A New Political Party Is Born

[Jai Dee]

Sanoh making early start for post-reform new poll

Thai Rak Thai party dissident leader Sanoh Thienthong distributed his new book Roo Than Thaksin (Keeping Abreast of Thaksin) at his open house yesterday.

Veteran politician and key Thai Rak Thai dissident leader Sanoh Thienthong yesterday announced the formation of a new political party which he said would contest in the national election under the new ground rules of an amended Constitution, expected about a year from now.

Saying that he would assume leadership of the “Pracharaj” party on a temporary basis until a permanent leader is chosen, Sanoh said the new party will comprise a large number of former MPs, senators and former Cabinet ministers.

Sanoh admitted that he has agreed to head the new party despite his advanced age because politics has come to a dead end and many younger politicians have asked him to stay on to help break the country’s political impasse.

The new party, the name of which literally means a party of people supporting the throne, will not be owned by anyone but will belong to the masses, Sanoh stated in an apparent swipe at TRT, which has been generally perceived as belonging to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Greeting a large group of newsmen at his residence on Bangkok’s northern outskirts on the occasion of Songkran, Sanoh warned that the country would be bracing for another round of crisis if the TRT-led caretaker government pushes ahead to convene Parliament without the full house of 500 MPs.

“The whole country is watching,” Sanoh stated. “Conscientious and patriotic groups will come out in full force [if the government is stubborn in pushing ahead with convening Parliament] and vast damage will be caused to the country.”

The veteran politician was commenting on growing speculation that the caretaker government would cite some constitutional provisions to convene Parliament even if the forthcoming by-elections scheduled for April 23 fail to produce the remaining MPs to fill the 500-seat House of Representatives.

Sanoh also lashed out at supposedly independent organizations, notably the Election Commission, and certain Constitutional Court judges, for not being independent and siding with the government. He urged all sides to use the traditional Thai New Year of Songkran as the occasion to discard their selfishness and start working for the broader public interest.

Commenting on the much-hyped political reforms, Sanoh said reforming politics should not be difficult if the caretaker government is serious about it and the mission can be accomplished within three months.

“Political reforms are not difficult at all,” Sanoh stated. “We can turn to some of the former constitutions, brush them up and insert tough new rules especially those regarding [the eradication of] corruption and [the prevention of] political strongmen."

Source: ThaiDay - 17 April 2006

[Plus]

Sanan's party was a flop. Snoh's will probably follow the same way.

Sanan made a mistake of going national. Sanoh could stay regional and provide a place for TRT underperformers to park their votes. If he can get 30-40 shoo-in MPs, he can get them better treatment by alligning with Democrats.

One or two more parties like that and TRT might start bleeding.

It will all depend on how factions will live together without Thaksin as the PM - how cabinet posts are allocated, how corruption charges are rebutted etc. When some TRT members start feeling they get a rough deal, they'll bolt.

Even after defecting they might still get into a coalition with TRT, not Democrats, but their bargaining power will increase.

For the country as a whole it's the higher standards of transparency and good governance that are important. Without Thaksin's blanket protection politicians are bound to watch their steps.

Sanoh is a start, but he is not as important now as he was ten years ago. It's when big shots like Somsak, Suriya, Newin and Suwat decide to jump ship, TRT will crumble.

We desperately need an onboard expert on TRT factional politics. Even Bangkok Post has been quiet recently.

[johna]

So we are going back to government created from several parties, and all of the problems inherent in such fractions.

[Rhys]

5555... Such a bannana RE PUBIC....

[jdinasia]

So we are going back to government created from several parties, and all of the problems inherent in such fractions.

Coalition Governments are usually a decent thing .... but they are PARTICULARLY good when compared to one party gov'ts when one party has enough seats to be above censure

[Rinrada]

Sanan's party was a flop. Snoh's will probably follow the same way.

The last thing that Thailand needs are these 2 old buggers.....thought they were gone forever...

[hammered]

Thailand could do with more parties to give people more choice. It used to have a few electable ones until most of them jumped into the TRT bed taking their party organizations with them.

However, it will be hard for anyone to set a new party now and have it be succesful. It will be both very very expensive to do so and there is probably no local (or central for that matter) organization outside the south that has not been filled by TRT proxies. A few local seats may be winnable by local influentials but this will not be a major breakthrough and is it what is really wanted.

Maybe just maybe something can spring from the no/spoilt votes that emerged "victorious" in previous TRT strongholds. However, this will probably need the rise of a new party with clean and respected candidates who listen.

[jdinasia]

More likely to see the TRT factions slinter off