PM won’t quit if draft charter is rejected but will draft a new charter

[webfact]

PM won’t quit if draft charter is rejected but will draft a new charter

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha reiterated on Tuesday that he would not quit his premiership if the draft charter fails to pass the referendum this coming Sunday but a new constitution will be drafted so that there is an election in accordance with the roadmap.

 

He said that the government would not set up a “war room” to monitor the voting on Sunday but would wait for official reports from relevant officials about the outcome of the referendum.

 

He disclosed that the cabinet would convene on Tuesday to discuss the next step to be taken after having received the formal result of the referendum. If the draft charter fails to be endorsed by the public in the referendum, he said a new draft would be written so that there will be an election in accordance with the roadmap.

 

The prime minister made clear that he would not resign nor would he reshuffle his cabinet if the draft charter is rejected.

 

Asked about his relationship with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan who was suggested by former deputy prime minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul to take over from General Prayut in case the draft charter is rejected, the prime minister said that he had known Gen Prawit for more than 30 years and their relationship remains strong.

 

“We keep in touch not because of vested interests or because I was the army chief but because we have mutual trust, confidence and respect for each other throughout the past 50 years,” said the prime minister.

 

“We will never fight with each other no matter someone want to see us quarrel. He (Gen Prawit) is my senior and I am the government leader. I respect him because he is my senior and has more experiences. Whom I should trust more? “

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-wont-quit-draft-charter-rejected-will-draft-new-charter/

 

-- Thai PBS 2016-08-03

[EricBerg]

I doubt the pm will quit no matter what outcome of the vote. He's here to stay.

[Carib]

He will be around for a while in this way.  One would have to vote yes to get rid of him....

[candide]

Isn't it the same guy who always says he will take responsibility for this and that?

[sjaak327]

He will create a new charter, excellent. Time is of the essence ic the roadmap is to be adhered to, as that one taks about elections next year. No word on another referendum for that new charter, I guess they won't repeat the same process as the previous two charters.

 

Maybe Meechai will get sacked after the current draft doesn't receive a yes vote ?

[Somtamnication]

LOL. Like a dog chasing its tail. 

[NongKhaiKid]

Can anyone really imagine the PM taking the amazing loss of face resignation would involve  ?

It might be the responsible thing to do at some stage but taking responsibility isn't a big issue here so he'll hang on no matter what excusing himself,  if he bothers,  that he'll go when a general election is held.

[tbthailand]

There is but one way to get rid of "leaders" like this one... 

[NongKhaiKid]

9 minutes ago, tbthailand said:

There is but one way to get rid of "leaders" like this one... 

Wouldn't be surprised if someone in uniform somewhere is thinking he can do a better job so things would change but stay the same.

[DrTuner]

Well Thais only have to vote against the charters for the next 20 years or so and nature will take care of it.

[arthurboy]

It's a win-win for the junta mein general. If the vote is a yes he stays, if no he stays. People thinking about voting no will vote yes in the vague hope that a return to democracy will actually happen and speed up the junta's exit. That is very unlikely.

 

Either way he'll claim staying on is for the good of the country. Expect to see more use of Article 44.

[ezzra]

Maybe what this country needs is an iron fisted ruler as all the ones before him were a bunch of clowns

either too weak, too corrupted or a crony of someone more powerful,

Thai people are a bunch of unruly people if you give them too much freedom or too much democracy,

let's not forget that Thai people lived for hundreds of year under feudalistic way of life with the few of the upper

class elite ruled the rest of the lower class majority.....

[dbrenn]

Whichever way the vote goes on this fatuous referendum, Prayuth will stay in control. His side has guns, and they are not afraid to kill their own citizens to cling to power. 

[Wilsonandson]

The draft charter, referendum, new constitution, has worked. It's kept the military's rule over Thailand alive. With the country still in political chaos how can an election be held any time soon. They set the trap and everyone walked onto it. In the eyes of the general public the draft charter is the problem, not the country held to ransom by the military. I expect another 20 years of this BS to come. Conflict, division, Thaksin regime, elite, poor, southern violence, etc... spun by the military spin doctors to take the heat off the main issue. They run the show. There are no problems. An election could be held next week. There is no division, there is no war, there is just propoganda to make the populace think there is.

[Crossy]

54 minutes ago, arthurboy said:

If the vote is a yes he stays, if no he stays. People thinking about voting no will vote yes in the vague hope that a return to democracy will actually happen and speed up the junta's exit.

 

That's pretty much what our puyai-baan is telling the locals (our area is/was staunchly Red), we get to keep Prayuth either way, but a "yes" at least carries the possibility of an election, sometime.

[baboon]

20 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

That's pretty much what our puyai-baan is telling the locals (our area is/was staunchly Red), we get to keep Prayuth either way, but a "yes" at least carries the possibility of an election, sometime.

And elections there will be. Unfortunately for those locals their candidates will be nothing but executives for NCPO directives and handy scapegoats for any policy failures. I wish such people could see that 'Yes' is turkeys voting for Christmas...

[LannaGuy]

Hobson's Choice

 

any car colour providing it's yellow

[yellowboat]

He is like the party guest that will not go home.  It would be a sad thing to have to accept a charter just to remove this dull witted person from his self proclaimed office.  Perhaps the Thai people will learn from this.

[ChidlomDweller]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

Maybe what this country needs is an iron fisted ruler as all the ones before him were a bunch of clowns

either too weak, too corrupted or a crony of someone more powerful,

Thai people are a bunch of unruly people if you give them too much freedom or too much democracy,

let's not forget that Thai people lived for hundreds of year under feudalistic way of life with the few of the upper

class elite ruled the rest of the lower class majority.....

And what did the serfs get out of that?  The country (i.e., the masses) need a better deal than going back to that and being fed some crumbs by a self-serving, tiny elite.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

The question is if this new constitution will then imposed on the people or will there be another referendum ? The dead end just gets narrower and narrower.

[Srikcir]

Flashback to August 1, 2016 -

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan rejected a suggestion by former deputy prime minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul that he should take over from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha in case the draft constitution fails in the August 7 referendum. Prawit said that there is no need for Prime Minister Prayut to be held accountable for the draft charter’s failure by resigning because he is not responsible for staging the referendum. A majority vote against the charter will have no effect whatsoever on the election which will go ahead in accordance with the political roadmap. As for himself, Prawit said he had no ambition to become the next PM nor is he fit to become one.  

 

Prawit does occassionally make true statements.

[yardrunner]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

Maybe what this country needs is an iron fisted ruler as all the ones before him were a bunch of clowns

either too weak, too corrupted or a crony of someone more powerful,

Thai people are a bunch of unruly people if you give them too much freedom or too much democracy,

let's not forget that Thai people lived for hundreds of year under feudalistic way of life with the few of the upper

class elite ruled the rest of the lower class majority.....

I hope you are being sarcastic, or perhaps you think Thailand needs a Stalin or a Hitler, rather than a democratically elected government  

[MZurf]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

Maybe what this country needs is an iron fisted ruler as all the ones before him were a bunch of clowns

either too weak, too corrupted or a crony of someone more powerful,

Thai people are a bunch of unruly people if you give them too much freedom or too much democracy,

let's not forget that Thai people lived for hundreds of year under feudalistic way of life with the few of the upper

class elite ruled the rest of the lower class majority.....

"Maybe what this country needs is an iron fisted ruler as all the ones before him were a bunch of clowns either too weak, too corrupted or a crony of someone more powerful,"

That has been tried on several occasions, without success.

 

"let's not forget that Thai people lived for hundreds of year under feudalistic way of life with the few of the upper
class elite ruled the rest of the lower class majority....."

 

So did we in Europe, but we slowly developed into democracies. Know how we managed that? Because the military didn't interfere in politics! 

[MZurf]

5 hours ago, candide said:

Isn't it the same guy who always says he will take responsibility for this and that?

Yes. He also said there would be no coup, he didn't want to become "PM", etc, etc.

[mesterm]

Nice suit, Mr. P.

[Thaidream]

One can actually read the new Constitution in English- it is quite an interesting read and I would guess it will pass. The real problem will be the election. There just doesn't seem to be anyone out there who has any real plan to move Thailand forward. The know politicians of the current parties never have put forth a real agenda nor have they ever done anything that has helped the average Thai person. I am sure there are qualified, educated Thais who could present an agenda but they are either reticent to come forward or simply don't want to be associated with any political party. Thailand is a  long way from real Democracy. The military will be around and looking over the shoulder of an elected government for a long time.

[Krataiboy]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Maybe what this country needs is an iron fisted ruler as all the ones before him were a bunch of clowns

either too weak, too corrupted or a crony of someone more powerful,

Thai people are a bunch of unruly people if you give them too much freedom or too much democracy,

let's not forget that Thai people lived for hundreds of year under feudalistic way of life with the few of the upper

class elite ruled the rest of the lower class majority.....

1

 

Thank you for your thoughtful reflections on how the "unruly" citizens of the country in which you are a guest should be governed. I doubt they will be applauding your views, though they would go down a bomb with the likes of Hitler, Pinochet, Stalin, Chairman Mao and Kim Jong-il.

 

Ever thought of trying for a PR job with the junta? 

[cumgranosalum]

I think we all know when the PM will quit....and then some....

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, sjaak327 said:

He will create a new charter, excellent. Time is of the essence ic the roadmap is to be adhered to, as that one taks about elections next year. No word on another referendum for that new charter, I guess they won't repeat the same process as the previous two charters.

 

Maybe Meechai will get sacked after the current draft doesn't receive a yes vote ?

I am afraid the people will be force fed the same thing over and over again till they accept. Pavlov comes to mind. 

[mike324]

1 hour ago, MZurf said:

"Maybe what this country needs is an iron fisted ruler as all the ones before him were a bunch of clowns either too weak, too corrupted or a crony of someone more powerful,"

That has been tried on several occasions, without success.

 

"let's not forget that Thai people lived for hundreds of year under feudalistic way of life with the few of the upper
class elite ruled the rest of the lower class majority....."

 

So did we in Europe, but we slowly developed into democracies. Know how we managed that? Because the military didn't interfere in politics! 

 

Not saying that I like the army in charge but they are very different from other army ruled countries around the world. Many westerners hear that Thailand is run by an army general, they immediately think its a dictatorship, dangerous, etc. 

 

You can't compare Europe to Thailand. The difference is that in Europe and many other Asian countries people are getting smarter, whereas in Thailand its the other way around. Thailand education continues to slide backwards, so how can you expect democracy to move forward? We constantly have politicians / influential figures taking advantage of the society for their own gain.