Thai talk: Ten questions that shape the political landscape of 2015

[webfact]

THAI TALK
Ten questions that shape the political landscape of 2015
Suthichai Yoon
The Nation

If 2014 was a "Year of Turbulence" for Thailand, 2015 will be the "Year of Lull before the Storm." Or will it?

BANGKOK: -- It all depends on whether you are an optimist or pessimist - or somewhere in between.

If you are the former, this will be the "Year of Reform". If you are an anti-optimism guy, you will label 2015 "Year of Shadow Boxing".

If you are a pessimist, you tend to think every political activity to be conducted at the National Reform Council (NRC), the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) and the Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC) is just part of the show.

And it's being directed from behind the scenes, where the National Peace and Order Council (NPOC) has the final say anyway.

But, to retain some degree of sanity, one has to be optimistic to a certain extent. Pessimism might hold sway but, under the circumstances, a touch of optimism wrapped in a dark sense of humour is the only antidote for an average citizen against going mentally off the cliff.

The good news is we are supposed to be embarking on a new journey towards "democracy". The not-so-good news is that that time-honoured question - "Is Thailand really ready for democracy?" - is back on the scene again.

The optimist says, "Of course, we are ready. If not, why are we talking about a new constitution? If a new charter isn't about democracy, there is no point in having this debate about whether the prime minister has to be an MP or not."

The pessimist counters, "We aren't quite ready, but since everybody says he wants democracy, we will have to be go that path, even if it's 'democracy, Thai style'."

If the realist manages to get a word in edgewise, he might try to strike a balance between the two. "Let's move one step at a time and keep a proper balance. Let's not set too ambitious a goal. Let's learn from the past. The people have learned lessons from the past. Democracy is everybody's goal. But we can achieve that only if the people become informed citizens."

The cynic cuts in: "It's all cheap talk. Believe me, 2015 will just be a year of Exercise in Futility. Everything has been fixed in advance. The roadmap will be revised and nothing will change. The ongoing debate about democracy is just empty talk. Nobody should take it seriously."

There will be plenty of issues for such verbal exchange. You can be reasonably certain that the following will spark a series of heated debate among the populace:

1. What did General Prem Tinsulanonda mean when he said, "Premiership has no retirement

age"?

2. What did Premier Prayut Chan-o-Cha mean when he said, "I am not THAT outsider." (He was apparently referring to speculation that a proposed clause dropping the requirement that the prime minister must also be an MP was in fact intended to reserve the premiership for him, and he has no intention of running in the next election.)

3. Do the CDC members have anyone in mind, really?

4. Is national amnesty in the cards? If so, who will be rendered guilt-free?

5. How can the new charter promote national reconciliation?

6. How will the new charter fuel further political conflicts?

7. Is there a national referendum on the content of the new charter draft?

8. Should there be a national referendum to determine whether a national referendum on the new charter is needed?

9. Will the NRC be able to meet the deadline of the roadmap? If yes, when will the next general election be held? If not, who's responsible?

10. Can the new charter really prevent another coup?

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Ten-questions-that-shape-the-political-landscape-o-30251420.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-08

[rickirs]

2015 will be known as the Year of Ridiculousness

[Maestro]

Removed a nonsensical post.

[heybruce]

"Can the new charter really prevent another coup?"

Since this coup suspended the constitution written at the direction of the military after the 2006 coup, and it's pretty much the same military, I have my doubts.