No, not everything is broken; but the gridlock can't last forever: Thai talk

[webfact]

THAI TALK
No, not everything is broken; but the gridlock can't last forever
Suthichai Yoon
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The pressure is on for all parties in the conflict to strike a compromise if they are to remain significant players in the national political landscape. The showdown has reached the point where neither side can call the shots. They now realise that the stalemate can't last forever.

Both the caretaker government and the protesting People's Democratic Reform Council (PDRC) realise their bargaining positions aren't as strong as the image they project to the public.

Arguments on both sides are equally flawed. It is doubtful that Niwatthumrong Boonsongpaisan, the acting premier, can claim full authority as prime minister.

Equally questionable is whether PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban can constitutionally justify his call for a "neutral prime minister" based on provisions of Article 7 of the charter.

The ball has been passed on to Senator Surachai Liengboonlertchai, who was voted in as acting president of the Upper House, awaiting the countersignature of a legitimate prime minister.

Niwatthumrong insists he has the authority to countersign a Royal Decree to set a new date for a general election. But the independent agency in charge - the Election Commission (EC) - isn't so sure. The EC has suggested that if the legal interpretations get complicated, it may ask the Constitutional Court to deliver a ruling on the acting premier's real authority.

But Surachai doesn't need anyone to countersign a Royal appointment. As deputy president, he is already acting Senate president because the president, Nikhom Virachpanich, has been suspended by an order of the charter court for his role in the passage of charter amendments.

Surachai is now the key player in seeking a solution to the long-drawn-out conflict. He let Suthep into the Senate for a discussion after calling an informal meeting of senators to discuss a possible way out of the country's crisis.

That Suthep, backed by his mass of PRDC protesters, managed to hold talks with the Senate's acting president, lent weight to his call for the country's top judges, EC and senators to find a "neutral prime minister."

But Surachai can't be seen to be taking sides. He held a "consultative session" with about 88 (of 150) members of the Senate and the consensus was that the Upper House should play a crucial role in getting the country out of the gridlock.

He listened to Suthep's plea on Monday - and the Senate session resumed the following day, with the understanding that all parties in the conflict would be given a chance to state their cases, before the Senate president commences his mediation to find a path out of the showdown.

The deadlock can't go on indefinitely. The government demands an election. The PDRC calls for a reform process before an election. An election can't proceed smoothly without a political settlement that incorporates a reform agenda. The PDRC can't hope to declare "victory" without a timeframe for an election.

The acting Senate president is therefore plotting a roadmap that is acceptable to both sides. The only obvious solution is for a compromise: An interim government headed by a non-partisan technocrat with no apparent political affiliation that is reasonably acceptable to both parties.

The proposed roadmap must guarantee a clear timeframe leading up to a new general election that will be contested by the opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the February 2 polls.

The proposed plan must also include a clear reform process as demanded by PDRC, including the formation of a broad-based assembly representing all walks of life to draw up a new charter that will offer some genuine reform measures before the next election is called, perhaps within 12 to 18 months.

Key factors for success are goodwill and trust. Mutual suspicion has undermined previous behind-the-scenes talks, with both sides recalling past "back-stabbings" in their political dealings.

But with each side having painted itself into a corner, the pressure is growing for concessions that will enable them to ride the reform-election wave together, no matter how precarious and tentative the proposed "way out of the worst-case scenario".

-- The Nation 2014-05-15

[Lupatria]

On the other hand there are some similarities here:

http://youtu.be/jhKqqYuV9MU

Edited May 15, 2014 by Lupatria

[JoeThePoster]

[Matthew2027]

How long is a piece of string? "can't go on forever" Forever can be and I think WILL BE a long long time in this matter. The two sides will NEVER truly see eye to eye or anywhere close to this. Very sad for my adopted country, but the Politics here in my time have only been unstable, and this, in my view will be the 'norm' for years to come.

[andymon]

I keep hearing a lot about reforms and a reform process before they have new elections, but so far I have yet to see a list of the specific reforms the PDRC wants.

How many reform items are there?

Is there a list published somewhere?

[Crushdepth]

It bloody well IS broken.

[chainarong]

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I keep hearing a lot about reforms and a reform process before they have new elections, but so far I have yet to see a list of the specific reforms the PDRC wants.

How many reform items are there?

Is there a list published somewhere?

Reforms of the constitution would take months to formulate, they are talking about the whole system not just parts, the first reforms were with Thaskin in early 2003 and if not for the academics completely revising most of the review, you would have had a Junta running Thailand, it was a total farce how the Thai love Thai party worded the amendments, , however lots of amendments were not included as Thaskin called time ,bet that's the last time he will call for a public review.

[IMA_FARANG]

Thailand's "political impasse" has come about because the country is divided almost equally between two self-serving corrupt political parties.

These political parties have as their primary purpose the increase of their self-serving power and profit at the expense of all else.

Since these two rival political parties are the cause of the problem, the only solution to the problem is abolish them and to ban all the politicians who now make up these political parties.

That will require a "directed" 5 year moratorium in which the "political process" will be suspended..

Democracy is only really "democratic" when it is practiced with participents whose real interest is not the self-serving increase of their own power and prestige at the expense of everything else .... to include the interests of the electorate.

Both of the two major parties, the government and it's opponents, are out of control. Their greed, corruption, and self-serving power crazed desire are the root cause of the current "political impasse";

Theseparties need to be suspended for a period of time, and a consensus government appointed..... WITHOUT allowing the current politicians of both of those two political parties to participate in such a government.

There is an "ultimate authority" in Thailand, respected by all Thais.

Only that "ultimate authority" can form such a consensus government by decree.

It's time for that, now.

Edited May 15, 2014 by IMA_FARANG

[Scamper]

" The EC has suggested that if the legal interpretations get complicated, it may ask the Constitutional Court to deliver a ruling on the acting premier's real authority. "

This is cropping up again and again. Does Niwattumrong have constitutional authority ? He wasn't elected through any means in the constitution. He says yes, naturally. But if ever there was needed a clarification from the Constitutional Court, it is this. So that will almost certainly happen. In the meantime, there is a growing consensus that this impasse cannot be solved without compromise. That means compromise from Pheu Thai, the UDD, the Democratic party, and the PDRC. Pheu Thai's continual narrative of no compromise is simply not going to solve the impasse. Neither for that matter is Suthep's. But his narrative has modified in recent weeks, and that in itself suggests room for a consensus. But without question, no one will get 100 % of what they want. But also true, no one will end up with 0 % either. So, where is the common ground between all parties ?

1. All want elections.

2. All " say " they want reform.

Therefore, it is simply a question of ensuring both, to the mutual satisfaction of all parties. An agreement that ensures both is the compromise. And that can only come about with a phenomenon called - talking.

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The acting Senate president is therefore plotting a roadmap that is acceptable to both sides. The only obvious solution is for a compromise:

Which will never happen. And,

An interim government headed by a non-partisan technocrat with no apparent political affiliation that is reasonably acceptable to both parties.

In their dreams

[marko kok prong]

The acting Senate president is therefore plotting a roadmap that is acceptable to both sides. The only obvious solution is for a compromise:

Which will never happen. And,

An interim government headed by a non-partisan technocrat with no apparent political affiliation that is reasonably acceptable to both parties.

In their dreams

Agree 100% with both,the second quote,where would they ever find such a person,i think such a figure does not exist.

[Thai at Heart]

Didn't the Economist just say that compromise was the way forward and get smashed for it?

[Thai at Heart]

Thailand's "political impasse" has come about because the country is divided almost equally between two self-serving corrupt political parties.

These political parties have as their primary purpose the increase of their self-serving power and profit at the expense of all else.

Since these two rival political parties are the cause of the problem, the only solution to the problem is abolish them and to ban all the politicians who now make up these political parties.

That will require a "directed" 5 year moratorium in which the "political process" will be suspended..

Democracy is only really "democratic" when it is practiced with participents whose real interest is not the self-serving increase of their own power and prestige at the expense of everything else .... to include the interests of the electorate.

Both of the two major parties, the government and it's opponents, are out of control. Their greed, corruption, and self-serving power crazed desire are the root cause of the current "political impasse";

Theseparties need to be suspended for a period of time, and a consensus government appointed..... WITHOUT allowing the current politicians of both of those two political parties to participate in such a government.

There is an "ultimate authority" in Thailand, respected by all Thais.

Only that "ultimate authority" can form such a consensus government by decree.

It's time for that, now.

Now this might be a nuclear option, but it has the best chance of actually reforming something properly. Edited May 15, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[citizen33]

So many people are breaking the rules that the scope for compromise is diminishing by the day. Bringing down the electoral system via route two rather than route one, isn't a compromise that will appeal to a majority.

[LivinLOS]

Thailand's "political impasse" has come about because the country is divided almost equally between two self-serving corrupt political parties.

If it was 'almost equally' why have the dems not won an election in what ?? 20 years ??