PM Prayut backpedals on staying on

[webfact]

POLITICS
PM backpedals on staying on
THE NATION

Govt wary of public opinion; Junta thinks again about push to delay election before reforms

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday backtracked on his readiness to remain in power for another two years to complete the national reform due to negative public sentiment over the last few days.

Many political observers have come out and expressed concern over the premier's statement last week that he was ready to remain in power - if the voters wanted it.

They cautioned the junta that not following the roadmap and postponing the general election could harm the country in many ways - including deepening the divide and destroying international confidence that Thailand would return to democracy.

Prayut yesterday reversed his previous statement saying he had no interest in the signature-gathering campaign to seek a referendum on whether reforms should be completed before the next election. The move, proposed by Paiboon Nititawan, a member of the National Reform Council (NRC) last week, would allow the junta administration to stay for another two years.

"Who is gathering [the signatures] and for what? I'm not interested. It's all about the roadmap. Stop asking me [about the matter]," he told reporters at Government House.

The premier yesterday held an unofficial meeting with some ministers. General Wilat Arunsri, the PM's secretary-general, revealed that the premier, in the meeting, discussed preparations for passing on work to the next government.

The Prayut administration is due to leave office in April 2016, according to their roadmap, or September 2016 if there is a referendum on the new charter draft, he said.

Wilat confirmed that they had not discussed extending the roadmap in accordance with proposals from some NRC members.

Another key figure - Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam - had also come out and signalled similar signs of retreat on putting off the election and |continuing the reform process.

"We should consider the international community. The PM has said before that we should think about our Thai traditions and history - but at the same time they shouldn't go against international norms. If we only hold on to our own way, they will lose trust. Then we won't be able to survive [in the international arena]. But then, we can't take everything from them either because we have our own traditions. We have to be in balance," said Wissanu.

He said that neither he nor anyone else in the government had heard anything about a signature gathering campaign. The idea was floated by somebody else, he said.

However, he said it was possible to include both a referendum on the charter draft and on "Reform before election" during the process of amending the interim charter. However they should also be aware of the possibility of contradictions in the results of the two referendums, he said.

Paiboon, initiator of the "Reform before election" campaign, admitted the reform process covering every issue could not be completed in a two-year time span. As a result, he agreed with the proposing goals - including what would be achieved in these two years.

Regarding the campaign, he said he had proposed holding a referendum on the campaign because he wanted the people to take part in ruling the country. However, it should be held in an open atmosphere where all sides could voice their demands.

'Stop nagging the junta about democracy'

However, Paiboon expressed the hope that international friends would stop nagging the junta about democracy if the referendum endorsed the government to continue in power.

"The news will spread throughout the world, if the referendum is passed approving the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] to stay in office for another two years [to undertake reforms]. No |governments will ask again about election. If they persist, it means that they don't know anything about us. They don't know that we have democracy," Paiboon said.

He reiterated that he had no reservations about proposing the campaign in the NRC meeting because many NRC members shared the same thoughts. Regarding possible perception that the reformers were trying to cling to power, he said this was the people's voice, adding the government did not have to listen to the NRC but to the people.

On the campaign of "Reform before election", Paiboon said the referendum would still need to be held either under his or the Constitution Drafting Committee's approach. They were referendums on both the draft charter and the continuation of reforms that will take two years before the general election while the other approach backed a referendum only on whether the people approve of the draft charter.

Lt-General Udomdej Sitabutr, deputy defence minister, said any extension was the voice of the people, which the PM had to consider. He said it was a pleasure to see a community [voicing opinions like this] because it reflected acknowledgement of the efforts put in by the government.

The leader of the People's Democratic Reform Committee, Somkiat Homlaor, had submitted an official letter to Paiboon supporting the campaign. He said some groups were moving to call for elections when the problems facing the country had not been resolved. This could cause damage to the country and thus he urged the completion of reforms before holding a general election.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PM-backpedals-on-staying-on-30261912.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-09

[Somtamnication]

I can hear the Benny Hill theme in the background.

Is it just me or no one knows what to do here?

[Chang_paarp]

With all these backflips and suden changes of direction the Junta members could enter the Olympic gymnastics competition and be serious contenders.

It would be one of the few things they were treated seriously over.

[djjamie]

Reform does need to be completed before an election and the people that are crying foul now will be the crying the loudest if the next government abuse the system to take advantage of the major flaws that will be easily exploited by criminal elements and foreign interests. Unless it is the 7% in which case they will ignore the abuses. It is the same people that stay silent when the previous government didn't allow protests, but were very vocal when this government didn't allow protests.

On a side note;

"Who is gathering [the signatures] and for what? I'm not interested. It's all about the roadmap. Stop asking me [about the matter],"

Paryut is not back peddling. He should tell them the truth which is that he is listening to the voice of the majority...He listened to them more than the previous government did. That is what Robert Amsterdam would have told you to say..You really do need a PR representative.

Had yingluck not been boxed up with cotton wool and only let out when a speech was prepared she would have sounded just like this when referring to the rice scam. In fact she did say this on the very very rare occasion between a prepared speech and being sent back to her box when intercepted by media scrums. Prayut needs to start adopting yinglucks style or employing Robert Amsterdam to represent him. He might be a man of the people and tool to bring peace and democracy to Thailand, but he is definitely not media savvy.

Employee Robert Amsterdam and even the 7% will start believing he is a man of the people as well. That would be easy compared to what Amsterdam is currently "selling"!

Edited June 8, 2015 by djjamie

[NongKhaiKid]

Open mouth and insert foot then when it's seen as a potential mistake try blustering and bullying your way out of it. .

All of this could be avoided by a moment's thought before speaking but it's not exactly the Thai style, is it ?

[baboon]

I love watching djjamie squirm as he desperately tries to defend every about face by this administration...

Edited June 9, 2015 by baboon

[ikke]

Reform does need to be completed before an election and the people that are crying foul now will be the crying the loudest if the next government abuse the system to take advantage of the major flaws that will be easily exploited by criminal elements and foreign interests. Unless it is the 7% in which case they will ignore the abuses. It is the same people that stay silent when the previous government didn't allow protests, but were very vocal when this government didn't allow protests.

On a side note;

"Who is gathering [the signatures] and for what? I'm not interested. It's all about the roadmap. Stop asking me [about the matter],"

Paryut is not back peddling. He should tell them the truth which is that he is listening to the voice of the majority...He listened to them more than the previous government did. That is what Robert Amsterdam would have told you to say..You really do need a PR representative.

Had yingluck not been boxed up with cotton wool and only let out when a speech was prepared she would have sounded just like this when referring to the rice scam. In fact she did say this on the very very rare occasion between a prepared speech and being sent back to her box when intercepted by media scrums. Prayut needs to start adopting yinglucks style or employing Robert Amsterdam to represent him. He might be a man of the people and tool to bring peace and democracy to Thailand, but he is definitely not media savvy.

Employee Robert Amsterdam and even the 7% will start believing he is a man of the people as well. That would be easy compared to what Amsterdam is currently "selling"!

He is not listening to nobody, he tells them what to say and even what to think, so please stop your sh*t.

[tbthailand]

trial balloon, ... popped...

[baboon]

trial balloon, ... popped...

I wonder what the next gambit to remain in power will be? Will he have to simply resort to 'No-one wants power less than me, but alas conditions dictate...' which would alienate even more of the public?

[tbthailand]

trial balloon, ... popped...

I wonder what the next gambit to remain in power will be? Will he have to simply resort to 'No-one wants power less than me, but alas conditions dictate...' which would alienate even more of the public?

'No-one wants power less than me, but alas conditions dictate...'

I'm waiting for him to start moaning about that vacation he planned to take in Sept 2015...

Or maybe how his wife is complaining that he is working too much...

[Praematura]

The voice of the people? Lol. That voice is heavily censored, banned from assembly and not allowed to speak.

[Lovekorat]

Maybe a moments pause for reflection.

He said he was staying on and got pilloried.

He says he might not , pilloried again.

I think the very first thing he needs to do is be quiet and let his actions speak for themselves and for the people.

But he needs to keep fishing for support from the people, including his 'trash'.

That is a classic behavioural problem from someone with a complex.

So let's pause for a second and consider the achievements of the last year and a bit.

Well apart from cleaning up a few beaches, arresting some potential political critics, hindering a free press and stopping me blowing my nose in public, not an awful lot really. The big issues have not been dealt with.

The real problem is he's lost this 'hearts and minds' battle and I think he knows it.

He will not convince the majority he is the right man. That job was always going to be tough but many of his proclamations have made it even tougher.

He knows that unless he can find some way of stopping the populist vote he and his cronies have had it.

They will lose an election and we are back to where we were until the army move in again.

There was another way of course that would have shown him in a better light in that he could have gone to Yingluck and said publicly, let's work together to stop the violence.

Like her or not she was the 'elected' representative.

But his backers chose not to do that and committed what is after all treason.

So here we are. No government, no one who appears to be able to unite the people and the same old cronies making the same statements( when they are allowed to).

To win an election he has to:-

1. Either make sure that some of the population are dis-enfranchised...or

2. Ensure that the only people who can stand for election are 'his' people.

A very dangerous course of action.

Civil wars have started for less.

What this country needs is a good man or woman, free of corruption and self interest, who is not scared to take on the power brokers in Bangkok, take away the power of the army and say enough is enough. I am giving Thailand back to the people.

Is there such a person?

Is Aung San Suu Kyi available for a few years?

It's not going to happen is it.

Democracy is not perfect. It often fails. But it's all we've got.

And until someone comes up with an alternative principle that is better that doesn't include an army, another North Korea or a Putin then that's what we've got.

There is no democracy here. Never has been and never will be I fear.

But maybe that's what Thai people want.

It has been going on so long now it must feel like the norm to them.

It is their country after all though and we are just guests.

It shouldn't be that difficult to take such a beautiful place and create some form of sanity should it?

What a bloody shame.

[ggt]

groups were moving to call for elections when the problems facing the country had not been resolved.

There would never...be an election...in any country...if a country had to solve all its problems before elections were held...

You could use this excuse forever!

Set a date...work hard to accomplish as much reform as possible...then keep your promise and let the people vote on a PM...

Honesty and Integrity have been all but lost in this modern era...

[baboon]

The real problem is he's lost this 'hearts and minds' battle and I think he knows it.

He was doomed from the start in that respect, I feel. The Thai military and their shadowy comrades in arms are a one trick pony incapable of understanding that it is no longer the 1960s and that the population are no longer semiliterate yokels who huddle round the one T.V. in the village in the evening to watch army controlled broadcasts.

I am convinced this attempt to shove the genie back in the bottle will fail.

[Lupatria]

Reform does need to be completed before an election and the people that are crying foul now will be the crying the loudest if the next government abuse the system to take advantage of the major flaws that will be easily exploited by criminal elements and foreign interests. Unless it is the 7% in which case they will ignore the abuses. It is the same people that stay silent when the previous government didn't allow protests, but were very vocal when this government didn't allow protests.

On a side note;

"Who is gathering [the signatures] and for what? I'm not interested. It's all about the roadmap. Stop asking me [about the matter],"

Paryut is not back peddling. He should tell them the truth which is that he is listening to the voice of the majority...He listened to them more than the previous government did. That is what Robert Amsterdam would have told you to say..You really do need a PR representative.

Had yingluck not been boxed up with cotton wool and only let out when a speech was prepared she would have sounded just like this when referring to the rice scam. In fact she did say this on the very very rare occasion between a prepared speech and being sent back to her box when intercepted by media scrums. Prayut needs to start adopting yinglucks style or employing Robert Amsterdam to represent him. He might be a man of the people and tool to bring peace and democracy to Thailand, but he is definitely not media savvy.

Employee Robert Amsterdam and even the 7% will start believing he is a man of the people as well. That would be easy compared to what Amsterdam is currently "selling"!

Are you longing for two lips from Amsterdam?

[phoenixdoglover]

This fellow Paiboon from the NRC is a loose cannon, and some sort of idiot:

"The news will spread throughout the world, if the referendum is passed approving the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] to stay in office for another two years [to undertake reforms]. No |governments will ask again about election. If they persist, it means that they don't know anything about us. They don't know that we have democracy," Paiboon said"

Uh, no.

[TheAppletons]

C'mon now...he said he would stay on if he was protected from criticism and here you guys go and start criticizing him! Of course he's going to leave now. Sheesh.

[Laughing Gravy]

I thought yesterday he didn't care about criticism. Didn't take long to change his mind then.

[oneday]

[lildragon]

The real problem is he's lost this 'hearts and minds' battle and I think he knows it.

He was doomed from the start in that respect, I feel. The Thai military and their shadowy comrades in arms are a one trick pony incapable of understanding that it is no longer the 1960s and that the population are no longer semiliterate yokels who huddle round the one T.V. in the village in the evening to watch army controlled broadcasts.

I am convinced this attempt to shove the genie back in the bottle will fail.

The internet age has really shown these dinosaurs up. The truth is now at any Thai's fingertips. Some choose to live in their bubble but many are now finding the truth. I think Prayuth will face mass protests if he goes back on his word and stays on. He is already doing a double take now, so it must be more than the '7 %' djsycophant up there keeps spouting.

[baboon]

The real problem is he's lost this 'hearts and minds' battle and I think he knows it.

He was doomed from the start in that respect, I feel. The Thai military and their shadowy comrades in arms are a one trick pony incapable of understanding that it is no longer the 1960s and that the population are no longer semiliterate yokels who huddle round the one T.V. in the village in the evening to watch army controlled broadcasts.

I am convinced this attempt to shove the genie back in the bottle will fail.

The internet age has really shown these dinosaurs up. The truth is now at any Thai's fingertips. Some choose to live in their bubble but many are now finding the truth. I think Prayuth will face mass protests if he goes back on his word and stays on. He is already doing a double take now, so it must be more than the '7 %' djsycophant up there keeps spouting.

I get the impression that our Mr. 7% has been disowned by far more than that percentage on his own side. With friends like him... Edited June 9, 2015 by baboon

[Anon999]

Maybe a moments pause for reflection.

He said he was staying on and got pilloried.

He says he might not , pilloried again.

I think the very first thing he needs to do is be quiet and let his actions speak for themselves and for the people.

But he needs to keep fishing for support from the people, including his 'trash'.

That is a classic behavioural problem from someone with a complex.

So let's pause for a second and consider the achievements of the last year and a bit.

Well apart from cleaning up a few beaches, arresting some potential political critics, hindering a free press and stopping me blowing my nose in public, not an awful lot really. The big issues have not been dealt with.

The real problem is he's lost this 'hearts and minds' battle and I think he knows it.

He will not convince the majority he is the right man. That job was always going to be tough but many of his proclamations have made it even tougher.

He knows that unless he can find some way of stopping the populist vote he and his cronies have had it.

They will lose an election and we are back to where we were until the army move in again.

There was another way of course that would have shown him in a better light in that he could have gone to Yingluck and said publicly, let's work together to stop the violence.

Like her or not she was the 'elected' representative.

But his backers chose not to do that and committed what is after all treason.

So here we are. No government, no one who appears to be able to unite the people and the same old cronies making the same statements( when they are allowed to).

To win an election he has to:-

1. Either make sure that some of the population are dis-enfranchised...or

2. Ensure that the only people who can stand for election are 'his' people.

A very dangerous course of action.

Civil wars have started for less.

What this country needs is a good man or woman, free of corruption and self interest, who is not scared to take on the power brokers in Bangkok, take away the power of the army and say enough is enough. I am giving Thailand back to the people.

Is there such a person?

Is Aung San Suu Kyi available for a few years?

It's not going to happen is it.

Democracy is not perfect. It often fails. But it's all we've got.

And until someone comes up with an alternative principle that is better that doesn't include an army, another North Korea or a Putin then that's what we've got.

There is no democracy here. Never has been and never will be I fear.

But maybe that's what Thai people want.

It has been going on so long now it must feel like the norm to them.

It is their country after all though and we are just guests.

It shouldn't be that difficult to take such a beautiful place and create some form of sanity should it?

What a bloody shame.

Your rant is so obviously biased that a blind man could see it.

Your list of achievements lists nothing of substance, obviously on purpose or do you live in a cave? The major things that have been done and WIP are known to all except the few who want to close their minds to them for their own agenda, whatever that may be. However, nothing is perfect and to turn this country around is a massive undertaking and will require years of sustained effort and determination. You also show your perverted views by being totally negative. A fully paid up member of the 'glass half empty brigade' and moaning about everyone and everything, at length. Not one word of praise even for paying the farmers what they were long overdue. Suggest you should get out a bit more and observe or if not just shut up.

Finally do you really believe that YS would have been given permission to work with the military to start solving corruption for instance? lol

Edited June 9, 2015 by Anon999

[Ichabod]

Watch out next for a fire in the Reichstag.

[yimlitnoy]

Let Prayuth time to eliminate the cancerous Pheua Thai party with their leaders, official and non official, who could not work for their local constituency but for only one man in Dubai for a fee. I also hope the red army terrorist leaders are next for a clean up. Then the Thai will have a chance for a fair and just election without violence.

[EnglishJohn]

Reform does need to be completed before an election and the people that are crying foul now will be the crying the loudest if the next government abuse the system to take advantage of the major flaws that will be easily exploited by criminal elements and foreign interests. Unless it is the 7% in which case they will ignore the abuses. It is the same people that stay silent when the previous government didn't allow protests, but were very vocal when this government didn't allow protests.

On a side note;

"Who is gathering [the signatures] and for what? I'm not interested. It's all about the roadmap. Stop asking me [about the matter],"

Paryut is not back peddling. He should tell them the truth which is that he is listening to the voice of the majority...He listened to them more than the previous government did. That is what Robert Amsterdam would have told you to say..You really do need a PR representative.

Had yingluck not been boxed up with cotton wool and only let out when a speech was prepared she would have sounded just like this when referring to the rice scam. In fact she did say this on the very very rare occasion between a prepared speech and being sent back to her box when intercepted by media scrums. Prayut needs to start adopting yinglucks style or employing Robert Amsterdam to represent him. He might be a man of the people and tool to bring peace and democracy to Thailand, but he is definitely not media savvy.

Employee Robert Amsterdam and even the 7% will start believing he is a man of the people as well. That would be easy compared to what Amsterdam is currently "selling"!

He is not listening to nobody, he tells them what to say and even what to think, so please stop your sh*t.

So the idea for Prayuth is floated and when he learns it might not be what the people want, he drops it. Take your time ....

djjamie is absolutely correct in his post. Your semi-literate reply is a good indicator of the type of people who are against the junta.

(btw: 'not listening to nobody' means he is listening to somebody, but that level of detail is the least of your issues).

[JCauto]

Maybe a moments pause for reflection.

He said he was staying on and got pilloried.

He says he might not , pilloried again.

I think the very first thing he needs to do is be quiet and let his actions speak for themselves and for the people.

But he needs to keep fishing for support from the people, including his 'trash'.

That is a classic behavioural problem from someone with a complex.

So let's pause for a second and consider the achievements of the last year and a bit.

Well apart from cleaning up a few beaches, arresting some potential political critics, hindering a free press and stopping me blowing my nose in public, not an awful lot really. The big issues have not been dealt with.

The real problem is he's lost this 'hearts and minds' battle and I think he knows it.

He will not convince the majority he is the right man. That job was always going to be tough but many of his proclamations have made it even tougher.

He knows that unless he can find some way of stopping the populist vote he and his cronies have had it.

They will lose an election and we are back to where we were until the army move in again.

There was another way of course that would have shown him in a better light in that he could have gone to Yingluck and said publicly, let's work together to stop the violence.

Like her or not she was the 'elected' representative.

But his backers chose not to do that and committed what is after all treason.

So here we are. No government, no one who appears to be able to unite the people and the same old cronies making the same statements( when they are allowed to).

To win an election he has to:-

1. Either make sure that some of the population are dis-enfranchised...or

2. Ensure that the only people who can stand for election are 'his' people.

A very dangerous course of action.

Civil wars have started for less.

What this country needs is a good man or woman, free of corruption and self interest, who is not scared to take on the power brokers in Bangkok, take away the power of the army and say enough is enough. I am giving Thailand back to the people.

Is there such a person?

Is Aung San Suu Kyi available for a few years?

It's not going to happen is it.

Democracy is not perfect. It often fails. But it's all we've got.

And until someone comes up with an alternative principle that is better that doesn't include an army, another North Korea or a Putin then that's what we've got.

There is no democracy here. Never has been and never will be I fear.

But maybe that's what Thai people want.

It has been going on so long now it must feel like the norm to them.

It is their country after all though and we are just guests.

It shouldn't be that difficult to take such a beautiful place and create some form of sanity should it?

What a bloody shame.

Your rant is so obviously biased that a blind man could see it.

Your list of achievements lists nothing of substance, obviously on purpose or do you live in a cave? The major things that have been done and WIP are known to all except the few who want to close their minds to them for their own agenda, whatever that may be. However, nothing is perfect and to turn this country around is a massive undertaking and will require years of sustained effort and determination. You also show your perverted views by being totally negative. A fully paid up member of the 'glass half empty brigade' and moaning about everyone and everything, at length. Not one word of praise even for paying the farmers what they were long overdue. Suggest you should get out a bit more and observe or if not just shut up.

Finally do you really believe that YS would have been given permission to work with the military to start solving corruption for instance? lol

So you should then be easily able to list these achievements. Railroading big deals through without any outside scrutiny I'm sure is not prone to any kind of abuse. Preventing the previous government from paying farmers so that you could then take power and pay them is hardly much of an accomplishment to my mind. But I'm open to hearing about what they've done, so feel free to enlighten us.

[TheAppletons]

So the idea for Prayuth is floated and when he learns it might not be what the people want, he drops it. Take your time ....

djjamie is absolutely correct in his post. Your semi-literate reply is a good indicator of the type of people who are against the junta.

(btw: 'not listening to nobody' means he is listening to somebody, but that level of detail is the least of your issues).

3. If possible please proofread your post first, poor grammar and spelling can make the post difficult to understand. However be aware that not every member is a native english speaker and excessive posts regarding others spelling and grammar not only hijacks the topic but is poor netiquette.

[Orac]

The big issue is the new constitution being in place before an election so it could well come down to a referendum where ppl have to accept a substandard charter in order to have a vote.

Interesting option suggested in the BP that the referendum should be either yes for new charter and election or no to new charter and elections with interim charter being in place which raises the possibility of a PTP govt with section 44 powers!

[quandow]

PM Cha-cha: "Oops . . ."

[Lovekorat]

It's very interesting how the freedom to be able to voice opinion and comment is found so offensive by some.

I made a few points earlier here, as many do, and read others comments some of which, even though they may be different to my own, are well written and eloquent and worth reading and considering.

Some people seemed to agree with what I wrote, but then I get told by one academic that I should get out more and just shut up!

It seems there are a few, outside of the unelected government, that also want to control what you say and think and dislike people having opinions that differ to their own.

It is an ethos that seems popular in some circles.

Oh by the way my friend....ethos means the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era in case you may be confused