INTO THE NEW YEAR

Yingluck enters 2013 a survivor

Somroutai Sapsomboon,

Kittipong Thavevong,

Samudcha Hoonsara

The Nation

Thanks to powerful supporters, the PM has made it despite the brickbats

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has survived more than 15 months in office despite repeated attacks from critics and opposition politicians on her alleged ignorance, lack of political experience, and tendency to stay adrift of key issues.

For many observers she has a good chance of completing her four-year term, thanks to support from many experienced and influential politicians behind her.

A political novice, Yingluck contested her first election and won a seat in parliament in the July 3, 2011 ballot. Only 49 days earlier, she became the Pheu Thai Party's prime-ministerial candidate although she was not - and has never been - the party leader.

In her brother's shoes

Her most outstanding quality was being the youngest sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is considered the patriarch of Pheu Thai - his third political party after two previous ones were dissolved on court orders for electoral fraud.

Thaksin has been in self-exile overseas to avoid imprisonment at home over a corruption case.

Many politicians from the ruling-coalition parties, as well as senior bureaucrats, reportedly visited Thaksin for his backing before Cabinet reshuffles and changes in top bureaucratic positions.

Unlike her predecessors, including her ex-PM brother, who often had to tackle key political issues by themselves, Yingluck seems to have tried to distance herself from contentious issues since assuming office in August 2011. Indeed, critics say the prime minister has sought to be invisible politically.

She seldom attended House of Representatives meetings in which opposition MPs queried the prime minister or Cabinet members. Yingluck often assigned relevant ministers to respond to the queries on her behalf. Her argument was that they had been assigned to particular responsibilities.

Even at the censure debate against her and three other Cabinet members in late November, the PM was absent for most of the session and often responded to opposition MPs' allegations from prepared notes.

She has also kept a distance from hot issues like constitutional amendment and the so-called reconciliation bill, which have been described by the opposition Democrat Party as attempts to help Thaksin out of his legal problems. She always insists those are matters for Parliament although her government and coalition parties support them.

Given her scant political savvy, Yingluck needs much support and assistance - mostly behind the scenes - from experienced politicians and advisers in order to survive. These include her trusted aides Suranand Vejjajiva and Kittiratt Na-Ranong, as well as her businessman friend Srettha Thavisin.

Suranand, the PM's secretary-general, has won Yingluck's trust and helps her on many key issues. He is known to prepare her statements and often updates her on current affairs.

Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt, who is finance minister, has known Yingluck since they both were in the private sector. Yingluck was managing director of SC Asset, the Shinawatra family's property firm. Kittiratt was managing director of the Stock Exchange of Thailand and later - at her invitation - became president of Shinawatra University, which was founded by Thaksin. Kittiratt was a director of the Shinawatras' Thaicom Foundation, in which Yingluck served as secretary.

He has also served as a bridge between the Pheu Thai-led government and Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda.

'Brains' behind the operation

Yingluck also has a bigger group of people acting as her "brains" who work directly for her big brother. They include Pansak Vinyaratn, Prommin Lertsuridej, Phumtham Wechayachai, Pongsak Raktapongpisarn, and lawyer Noppadon Pattama.

Pansak is chief adviser to the Yingluck government. Prommin is a key man in Thaksin's think-tank, providing the prime minister with advice on economic policies. Phumtham serves as a key adviser to Yingluck and also acts as the link among the PM, her government, the ruling party, and people's groups, including the red shirts.

Yingluck's elder sister Yaowapa Wongsawat, who leads the ruling party's largest faction, also provides support, although she is believed to exert influence over the PM.

Unlike her immediate predecessor, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, Yingluck has not faced open shows of hatred by her political opponents. While serving as prime minister, Abhisit was harassed often by small groups of red-shirt protesters in public.

Abhisit's government was severely interrupted by the red shirts' street protests in 2009 and the unrest and riots in 2010, which paralysed Bangkok for more than two months and led to more than 90 deaths under a government crackdown to end the stand-off.

On the contrary, the largest anti-government rally Yingluck has faced so far was a protest in November by the Pitak Siam group, which lasted less than one day. The protest was easily subdued, thanks to an efficient and swift crowd-control operation by the police - something the Democrat-led government was unable to achieve while it was in power (the force at that time was accused of being led by 'red' pro-Thaksin officers).

Yingluck has often been derided by her opponents as just the puppet of her brother, who is said to pull the strings behind the ruling party and coalition government. She denies the charge and appears to have tried to prove she is in control, although many people remain unconvinced.

She will need to try harder and be more hands-on in government affairs to silence the critics and reassure the dubious public.

-- The Nation 2013-01-01

Well done nation. Start the new year as you finished the old with a pointless article on a topic you seem obsessed with, "yingluck's still there!!!".You seem to think this is a miracle. She is the leader of a party with a large parliamentary majority. Why shouldn't she survive? Stupid article.

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by Bluespunk

The problem that some people of the Thai community have coming to grips with, is that old boggy "Thaskinland" and when you see the make up of the individuals in the inner circle of the ruling political party, you have to wounder just whats on their mind , what have they got in store for those unwashed followers of Shincorp, like most experienced hard nosed political hacks, they have hides of crocodile skin, any criticism is like pouring water of a ducks back and they dumb down beautifully.Welcome 2013

Notice chalerm is not shown in the graphic. Wonder why?

Notice chalerm is not shown in the graphic. Wonder why?

The graphic went only as far down as brains.

What is a brickbats? Never heard that term before.

Excellent overview of the Yinglucks tenure as OM and the PTP administration. Given that there a so many factions with their own agendas all vying to gain increased control over the government its no wonder that its so ineffectual. After all the only policies the PTP has successfully implemented are the rice and new car scams subsadies, for obvious reasons. Even the bring Thaksin home scheme has floundered.

"Nothing constructive happened in politics last year, or so say more than 54 per cent of the respondents to a recent Abac poll........the only constructive thing that happened in 2012 was the joint stance taken by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Opposition Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to fight corruption. "

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by waza

What is a brickbats? Never heard that term before.

brick·bat

/ˈbrikˌbat/

Noun

• A piece of brick, typically when used as a weapon.
  
• A remark or comment that is highly critical and typically insulting.
  

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by Thaddeus

Notice chalerm is not shown in the graphic. Wonder why?

When they took the photos, he may have been under the influence of ear medicine. Who wants to see that again?

Notice chalerm is not shown in the graphic. Wonder why?

'Fido' was busy having his dinner.

Not a bad article. I don't think the Nation or Yingluck's critics are obsessed with her - she's supposed to be PM & leading the country after all.

At least the criticism of her performance is verbal, rather easier to handle than what her predecessor had to endure.

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by 473geo

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

And most importantly she has managed to ensure her brother is still off stage in Dubai.

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

Why is it great work by Yingluck? The only threat to her loosing her position was from her brother. Do you really believe that "she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters?" All she has done is keep out the way while the party power brokers did all the manipulating and back room deals to hold this fragile coalition together. While feeding untruths and propaganda to their grass root supporters through the red media, school, villages and communities. In the first year they had achieve nothing except self enrichment schemes that benefit no one but themselves.

Yingluck also has a bigger group of people acting as her "brains" who work directly for her big brother. They include Pansak Vinyaratn, Prommin Lertsuridej, Phumtham Wechayachai, Pongsak Raktapongpisarn, and lawyer Noppadon Pattama.

This new government which received a huge popular mandate to free the country from non-elected elite and other 'Amart', (re-)establish democracy and make everyone rich, this government has brains working for a fugitive criminal who also happens to be a billionair?

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by rubl

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

Great piece of political spin. The year was important for PTP - not Thailand. Her heavies, reporting to Thaksin, have managed to put another nail in the 'reconciliation' coffin by a witch-hunt of the opposition leader. Nothing to do with credibility.

Agreed, she has managed to avoid much of the mud-slinging. That has been left to the likes of mud-slinger-in-chief Chalerm. Yes too, she has remained popular but that wouldn't be hard with the quality of most of the other politicians currently in power.

"Unlike her immediate predecessor, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, Yingluck has not faced open shows of hatred by her political opponents. While serving as prime minister, Abhisit was harassed often by small groups of red-shirt protesters in public."

Not to mention the redshirts attempts on his life. So why have they taken it easy on the Thaksin clone?

Former finance minister and opposition Democrat Party heavyweight Korn Chatikavanij said Yingluck was a proxy presented to the public like a soap opera star and it was pointless to criticize her.

"Yingluck is certainly not comfortable. She doesn't answer questions posed to her by the press, she feigns ignorance of all issues that typical prime ministers should be right on top of," Korn told Reuters.

"We stay out of it because, frankly, whatever she does is not really relevant. Her job is to look pretty and smile and be as photogenic as possible, and she's done that job very well."

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

Great piece of political spin. The year was important for PTP - not Thailand. Her heavies, reporting to Thaksin, have managed to put another nail in the 'reconciliation' coffin by a witch-hunt of the opposition leader. Nothing to do with credibility.

Agreed, she has managed to avoid much of the mud-slinging. That has been left to the likes of mud-slinger-in-chief Chalerm. Yes too, she has remained popular but that wouldn't be hard with the quality of most of the other politicians currently in power.

Really? You think the development of Thailand will not benefit at this stage from having an elected government serve a full term, to be assessed and voted on at the next election?

Unlike her predecessors, including her ex-PM brother, who often had to tackle key political issues by themselves, Yingluck seems to have tried to distance herself from contentious issues since assuming office in August 2011. Indeed, critics say the prime minister has sought to be invisible politically.

'invisible politically'? Didn't know that was possible or even healthy for a Prime Minister

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

Why is it great work by Yingluck? The only threat to her loosing her position was from her brother. Do you really believe that "she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters?" All she has done is keep out the way while the party power brokers did all the manipulating and back room deals to hold this fragile coalition together. While feeding untruths and propaganda to their grass root supporters through the red media, school, villages and communities. In the first year they had achieve nothing except self enrichment schemes that benefit no one but themselves.

Yingluck is the PM, the public face of the government, she is growing in stature, of course she is not personally responsible for all the smart moves no PM is, but as PM she takes the plaudits, and the criticism. PTP remains popular with Yingluck as PM a great year for a novice politician.

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by 473geo

The question has to be, "other than a coup, what possible reason could one have come up with one year ago, to predict she wouldn't still be leader?"

Yingluck is the PM, the public face of the government, she is growing in stature, of course she is not personally responsible for all the smart moves no PM is, but as PM she takes the plaudits, and the criticism. PTP remains popular with Yingluck as PM a great year for a novice politician.

A warm thanks to our member 473geo for this marvelous party political broadcast

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

And most importantly she has managed to ensure her brother is still off stage in Dubai.

As Yingluck grows in Stature the requirement for Thaksin to be nothing more than an backroom advisor increases, another plus for Thailand and reconciliation

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

Why is it great work by Yingluck? The only threat to her loosing her position was from her brother. Do you really believe that "she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters?" All she has done is keep out the way while the party power brokers did all the manipulating and back room deals to hold this fragile coalition together. While feeding untruths and propaganda to their grass root supporters through the red media, school, villages and communities. In the first year they had achieve nothing except self enrichment schemes that benefit no one but themselves.

Yingluck is the PM, the public face of the government, she is growing in stature, of course she is not personally responsible for all the smart moves no PM is, but as PM she takes the plaudits, and the criticism. PTP remains popular with Yingluck as PM a great year for a novice politician.

Cant argue with that '473geo'.

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by waza

The question has to be, "other than a coup, what possible reason could one have come up with one year ago, to predict she wouldn't still be leader?"

Two possiblilities come to (my) mind:

- Pheu Thai's thinker and other brains could have decided to replace Ms. Yingluck

- The 'big brother' influence could have become more blatantly visible, leading to party dissolution

The second possibility would have been a disaster for Thailand. Not for lack of justice but for getting all pressure groups up in arms again.

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

And most importantly she has managed to ensure her brother is still off stage in Dubai.

As Yingluck grows in Stature the requirement for Thaksin to be nothing more than an backroom advisor increases, another plus for Thailand and reconciliation

A requirement for k. Thaksin? You mean apart from the cozy cell awaiting him?

The question has to be, "other than a coup, what possible reason could one have come up with one year ago, to predict she wouldn't still be leader?"

Two possiblilities come to (my) mind:

- Pheu Thai's thinker and other brains could have decided to replace Ms. Yingluck

- The 'big brother' influence could have become more blatantly visible, leading to party dissolution

The second possibility would have been a disaster for Thailand. Not for lack of justice but for getting all pressure groups up in arms again.

Both of which had about a 0.5% chance of coming to reality art the start of 2012. So i am not at all surprised she is still there.

She could always just quit cuz she can't handle it, but she appears to be able to handle the mudslinging that is for sure.

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

Great piece of political spin. The year was important for PTP - not Thailand. Her heavies, reporting to Thaksin, have managed to put another nail in the 'reconciliation' coffin by a witch-hunt of the opposition leader. Nothing to do with credibility.

Agreed, she has managed to avoid much of the mud-slinging. That has been left to the likes of mud-slinger-in-chief Chalerm. Yes too, she has remained popular but that wouldn't be hard with the quality of most of the other politicians currently in power.

Really? You think the development of Thailand will not benefit at this stage from having an elected government serve a full term, to be assessed and voted on at the next election?

Don't know where you made that assumption from my post. To answer your question - maybe. If they get on with governing for the benefit of ALL Thais, then yes. If they continue with witch-hunts, amnesties for crooks, cooking the books regarding debt, & continuing mega-projects with mega-corruption - then no.

Given her scant political savvy,...

I dunno, she seems pretty savvy to me. There surely must be a lot of people trying to manipulate her, but I don't think she could hold her position just by following other people's advice. She has to be able to choose which advice to follow. I don't think she's following her brother's orders, either.

My wife loves her. My barber hates her (hates her brother even more). I find her a very attractive person.

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by Acharn

Great work by Yingluck, to survive the first year was important for PTP and Thailand, she has managed to tread the difficult path of keeping the red shirt faction subdued, bringing the military onside, providing limited opportunities for the 'opposition' parties to gain any additional credibility with the voters, her insistance she will not get involved in the childish verbal mud slinging so well utilised by the opposition has surely added to her attraction.

More importantly Yingluck has remained popular and carries a broad base of support, perhaps not exactly based on her first year achievements, but her attempts to follow a path her supporters and the electorate agree on.

Great piece of political spin. The year was important for PTP - not Thailand. Her heavies, reporting to Thaksin, have managed to put another nail in the 'reconciliation' coffin by a witch-hunt of the opposition leader. Nothing to do with credibility.

Agreed, she has managed to avoid much of the mud-slinging. That has been left to the likes of mud-slinger-in-chief Chalerm. Yes too, she has remained popular but that wouldn't be hard with the quality of most of the other politicians currently in power.

Really? You think the development of Thailand will not benefit at this stage from having an elected government serve a full term, to be assessed and voted on at the next election?

Don't know where you made that assumption from my post. To answer your question - maybe. If they get on with governing for the benefit of ALL Thais, then yes. If they continue with witch-hunts, amnesties for crooks, cooking the books regarding debt, & continuing mega-projects with mega-corruption - then no.

Well it could be the 'The year was important for PTP - not Thailand'

Which I guess makes your post look like a bit of an anti government rant......but you are of course welcome to your input and opinion

Edited January 1, 201313 yr by 473geo