed the appointment to see Thaksin, in which he agreed to see me. But there were reports about the House dissolution so my plan ended,'' he said.

The party must also overcome its weakness in the Northeast by setting a 20-year goal of building up a base of new party members and show full and sincere support for existing members.

"The Democrat branch chief in Khon Kaen died. He was a significant supporter of the party in the province, helping us win four MP seats. But when he was sick, no one visited him. I drove to pay him a visit. This is what the party must correct,'' he said.

The Democrats will never be a match for its rivals without putting in place a long-term strategy. Korbsak Sabhavasu mapped out only a short-term strategy to win the election but the party needs a 10-20-year development plan.

Bhichai said he admired many Democrat MPs but none of them had the charisma and enough political clout to emerge as a rising star in politics. Bhichai also complimented Suthep Thaugsuban for his strong backing for Abhisit. "People do not like Suthep's personality but I gave him flowers because I felt sorry that he worked hard and felt he deserved a compliment,'' he said.

-- The Nation 2011-08-01

[hammered]

The Dems are in a real mess. They are lining up to reselect the unelectable one while putting the boot into him for not listening to people. And adding that it is a ten to twenty year plan to make them electable, so Abhisit isnt intended as a serious PM candidate. Im not surprised Bhichai was nipping off to see Thaksin until the other hand called an election that is the deal making side of the establishment dems

The Dems in reality as a party need to start listening to the people who reject them rather than a few piqued party elders. Thailand is developing as a democracy and sticking to closely to old managed democracy model is only going to hold them back for longer. Now is the time for the break they failed to make after the coup and then compounded in the murky deal, both of which would have been better timing for publically showing independence from the murky stuff. Now it will all take a lot longer after the one step forward after Banyat was compounded by the three steps back since.

Another point is that the PTP have managed to have quite a few leaders and quite a few people who could have been leader inspite of mass banning of TRT/PPP powerful ones and yet the Dems have no viable alternative to the groomed but proven useless Abhisit. That defies belief and begs the question of why would any decent politician with some ambition or even feel for the country join a party that would publically announce you as such. A total mess.

[RedNIvar]

"Abhisit is only in his early 50s. But he must change and the Democrat Party must successfully and truly evolve into a political institution, he said."

Goes to show how much this guy knows. Abhisit has yet to turn 50. I think he gave this interview 5 years too soon.