Connect with us

Politics

Political Parties in Thailand Ready for a 2023 Election

Published

on

Although no general election has been called in Thailand, the air is thick with predictions about the future for some major and emerging political parties hoping to survive and thrive when the time comes.

The fate of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is currently serving a suspension pending the charter court’s decision on his eight-year tenure, will shape the political landscape in the coming months.

The court’s decision could come before the end of the month, but in the meantime, the country is in limbo, and Gen Prayut is becoming increasingly concerned.

If Gen Prayut’s statements to the court persuade the majority of judges that he has not yet served his maximum two, four-year terms, the ball will be in the court of the opposition and government opponents, who are expected to protest such a ruling by taking to the streets.

However, if the court ruled that Gen Prayut’s first term as prime minister began when the coup-maker installed him, the National Council for Peace and Order, Gen Prayut would have to pack his belongings and leave Government House because his tenure would have expired on August 24.

red shirts thailand

Elections in Thailand for March 2023

Prawit Wongsuwon, the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, would then serve as acting Prime Minister until parliament elects a new Prime Minister from the same list of candidates that included Gen Prayut after the 2019 general election.

However, a prime minister chosen from the old list would undoubtedly be one of the most ineffective in the country’s history, as parliament’s term is set to end in March next year, followed by an election.

This prime minister is also expected to come from the current coalition, with Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul possibly emerging as the stronger contender, eclipsing Democrat Party former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva.

According to a political source, Mr. Abhisit could be considered a short-term replacement in Thailand for Gen Prayut, even though many of his views are thought to have irritated the government.

Mr. Abhisit is a vocal opponent of coups and what they represent, and his latest prediction of the main opposition Pheu Thai Party regaining power after the next election was too much for some government officials to bear.

Mr. Anutin, on the other hand, has been unquestionably loyal to Gen Prayut, and his Bhumjaithai Party has remained with the government through thick and thin, despite occasional schisms with fellow coalition partners, the Democrats and the Palang Pracharath Party in Thailand.

2023 elections thailand

Getting ahead of the polls in Thailand

When he met with Gen Prayut recently, he sparked a flurry of speculation about his chances of landing the job. The Bhumjaithai leader said he had Gen Prayut’s best interests at heart, but he wouldn’t say what they talked about.

According to the source, many politicians are looking beyond the short time left in this parliament and getting a head start on early poll preparations.

The first step in these preparations is to organize the parties. Korn Chatikavanij, leader of the Kla Party, appeared at a press conference last week alongside Suwat Liptapanlop, chairman of the Chart Pattana Party, to announce his intention to join Chart Pattana’s economic team.

He did, however, put an end to speculation that Kla and Chart Pattana would merge. He also refused to say whether he would resign as Kla leader before joining Chart Pattana.

Mr. Korn’s explanation at the briefing perplexed many Kla supporters, who also felt conflicted about Mr. Korn’s commitment to the party and whether he would stick with it.

According to a source close to the situation, the press conference was a covert confirmation of a partnership between the two parties that will most likely lead to a merger.

However, for the duration of a parliamentary term, a merger of two or more parties in which at least one of them has one or more MPs is prohibited by law. That rule applies to the “courtship” between Kla and Chart Pattana.

Furthermore, neither Mr. Korn, a former finance minister, nor Mr. Suwat could say definitively whether their parties were merging because doing so would violate the law, which prohibits one party from coming under the influence of another or influencing another.

According to another source, it is only a matter of time before the two parties merge and are renamed “Kla Pattana Chart” (Brave to Develop the Nation) to reflect the merging of their political identities and ideals.

Thailand elections 2023

Old enemies are transformed into new adversaries

When Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan left the Pheu Thai Party in late 2020, some observers wondered if she and the party were playing the long game and if her departure was a ploy to help the party win more seats in the next election.

The observers’ suspicions stemmed from the country’s dual-ballot voting system, favouring the small parties in winning party-list seats.

Some analysts saw Khunying Sudarat’s new party, Thai Sang Thai (TST), as a possible offshoot of the main opposition party to capture party-list seats, and the former Pheu Thai chief strategist would eventually reunite with her old party after the next general election.

However, as time passed, it became clear that Pheu Thai and Khunying Sudarat’s TST were distinct entities that could clash when the election came around.

The Bangkok gubernatorial election and city council elections on May 22 provided Khunying Sudarat with an opportunity to raise the TST’s profile and change perceptions about her new party and where she stands.

The TST fielded Sqn Ldr Sita Divari, a close aide to Khunying Sudarat, as its gubernatorial candidate, as well as a team of candidates to compete for the 50 council seats up for grabs.

While Sqn Ldr Sita was no match for independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt and finished far behind, the TST won two city council seats. Its candidates received 240,000 votes, or about 10% of those who voted, across all 50 districts.

thailand 2023 election

Pheu Thai Party Ahead of the Pack

According to observers, the TST candidates running for council seats directly harmed the Pheu Thai candidates’ chances of winning. According to experts, if the TST had not entered the race, the main opposition party would have won 35 seats out of 50.

Pheu Thai won 20 of the 50 seats up for grabs, while the Move Forward Party (MFP) took 14. The Democrat Party won nine seats, while the Rak Krung Thep group (three seats), the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, and the TST shared the remaining seven (two seats each).

“Don’t be surprised if the Pheu Thai Party attacks the Thai Sang Thai Party. Our party has harmed their candidates and cost them many seats, “She was reported to have said.

Khunying Sudarat insisted in an interview with the Bangkok Post to mark the TST’s first anniversary that the party has established its own identity and that she left Pheu Thai to pursue her own dreams.

Khunying Sudarat insisted that the TST was not a tool of anyone. In fact, she intended to make the TST a political institution.

“I’m not forming this party to run for prime minister or to fill cabinet positions. I’ll take whatever the voters give me, “She stated.

Following the electoral change from one ballot to two ballots, the party was approached to merge with others to consolidate their political base and secure a large win, but she had no interest in being a faction in a large party.

“I don’t think we’ll merge with another party because we have a purpose to serve and are determined to accomplish our goals,” she said.

Khunying Sudarat, a veteran politician in Bangkok, is well-known in the capital, but she has gradually gained support in the Northeast in recent years.

Khunying Sudarat received 25.8% of the vote in the most recent E-Saan poll conducted by Khon Kaen University’s E-Saan Centre for Business and Economic Research (ECBER).

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the chairperson of Pheu Thai’s inclusion and innovation advisory committee, came in second place with 21.1%.

Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, came in third place with 20.2%, while Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is temporarily suspended as prime minister pending a Constitutional Court of Thailand ruling on his tenure, trailed with 12.5%.

Khunying Sudarat was elected party leader on November 9 last year, nearly two years after launching the TST, and announced her intentions to run for prime minister.

Supant Mongkolsuthree, former chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries; Prawat Uttamote, former deputy minister of agriculture and cooperatives; and Torphong Chaiyasan, former deputy minister of public health, were among the TST heavyweights.

Sqn Ldr Sita Divari has been appointed secretary-general.

Source: Bangkok Post

Thai Cabinet Extends Excise Diesel Tax Cut Until November

Continue Reading

Politics

Millennials in Canada Have Turned their Backs on Justin Trudeau

Published

on

By

Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau
Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau - CBC Image

Justine Trudeau and his Liberal Party are currently engaged in a fierce battle for second place against Jagmeet Singh’s socialist NDP, as both parties find themselves trailing by 20 points behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

A recent poll indicates that 38% of Canadians consider Trudeau to be the most ineffective leader the nation has encountered in over fifty years. An impressive 47% of Canadian Millennials indicated they would support Poilievre if an election were to take place today, while nearly half of all Canadians express a desire for an election to be called this year.

Pierre Poilievre’s strong appeal among young voters can be attributed primarily to economic factors: soaring inflation, a pressing cost-of-living crisis, and the challenge of housing affordability are pushing many away from the Liberals, who have held power for nearly nine years.

According to UnHeard, Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau due to his stringent measures aimed at controlling the internet to combat alleged disinformation, as well as his climate change initiatives, notably the carbon tax.

protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration took place on Canada Day

Protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration on Canada Day – TNC Image

An increasing number of Canadians are becoming aware of Trudeau’s ineffective policies and his approach to mass immigration. This past summer, there was significant outrage among parents of teenagers and young adults as they observed their children remaining at home without jobs.

The primary concern stemmed from the fact that most low-skilled and entry-level positions were being filled by unskilled, temporary foreign workers, predominantly from India.

There has been a notable rise in criminal activities linked to international students and unvetted temporary residents who are becoming involved with Punjabi gangs in Canada, contributing to a surge in auto thefts nationwide.

Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are actively seeking to alter Trudeau’s approach to mass immigration and prioritize the construction of more housing should they come into power.

Significantly, Pierre Poilievre is perceived as more trustworthy than Trudeau, with over half of Canadians characterizing Poilievre as “open and honest about his actions, decisions, and intentions,” while only 39% share that sentiment regarding Trudeau.

The characteristics in question may shed light on Poilievre’s favorable polling, particularly among younger voters and women, who have historically leaned towards the Liberals or the NDP rather than the Conservatives.

The Liberal Party’s support has dwindled to an estimated 7% of Canadians, revealing a significant number of disillusioned voters eager for transformation. Poilievre is emerging as the type of leader that resonates with the desires of many Canadians.

Related News:

Trudeau Now Using Abortion Scare Tactics to Recapture Voters

Trudeau Now Using Abortion Scare Tactics to Recapture Voters

Continue Reading

Politics

U.N. Special Rapporteur Calls on Thailand’s Banks to Cut-Off Myanmar Junta

Published

on

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Thailand's Parliamentary Committee

The U.N special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar has said the Bank of Thailand, commercial banks, and the anti-money laundering office are working on measures to stop the Myanmar Junta from acquiring weapons through Thailand’s banking system.

Tom Andrews the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said that some banks commercial in Thailand had aided Myanmar Junta’s by facilitating transactions that supplied military equipment to the Junta through the international banking system.

He called on the Bank of Thailand and financial institutions to do more to stop Myanmar’s junta acquiring weapons which they use on civilians to maintain power.

The special rapporteur was in Bangkok to address a parliamentary committee on security, he called on the Thai government to stop financial transactions that help supply weapons to Myanmar’s junta in line with a plan promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that sets out an end to violence as a first step toward peace.

In his 2023 report “The Billion Dollar Death Trade,” Andrews noted that Singapore had implemented a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar.

Thailand's Banks

Thai Baht – File Image

Thailand’s Banks Lacked Clear Policy

As a result, exports of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost U.S. $120 million in fiscal year 2022 to just over $10 million over the next 12 months.

However, he said Thailand had no explicit policy position opposing weapons transfer to the Myanmar Junta, which saw exports from Thai-registered entities more than double in 2023, from just over $60 million to nearly $130 million.

He called on Thai Government to conduct a thorough investigation into transfers as Singapore had done into its companies’ dealings.

Andrews told the the committee that five Thai commercial banks and Thai-based companies were assisting Myanmar’s junta obtain weapons, dual-technology items and jet fuel, enabling Military Junta to conduct atrocities against the people.

But said he had found no evidence that the Thai government was involved or was aware of the transactions or that Thai commercial banks had knowledge.

Thailand's Banks

Photo courtesy of The Nation

Banks Condemn Myanmar Junta Violence

Meanwhile representatives from Thailand’s central bank, anti-money laundering office and the commercial banks named in the report were also present at the parliamentary meeting at government house in Bangkok.

A representative of the Bank of Thailand said officials were working with the commercial banks and the anti-money laundering office to make sure that enhanced oversight was properly practiced.

The Thai Bankers Association that was also at the parliamentary meeting said it did not have the means to investigate and monitor such irregularities beyond Thailand’s borders.

Mr. Pongsit Chaichatpornsuk, a Thai Bankers Association representative told the committee that If government security agencies tell us, we will stop transactions. We don’t support arms procurement by Myanmar Junta or any military government to violate human rights.

Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts many thousands of refugees fleeing conflict there, has tried to promote dialogue between Myanmar’s military rulers and opposition forces but no progress has been made.

This Article was first published in RFA

Continue Reading

Politics

People Rushing Sign Online Petition to Impeach South Korea’s President Crash Site

Published

on

South Korea's President

The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea said in a statement that an online petition calling for South Korea’s President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment crashed due to the enormous number of individuals attempting to sign the petition. Saying the National Assembly would resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

Since the petition was launch on the National Assembly’s website on June 20, more than 811,000 people have signed it. The petition urges Parliament to introduce legislation to impeach President Yoon on the grounds that he is unfit for office.

Late on June 30, National Assembly Speaker Mr. Woo Won-shik issued an apology for the disturbance and stated that Parliament would take action to protect the public’s fundamental rights.

People attempting to access the petition on July 1 experienced delays of up to four hours. At one point, an error message indicated that more than 30,000 individuals were waiting to access the site.

South Korea’s Parliament Hesitant

The online petition accuses Yoon of corruption, escalating the risk of conflict with North Korea, and endangering South Koreans’ health by failing to prevent Japan from leaking treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant.

By law, Parliament must assign every petition signed by more than 50,000 people to a committee, which will then decide whether to put it to a vote in the assembly.

However, the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in Parliament, is hesitant to turn the petition into an impeachment bill, according to media reports, with a spokesperson stating that the party has yet to address the topic.

The Parliament can impeach a president with a two-thirds majority. The Constitutional Court then deliberates the motion and decides whether to remove or reinstall the president.

Meanwhile, on Monday Reuters reported North Korea criticized a joint military exercise performed this month by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, according to official media, saying such drills demonstrate the three nations’ alliance has evolved into “the Asian version of NATO”.

On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale combined military drills named “Freedom Edge” featuring navy destroyers, fighter fighters, and the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with the goal of strengthening defenses against missiles, submarines, and air strikes.

The drill was designed at a three-way meeting at Camp David last year to boost military cooperation amid concerns on the Korean peninsula caused by North Korea’s weapons testing.

Pyongyang will not overlook the strengthening of a military bloc led by the United States and its allies, and it would respond aggressively and decisively to defend regional peace, according to North Korea’s foreign ministry, as reported by KCNA.

 

Continue Reading

Trending