Abhisit to join TV show on reform and reconciliation

[Pimay1]

One wonders what input Yingluck would be able to offer, perhaps she could give some tips on growing mushrooms.

After all its not much different to how she and her party ran their Government and treated the Thai people. Keep them in the dark and feed them on bovine manure.

Presumably she has been invited because she among all leading politicians has the most legitimacy, having been given a mandate by the Thai people in a fairly conducted democratic election.I doubt whether she has a political future but even the military government understands her appeal and popularity.It is sensible to seek inclusivity.

Your mean spirited and unpleasant attitude is not representative or helpful.Fortunately those in office understand these things better than embittered foreigners.

Yes of course. And added to the reasons she has been invited are her impeccable oratory skills, extraordinary ability to think on her feet and make snap decisions, remarkable debating skills and her deeply engrained love and concern for the poor people of Thailand which caused her many sleepless nights.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Pimay1

[Eric Loh]

One wonders what input Yingluck would be able to offer, perhaps she could give some tips on growing mushrooms.

After all its not much different to how she and her party ran their Government and treated the Thai people. Keep them in the dark and feed them on bovine manure.

Presumably she has been invited because she among all leading politicians has the most legitimacy, having been given a mandate by the Thai people in a fairly conducted democratic election.I doubt whether she has a political future but even the military government understands her appeal and popularity.It is sensible to seek inclusivity.

Your mean spirited and unpleasant attitude is not representative or helpful.Fortunately those in office understand these things better than embittered foreigners.

Yes of course. And added to the reasons she has been invited are her impeccable oratory skills, extraordinary ability to think on her feet and make snap decisions, remarkable debating skills and her deeply engrained love and concern for the poor people of Thailand which caused her many sleepless nights.

What has that got to do with legitimacy and popularly voted by the people.

[jayboy]

One wonders what input Yingluck would be able to offer, perhaps she could give some tips on growing mushrooms.

After all its not much different to how she and her party ran their Government and treated the Thai people. Keep them in the dark and feed them on bovine manure.

Presumably she has been invited because she among all leading politicians has the most legitimacy, having been given a mandate by the Thai people in a fairly conducted democratic election.I doubt whether she has a political future but even the military government understands her appeal and popularity.It is sensible to seek inclusivity.

Your mean spirited and unpleasant attitude is not representative or helpful.Fortunately those in office understand these things better than embittered foreigners.

Yes of course. And added to the reasons she has been invited are her impeccable oratory skills, extraordinary ability to think on her feet and make snap decisions, remarkable debating skills and her deeply engrained love and concern for the poor people of Thailand which caused her many sleepless nights.

She is obviously not a professional politician though she has more of the necessary skills than the current lamentable leadership and frankly is superior to Abhisit in presentation.

As mentioned earlier she has no future political ambitions and but for extraordinary circumstances would not have been PM at all.I am not sure why you think she doesn't have the interests of those who voted her at heart.

She remains extraordinarily popular albeit with enthusiasm expressed in a muted way.Your half baked sarcasm seems not to have a point other than to suggest she isn't a practised politician - a point which any sensible person would agree.But she has a connection with the people of Thailand that this military government can only dream of.

[mikemac]

Yes of course. And added to the reasons she has been invited are her impeccable oratory skills, extraordinary ability to think on her feet and make snap decisions, remarkable debating skills and her deeply engrained love and concern for the poor people of Thailand which caused her many sleepless nights.

According to jayboy this is "half baked sarcasm" and there I was thinking you were sincere !

[halloween]

Yes of course. And added to the reasons she has been invited are her impeccable oratory skills, extraordinary ability to think on her feet and make snap decisions, remarkable debating skills and her deeply engrained love and concern for the poor people of Thailand which caused her many sleepless nights.

According to jayboy this is "half baked sarcasm" and there I was thinking you were sincere !

Sounded more like "fully-baked sarcasm to me" which I find much more tasteful than sycophantic BS iced with propaganda.

Edited July 9, 2015 by halloween

[jayboy]

"This idea is meant to open a channel for people of all groups and sides to express their opinions...."

Too little, too late.

What's with all this warm and fuzzy inclusiveness all of a sudden.

Cynicism to the extreme.....After the anti-democrats have written a constitution for and by themselves, all of a sudden they are going to be inclusive?

They must be confident they have "reformed" things to their liking, now they can pretend to be participatory.

To give AV equal billing with Ms. Y. when he can't win an election if his life depended on it, is also skewed.

Put AV in with Yingluck, Jatuporn, Natthawut and Dr. Weng, that could be sold as participatory and balanced reflecting electoral realities.

But never mind all that...Fohget this whole charade that comes in the wake of a warped constitutional process.

You seem to forget that in the term of the Yingluck Govt there were 4 by-elections, 3 of those were considered safe PT seats.

Only 1 was one by PT the other 3 by the Democrats including the supposedly safe PT seat of Don Muang where there was a 12% swing from PT to the Democrats.

There was also the BKK mayoral election where the great thinker said they would win even if they put up a power pole as a candidate.....They lost.

PT are not as invincible as you like to make out.

As for putting up the 3 red shirt leaders who were never elected and only introduced to parliament as list MP's as reward for the death and destruction they caused in 2010 and have never been and never will be politicians and are still working under the slogan "Thaksin thinks PT acts" which means they have no original thoughts of their own......Well perhaps they are the only names you know.

I suppose given the record of your contempt for electoral democracy, the ignorance contained in your post isn't surprising.

By elections are notorious for difficulties they cause to the governing party because they offer a chance for a protest vote without doing real damage - in every democracy.Usually there is a return to the status quo ante at general elections.

The Bangkok mayoral contest was interesting but not for the reasons you mention.The PTP put up a lack lustre candidate and fought a weak campaign.The capital is supposed to be the Democrat heartland, the home of the "educate" good people, the base for the old elites and the Sino Thai middle class and of course is the place where hatred of Thaksin is at its strongest.This is where the Democrats should have swept to power with a massive majority.

The popular vote result?

Democrats 1,256,349

PTP 1,077,899

Incidentally I have never believed the PTP or other Thaksin influenced parties are invincible.The fortunes of political parties ebb and flow.Eventually the electorate if for no other reason simply tires of old faces.If the Democrats had reformed themselves, introduced fresher leadership and showed some courage and imagination, they could have been in power now.

[Robby nz]

One wonders what input Yingluck would be able to offer, perhaps she could give some tips on growing mushrooms.

After all its not much different to how she and her party ran their Government and treated the Thai people. Keep them in the dark and feed them on bovine manure.

Presumably she has been invited because she among all leading politicians has the most legitimacy, having been given a mandate by the Thai people in a fairly conducted democratic election.I doubt whether she has a political future but even the military government understands her appeal and popularity.It is sensible to seek inclusivity.

Your mean spirited and unpleasant attitude is not representative or helpful.Fortunately those in office understand these things better than embittered foreigners.

I see you have to resort to your usual insults, perhaps one day you will grow up and be able to post without them.

To call Yingluck a politician on the strength of her one term as a clone (his word) PM who needed a caddy (his term) would be stretching the truth. Her input as PM was hardly convincing.

[Robby nz]

"This idea is meant to open a channel for people of all groups and sides to express their opinions...."

Too little, too late.

What's with all this warm and fuzzy inclusiveness all of a sudden.

Cynicism to the extreme.....After the anti-democrats have written a constitution for and by themselves, all of a sudden they are going to be inclusive?

They must be confident they have "reformed" things to their liking, now they can pretend to be participatory.

To give AV equal billing with Ms. Y. when he can't win an election if his life depended on it, is also skewed.

Put AV in with Yingluck, Jatuporn, Natthawut and Dr. Weng, that could be sold as participatory and balanced reflecting electoral realities.

But never mind all that...Fohget this whole charade that comes in the wake of a warped constitutional process.

You seem to forget that in the term of the Yingluck Govt there were 4 by-elections, 3 of those were considered safe PT seats.

Only 1 was one by PT the other 3 by the Democrats including the supposedly safe PT seat of Don Muang where there was a 12% swing from PT to the Democrats.

There was also the BKK mayoral election where the great thinker said they would win even if they put up a power pole as a candidate.....They lost.

PT are not as invincible as you like to make out.

As for putting up the 3 red shirt leaders who were never elected and only introduced to parliament as list MP's as reward for the death and destruction they caused in 2010 and have never been and never will be politicians and are still working under the slogan "Thaksin thinks PT acts" which means they have no original thoughts of their own......Well perhaps they are the only names you know.

All that said, cancelling and avoiding elections by the anti-democrats contextualizes everything...No amount of smoke can avoid that reality and hide their fear....By their works ye shall know them.

Your quote fits well with PT doesn't it.

Red shirt leaders given jobs as PM's as a reward for causing death and destruction.

Rice pledging loss and corruption.

120 billion disappeared on flood control with another 350 billion that was approved by their cabinet that nobody knows what happened to it.

And many more right down to the little things like sub standard Futsel courts.

yes: By their works ye shall know them.

[Yunla]

I think this TV show is a great idea, to facilitate discussion and more importantly to promote the idea that these things can actually be rationally debated to a consensus nexus point, without needing all the placards and drama and other trimmings of standstill politics. Discussing important issues openly in the public arena is of critical importance to democracy, and students of this will know that democracy was originally based entirely on the concept of public debate. The TV discussion-show has always been a potentially powerful format for real progress and breakthroughs, because it removes all the scripts, autocues and a lot of the excuses that are used in other situations to avoid direct answering of salient points.

[jayboy]

One wonders what input Yingluck would be able to offer, perhaps she could give some tips on growing mushrooms.

After all its not much different to how she and her party ran their Government and treated the Thai people. Keep them in the dark and feed them on bovine manure.

Presumably she has been invited because she among all leading politicians has the most legitimacy, having been given a mandate by the Thai people in a fairly conducted democratic election.I doubt whether she has a political future but even the military government understands her appeal and popularity.It is sensible to seek inclusivity.

Your mean spirited and unpleasant attitude is not representative or helpful.Fortunately those in office understand these things better than embittered foreigners.

I see you have to resort to your usual insults, perhaps one day you will grow up and be able to post without them.

To call Yingluck a politician on the strength of her one term as a clone (his word) PM who needed a caddy (his term) would be stretching the truth. Her input as PM was hardly convincing.

Her value in the reconciliation process has little to do with her intrinsic qualities as a politician.It however has much to do that alone of current Thai leaders she enjoyed legitimacy and was given the mandate of the Thai people.You may not like this but it remains an undeniable reality - which is why the current government apparently wishes to involve her.

As to your comments they certainly seemed mean spirited.

[djjamie]

It is always good to see the Right Honourable Abhisit participating in democratic forums that move the country forward constructively. Don't hear of any negativity or violent undertones of criticism of the government by him that go against the grain of what the majority yearn which is peace, stability and democracy.

It might be poignant to add that he has garnered a rather large following up north due to this approach and respect for the majority over the time the Junta have been in power and is a stand out choice for participation on this show. His presence up north listening to the farmers plights and the issues facing the country have been appreciated.

As for yingluck, I doubt she would make the show as she is too busy to attend court hearings let alone TV shows..This may well be why she was not invited as the Junta have seen she keeps a very busy schedule according to her. Seriously though, it again glaringly shows the contempt she has for the law and any public appearance on the show comes from an agenda that she has proven time and time again through her actions will not be to benefit the majority. But then her aim was never to benefit the majority.

Below is the busy Abhisit's visit up north to see first hand the issues facing the farmers during the drought. The other photo is the extremely busy yingluck on holiday up north looking at water. And to think some believed her when she said she was too busy.....4 words. "Contempt for the majority"

I however would love to see her on the show, unedited, with no cheat notes, no guidance and no one telling her what to say. I assume she would not be allowed to contribute be saying "No comment" or "I was not aware of this"..It would be her out of the "Barbie box" so to speak....

It won't happen and she won't do it...Korkoew might even be in trouble for suggesting it.

Edited July 9, 2015 by djjamie

[billd766]

Can Thaksin and Suthep be on the show too? Seriously, a great idea to solve the divisions in Thai politics and about time we had discussions between opposite political parties. Good idea.x

Thaksin is a criminal on the run. So highly doubtful.

Abhasit is a serious skilled and qualified statesman who will do well to put himself about a bit more.

Suthep?

Isn't he a monk now?

Holier than Thou

"Thaksin is a criminal on the run"

Such repetitive characterizations stated as fact, beget repetitive denials.

Portrayals such as that are espoused by self-serving, electorally fearful anti-democrats, their judicially veneered demonization campaign and by their "anti-Thaksin activists".

For the electoral majority, he is neither a criminal, or on the run.

Because his political enemies engineered a judicial thing against him must be seen for what it was and its' obvious motives.

Self-imposed exile and out-of-reach of his political enemies is not being on the run. Espousing such a scenario is politically-laden. As much as the anti-democrats like to repetitively use their favorite "fugitive" term, only resonates with those who take Opposition, anti-democrat folderol as gospel and identifies the political leanings of the author..

That said, there are a number of prominent Politicians from the pro-democracy side who would lend some credence to meaningful reconciliation dialogue, if that is possible. Any one of them would be hugely credible when considered over against a choir member. Mr. AV will just be in an echo chamber.

quote

"Thaksin is a criminal on the run"

Such repetitive characterizations stated as fact, beget repetitive denials.

The mere fact is that you, and many others like you continually try to deny the truth and that is what it is.

Will you now deny that Thaksin Shinawatra was found guilty of the first charge against him?

There was NO electoral majority for Thaksin or Yingluck and no matter how many posts you make denying that he is a criminal fugitive, he still is. No electoral majority should be able to ignore the law of the country.

Legally he IS a criminal fugitive and if he were to return there are 15 more serious charges waiting for him.

If, as he claims the charges are political, then how strange that he was charged under a PPP government run under his good and loyal friend, Samak Sunderavej, and convicted under the PPP government run by his brother in law, Somchai Wongsawat, and that the PTP government under his sister was in charge of trying to get him an amnesty and in this they failed.

[billd766]

"This idea is meant to open a channel for people of all groups and sides to express their opinions...."

Too little, too late.

What's with all this warm and fuzzy inclusiveness all of a sudden.

Cynicism to the extreme.....After the anti-democrats have written a constitution for and by themselves, all of a sudden they are going to be inclusive?

They must be confident they have "reformed" things to their liking, now they can pretend to be participatory.

To give AV equal billing with Ms. Y. when he can't win an election if his life depended on it, and never has, is also skewed.

Put AV in with Yingluck, Jatuporn, Natthawut and Dr. Weng.................. that could be sold as participatory and balanced reflecting electoral realities.

But never mind all that...Fohget this whole charade that comes in the wake of a warped constitutional process.

And as is normally the case when Yingluck is mentioned in any article, all their anticipated demonization stuff that follows, cannot explain away the fact she would be re-elected in a heartbeat.............Bit of a problem for her politically agenized detractors.

To give two ex-PMs equal billing seems fair to me though why you would consider that Yingluck, ever stood for an election by the people of Thailand, shows NO electoral realities considering Jatuporn Prompan, Dr Weng Tojirakarn and Nattawut Saikua, none of whom has stood in any election in Thailand at all.

You keep banging the same old brum that says Abhisit and the Democrats are bad and Yingluck and the PTP are good.

Do you not understand YET that none of them are any good for the future of Thailand, and more importantly to me, none of them are any good to the future of my 11 year old Thai son.

You, I and every other poster can rabbit on all day and every day about what WE think is right and best for Thailand, but it means nothing at all to Thais simply because it is NOT our problem and never will be.

It is a Thai problem and they will be the ones who will sort it out.

If you haven't worked that out yet then perhaps you should give up posting on TVF.