BURNING ISSUE
Will Yaowapa steal limelight from Yingluck?
Avudh Panananda
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Pheu Thai faction leader Yaowapa Wongsawat are siblings poised to share the spotlight, but the question is whether the political stage is big enough to accommodate both at the same time.

Under the existing arrangement, Yingluck takes centre stage while Yaowapa, their brother Thaksin and his ex-wife Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra remain on the sidelines.

Yaowapa is, however, slated to contest the Chiang Mai by-election in the next few months. She looks like a shoo-in to win the House seat.

Actually, Chiang Mai Constituency 3 has always been her stronghold. Due to political turbulence, she faced a five-year ban and was forced to designate her daughter Chinnicha as successor in the previous two general elections.

But Chinnicha had to vacate her House seat following her conviction for asset concealment.

Kasem Nimmolrat, Chinnicha's aide and "chauffeur" for Yaowapa, won the by-election last year.

Early this month, Kasem abruptly tendered his resignation, effective March 13. He cited health reasons for his departure.

Although Pheu Thai whips said he wanted to switch track and serve in the Chiang Mai provincial administration, rumours have persisted about various behind-the-scenes scenarios.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit commented on the matter on Sunday and gave a clue on Yaowapa's pending return to the legislature.

Prompong said Kasem made his own decision to work in the provincial government.

He hinted at Yaowapa as the logical choice to contest the by-election, although he did not confirm nor deny her candidacy.

He went on to dismiss a number of allegations involving PM Yingluck, which in turn, gave a startling insight into why Pheu Thai is pushing Yaowapa into the limelight.

In one of the allegations, the National Anti-Corruption Commission has targeted Yingluck for a probe on alleged asset concealment.

The gist of the case is Yingluck had failed to disclose her Bt30-million loan given to a company run by her husband Anusorn Amornchat.

The party spokesman played down the case as frivolous even though the NACC ruling, if unfavourable, could lead to the job suspension of the prime minister, pending a judicial review.

The attempt to shield the prime minister has backfired and exposed Pheu Thai's worry about her losing the job.

Yaowapa's rush to grab a House seat after the expiry of her ban suddenly makes sense.

The party spokesman might be right that his ruling party is not grooming a replacement for Yingluck. But the Shinawatra clan is bracing for all possible contingencies.

The arrival of Yaowapa means the clan is determined to keep control of the government's helm.

The clan's interest comes, obviously, before that of the country's. To ensure the continuity of Shinawatra control, taxpayers will have to dole out at least Bt10 million for organising the by-election.

If the NACC rules to drop the case and Yingluck's job is safe, then Bt10 million would have gone down the drain.

With Yingluck and Yaowapa sharing the limelight, the clan would be obliged to devise a new power-sharing arrangement to keep the two siblings happy.

The pressing issue is whether the public is witnessing the birth of a political dynasty.


-- The Nation 2013-03-19

But Chinnicha had to vacate her House seat following her conviction for asset concealment.

the National Anti-Corruption Commission has targeted Yingluck for a probe on alleged asset concealment.

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The Shinawatra Klan sure do like to hide their money.

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I wonder if Yingluck will catch Kasem's retirement bug soon and quit to spend more time with her family?

Thinking on, if she quit politics she'd actually end up spending less time with her family.

Yaowapa certainly casts a large enough shadow to put Yingluck in the umbra and you'd certainly have to agree that there can be fewer political families on this earth that have more shadowy dealing than this bunch.

I guess what the article is saying is that Yaowapa is an insurance policy. If Yingluck gets convicted then there's one on the bench.

Judging from Yaowapa's look, she might steal more than limelight from Yingluck. Kids, hide the cookies......

Same strings attached....just a different puppet

The pressing issue is whether the public is witnessing the birth of a political dynasty.

Errrr I think that question is 2 years too late.

Will Yaowapa steal limelight from Yingluck?

If she stands too close she will certainly block out her sunlight

Thailand is now officially a 'demockeracy'.

Judging from Yaowapa's look, she might steal more than limelight from Yingluck. Kids, hide the cookies......

Rather than steal the limelight I was thinking on the lines of her blotting out the sun. Can you imagine her popping up centre stage through the trap door?

Yes, I'm being unkind. I don't need anybody to tell me so.

The other paper is reporting that Yaowapa has indeed been chosen to stand in the Chiang Mai by-election that the aide was told to stand down from.

It's getting easier & easier to forecast the manipulations of the Shinawatra clan

She clearly stole all the pies...so why not the limelight as well.

Yaowapa certainly casts a large enough shadow to put Yingluck in the umbra and you'd certainly have to agree that there can be fewer political families on this earth that have more shadowy dealing than this bunch.

I guess what the article is saying is that Yaowapa is an insurance policy. If Yingluck gets convicted then there's one on the bench.

Papa Doc Duvalier springs to mind but the Ton Ton Macout would have to become Red Shirts to draw a more complete analogy.

Yaowapa certainly casts a large enough shadow to put Yingluck in the umbra and you'd certainly have to agree that there can be fewer political families on this earth that have more shadowy dealing than this bunch.

I guess what the article is saying is that Yaowapa is an insurance policy. If Yingluck gets convicted then there's one on the bench.

Papa Doc Duvalier springs to mind but the Ton Ton Macout would have to become Red Shirts to draw a more complete analogy.

Or the BiB I guess.

There isn't any Thai I know that doesn't think Thaksin and Yaowaya/Pojaman haven't been running things already. Nobody I know that thinks Yingluck has anything at all to do with governing Thailand.

Will Yaowapa Steal the Limelight From Yingluck?

Just cannot imagine Yaowapa, once back in parliament, sitting there quietly. Just not possible.

More like will Thaksin shine the light on Yaowapa.

Yaowapa certainly casts a large enough shadow to put Yingluck in the umbra and you'd certainly have to agree that there can be fewer political families on this earth that have more shadowy dealing than this bunch.

I guess what the article is saying is that Yaowapa is an insurance policy. If Yingluck gets convicted then there's one on the bench.

Of course her shadow is big - girl is ginormous

The pressing issue is whether the public is witnessing the birth of a political dynasty.

Errrr I think that question is 2 years too late.

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It's not unreasonable to go back even further to his brother-in-law PM in 2008.

Perhaps in 2013, he'll switch over to being First Gentleman as husband of Yaowapa.

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The other paper is reporting that Yaowapa has indeed been chosen to stand in the Chiang Mai by-election that the aide was told to stand down from.

It's getting easier & easier to forecast the manipulations of the Shinawatra clan

.

It's an amazing history for Chiang Mai constituency district 3.

Goes from Yaowapa is MP there (gets tossed for electoral fraud), her daughter Chincchia is MP there (gets tossed for lying about assets), her aide Kasem is MP there (quits due to vague health issues).... now re-enter Yaowapa.

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Edited March 20, 201313 yr by Buchholz

The other paper is reporting that Yaowapa has indeed been chosen to stand in the Chiang Mai by-election that the aide was told to stand down from.

It's getting easier & easier to forecast the manipulations of the Shinawatra clan

.

It's an amazing history for Chiang Mai constituency district 3.

Goes from Yaowapa is MP there (gets tossed for electoral fraud), her daughter Chincchia is MP there (gets tossed for lying about assets), her aide Kasem is MP there (quits due to vague health issues).... now re-enter Yaowapa.

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Musical chairs

Fat chance...