Idle political parties can make good use of their 'free time'

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL
Idle political parties can make good use of their 'free time'
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Rather than complaining from the sidelines, politicians should be preparing for the nobler struggle ahead

Now that it's clear the constitutional reform process will take considerably longer than expected, Thailand's political parties, disgruntled in their enforced dormancy, have two choices. They can either bide their time amid murmurs of undermining the Prayut regime, or they can undergo reform of their own so that, when the time for action finally arrives, they won't repeat the same mistakes.

With rumours circulating that the new Constitution will downgrade the status and role of political parties - and that some might even be nullified - the first option must be tempting, but it would automatically doom Thailand to continue its vicious cycle.

Once an election is held and a fresh civilian government is installed, the only thing preventing a return to military rule will be a complete revamp of politicians' attitudes and behaviour. If they continue offering more of the same action, they invite more of the same reaction. If they don't rehabilitate, they can expect their uniformed "overseers" to step in again and tinker longer with Thailand's strange clockwork version of democracy.

Surely the parties have done ample soul-searching since the coup, but they must take that another step further. Blaming the military is all too convenient, yet it changes nothing. The politicians must instead look deep into the mirror and find out what role they played in the turmoil that led to the coup. Then they must determine what they need to do to bring the turmoil to a halt once and for all.

Two glaring problems with Thai democracy are corruption and the unwavering habit of putting the wrong men in key jobs. Ridding the system of graft requires a thorough cleansing of ethics, wholeheartedly supported by the party leaders. If the parties are honest, swift in punishing wrongdoers and transparent about irregularities that arise, the country will be halfway to the goal of ending its prolonged political strife.

The practice of placing unqualified men in important Cabinet posts has several root causes. Either the prime minister is seeking to protect or broaden his power base, or a coalition partner needs to be mollified, or internal factional bickering forces the matter, catapulting low-minded people into lofty offices.

Corruption and poor Cabinet appointments often feed off each other, leaving our parliamentary democracy marred by graft, hampered by inefficiency and ultimately unable to purge either poison.

The political parties, if they are to return to the playing field and make the game sustainable, must figure out a way to change this unhealthy status quo. Failure to do so would only ensure that the same rusty anchor stymies progress, regenerating the same old vicious cycle of flawed government followed by uprising followed by coup.

Expecting our elected politicians to be able to block military intervention for good is perhaps optimism stretched too far, given the supremacy of the armed forces in the Thai hierarchy of power. But they can certainly make it much harder for the generals and the admirals to find an excuse for a coup.

So this is what the political parties should be doing with their "free time" on the sidelines.

They should be conducting an ethical overhaul and making constructive connections to form a qualified and capable "shadow cabinet". That alone would indeed be a meaningful contribution to the system.

Opposition to the draft constitution has been largely a matter of self-interest. The critics ask what the constitution can do for them, while failing to utter the far more important question of what they can do to make democracy sustainable, healthy and, at last, dignified.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Idle-political-parties-can-make-good-use-of-their--30270535.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-10

[ramrod711]

Ethics?...We don't need no stinking ethics.

[MZurf]

"Once an election is held and a fresh civilian government is installed, the only thing preventing a return to military rule will be a complete revamp of politicians' attitudes and behaviour. "

Actually, the only thing preventing a return to military rule is a complete revamp of the military's and old elite's attitudes. Until this happens the vicious cycle will continue. A fourth-grader should be able to see this.

Don't hold your breath, though.

[smutcakes]

Corruption was ingrainig itself in the beauacratic system, police and army before Thailand even had a political party. Back then when there was literally no checks it was probablyveven eorse.

[worgeordie]

When an election is held,and a new government is in place,

it will be a return back to square one,politicians just cannot

help themselves,they put themselves first,before people or

the country,their greed knows no bounds,that has been the

majority of them in the past,can a leopard change its spots ?.

I cannot see an improvement occurring in Thai MP's far

into in the future,as political parties are made up of wealthy

people,whose main object in entering politics is to enrich themselves

even more,

regards worgeordie

[FangFerang]

The parties must have ample soul searching...cannot repeat the same mistakes...

What rubbish. Since they detained and forced a Nation reporter to resign, the Nation has its entire head up the junta's bottom

and are calling it sunshine.

[oneday]

"...They can either bide their time amid murmurs of undermining the Prayut regime, or they can undergo reform of their own so that, when the time for action finally arrives, they won't repeat the same mistakes..."

Says father "P" to his children.

[ChrisY1]

Unfortunately, Thailand will continue to have fueding groups in lieu of political parties until the education standard improves and candidates can think!

[waldroj]

What a load of rubbish!

Laying blame on political parties is nothing more that seeking to excuse the failure of the junta to make a genuine attempt at reform and reconciliation in Thailand. The time for laying blame has long since passed, the real task now is to look to a democratic future.

Governments the world over place unqualified men (and women) in important Cabinet posts. Leaders everywhere will seek to protect or broaden their power base, and it is usual that a coalition partner needs to be mollified, or internal factional bickering forces the matter. Putting military people in key positions; allowing police to take massive rewards; failing to address the problem of corrupt immigration officials; and buying submarines are just a classic examples for everyone to see.

For Thailand, there is no disputing that ridding the system of graft requires a thorough cleansing of ethics, but I would argue that the ‘wholehearted support’ the Editor suggests, has to come from the entire population (not from just the political party leaders, or their parties).

The Editor is being misleading in focusing on political parties when discussing Thailand’s failure to address corruption. The problem is endemic across all of Thai society (especially in the civil service and the RTP), so a better interpretation of his words are “Corruption and poor Cabinet appointments often feed off each other, leaving our parliamentary democracy marred by graft, hampered by inefficiency and ultimately unable to purge either poison”.

Suggesting that the political parties need to be honest, swift in punishing wrongdoers and transparent about irregularities, is all well and good (and is an appropriate piece of propaganda to justify the junta’s continued hold on the country). But, if the junta is truly serious about ending Thailand’s prolonged political strife (as claimed), then IT must lead the reconciliation process, and engage political parties to help expedite reforms that will positively affect all Thais equally.

In saying “The critics ask what the constitution can do for them, while failing to utter the far more important question of what they can do to make democracy sustainable, healthy and, at last, dignified”, the Editor should be accused of not acknowledging the similarity of this to JFK’s famous quote from his 1961 Inaugural Address, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”.

If, in choosing this reference, the Editor was hoping to score points for the junta over political parties, might I suggest that he should also take note of what JFK said elsewhere in that Address:

“So let us begin anew, remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.

Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belabouring those problems which divide us”.

Finally, the Editor suggests that political parties must determine what they need to do to bring the turmoil to a halt once and for all. I would argue that this is the role of the junta! And the only way they will succeed is through honest and productive engagement of all parties.

[MZurf]

"Rather than complaining from the sidelines, politicians should be preparing for the nobler struggle ahead"

The political parties have been pushed aside by a junta and they have nothing to complain about?? Noble struggle, what noble struggle? Do they mean the noble struggle of trying to prevent coups?

What a total waste of ink this article is!

[halloween]

Perhaps they could look at altering financial arrangements between the party and its members. Not too long ago it was deemed illegal for Democrat MPs to pay their party dues by electronic transfer. OTOH PTP could look at ways to reduce the perception it is merely a vehicle for passing bribes to MPs willing to vote to order of a wealthy criminal.

[Srikcir]

Political parties are THE PEOPLE. They owe their allegiance to their constitution and its laws.

That cannot be said of the military that does not owe its allegiance to the People's constitution and its laws but to itself and the "Others."

So long as the military has the means to force THE PEOPLE to its rule, this dichotomy of opposing allegiances will exist. There will never be a PEOPLE'S Constitution that will prevail as the law of the land.

[MockingJay]

They could try to actually, physically WORK!