Democrats to go for major reform
Chanikarn Phumhiran
The Nation

Move aimed at dealing with current reality in the country, says Chavanond

BANGKOK: -- The opposition Democrat Party will soon embark on structural reform, party spokesperson Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday.

Chavanond said at a press conference that the party's legal team will present new party regulations within 30 days for the executive committee's consideration.

The executive committee met yesterday to discuss ways to reform the party after recognising the changing situation in the country and in order to realise a new form of politics for all citizens and the public to benefit. The reform is also aimed at rescuing the Kingdom from the current crisis, said Chavanond.

After the executive committee considers the reform plan, party members will have to decide whether the proposed plan is suitable or not.

Chavanond insisted that the reform plan did not stem from internal party problems but from the recognition that the country is facing a crisis with citizens being abandoned by the current Yingluck Shinawatra administration. He said people want to see a political party that could be their hope and that is capable of rescuing the country, hence the party's structure needed to change.

He said the meeting yesterday also discussed the current government's national reform bid, which many groups see as an attempt to divide the cake of interests amongst those who support the administration. He said the party would hold a seminar and also consider recommendations made by social critic Prawase Wasi and the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand and ensure that the government will not simply ignore them.

Chavanond hinted at some aspects of the new party structure. He said there would be experienced party staff working in local areas to better listen to the problems of the local people. The process of selecting candidates for the House will also be different and would better meet the demands of the people. He expects a closer working relationship between party members and local people with the new structure.

Back in April, deputy party leader Alongkorn Ponlaboot had voiced concerns about the party and in May proposed a reform plan for the party.

Alongkorn wasn't at the meeting yesterday although Chavanond said he was informed about the meeting. The party spokesperson said the committee is taking in views from not just Alongkorn but also from other senior party members, who were tasked by party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to look into possible ways to reform the party, such as Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich and others.


-- The Nation 2013-08-29

The party need reform it is seen as the staid establishment. Trouble is the mood of the populace is antiestablishmentarianism, and Thaksin goup are seen as the rebels that fulfil that role. But slowly they are showing their true colours and their supports are feeling disenfranchised.

A long overdue need for the reformation of a party that has failed to lead or inspire.

Mr. Abhisit might chair the discussions the process but he should not be a contributor to the design of strategies in respect to the Democratic party's quest for success in reformation. This is because of khun Abhisit's draconian approach to solving motivation issues or the resolution of conflict.

In short the reformation process should seek to cause the party to understand the need for modern political philosophies. Especially philosophies that recognise the need to serve the people rather than a need to experience unfettered power.

I would have thought it far more important for the Democrats to find a strong and dynamic leader, rather than try to re-invent the wheel. I like Abhisit and believe he is fundamentally an honest man, but sadly his personality does not BOOM out for me. Maybe it does for some Thai voters, but clearly not the majority. A brilliant orator with bags of charisma is badly needed. One just needs to look at the opposition leader in the UK. He is so, so quiet and nice that even the Librarians are complaining!

Troubled times. Scary words. Reform...

Old joke: Capitalism - a social order when one part of population shamelessly exploits the other part.

Communism - a social order opposite to Capitalism.

What is between the above two social forms - Reform.

Simply amazing. All the political comments on Thai visa forum and this gets 4 replies. Yinglucks lunch 3 pages, someone commenting on her looks 4 pages- one would presume that most people on here let there dislike of Thaksin overrule their heads from real political reform.

No mention of how, what, when, or why the reform. Reform was overdue about twenty years ago. Still, better late than never and hopefully something concrete will come out of it.

I would think that all Thai political parties need reform.

Abhisit should have a chat with Tony Blair when he comes over for his Bangkok shindig and ask him about 'New Labour' and how to take a dead beat party and breathe new life into it with a bit of rebranding.

The 'New Democrats'. It might work.

There's not a lot to comment on until we've seen the content of the reform.

Second guessing the extent of such reform isn't of help.

Democracy isn't so bad and good luck to Democrat's if they can achieve improvement.

The party need reform it is seen as the staid establishment. Trouble is the mood of the populace is antiestablishmentarianism, and Thaksin goup are seen as the rebels that fulfil that role. But slowly they are showing their true colours and their supports are feeling disenfranchised.

PTP fed their attack dogs a diet of hopes, dreams, arrogance and yahba. That makes for powerful and loyal attack dogs in the short term, but also makes for a dog that will rip the owners arms off one day. Much better to feed your dog a stable healthy diet of truth, realism, love and humility. That makes for a patient and loyal dog with enough smarts to know the guy with the stripey jumper is the one burgling your house.

The Democrats are partly to blame for the mess Thailand is in, because of their lack of cohesion, their occasional corruption, although that is microscopic next to PT corruption. However, Abhisit's grace-under-fire in 2010 is a gold-star example of how a leader should act, playing the cards carefully and giving his opposition many chances to have their early elections and go home etc. Abhisit displayed great leadership back then, and if the Dems could uniformly play the game thoughtfully as he did, they would be a force to be reckoned with. Thailand need leaders who are thinkers and statesmen, it doesn't matter what the Party is called as long as the people in it are thinking long-term and prioritising what is critically important for reform (infrastructure and anti-corruption agencies), and what doesn't matter at all such as Thaksin passports, computer-tabs, self-sabotaging rice schemes etc.