Democrats, Bhumjaithai keep next govt waiting

[webfact]

Democrats, Bhumjaithai keep next govt waiting

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

INDECISION BLAMED ON ‘HORSE-TRADING’, DISSATISFACTION WITH WHAT’S ON OFFER
 

WITH LESS than a week before Parliament opens for the first time since the March 24 elections, the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties are still undecided about which camp they will join. 

 

The Democrats met for the first time yesterday under new leader Jurin Laksanavisit, but a decision on its post-election stance was not on the agenda. 

“We’ll meet again to discuss which bloc we are going to or not going to join,” said Jurin, who was voted in as party leader last week. “The party has its principles and its people-oriented ideology. The members will meet [today] and we will talk about the direction of our work in Parliament.” 

 

He also floated two names for speaker of the House of Representatives – the party’s influential former leader Banyat Banthadtan, and patriarch Chuan Leekpai. He added that the Democrats had not yet decided whom they would vote for as PM. 

 

Bhumjaithai also did not clarify its position yesterday. 

 

Bhumjaithai secretary-general Saksiam Chidchob said during an orientation session for MPs and a party meeting in Buri Ram province yesterday, that the responsibility had been vested in party leader Anutin Charnvirakul. 

 

He added that the party had four core conditions: reverence for the monarchy, peace, implementation of the party’s proposals, and stability of the government.

 

Saksiam said none of the parties had approached Bhumjaithai yet, but Anutin will hold meetings with different parties in the next couple of days before making a decision on which bloc to join. 

 

Observers put this uncertainty down to unfinished horse-trading. 

 

The likelihood of both Democrat and Bhumjaithai backing the Phalang Pracharat-led coalition was accentuated by the pro-democracy camp’s

desperation. Meanwhile, the anti-junta Pheu Thai offered to even sacrifice the PM’s post, despite having the most number of MPs in Parliament, to gain support from the two parties. 

 

Sources said dissatisfaction with the seats being offered was the only factor preventing Democrat and Bhumjaithai from announcing their pro-junta stance. 

 

The two parties reportedly are not satisfied as most of the key ministries are being handed over to Phalang Pracharat figures. 

 

Phalang Pracharat and its allies are reportedly scheduled to discuss the matter again on Thursday. 

 

It is believed that the Democrat Party will be offered the post of speaker of the lower house – most likely Banyat – while Bhumjaithai is expected to get the post of second deputy speaker. 

 

The posts of first deputy speaker and chair of the government whip are expected to go to Phalang Pracharat’s MP from Chachoengsao, Suchat Tancharoen, and party-list MP Wirat Ratanasret respectively.

 

Phalang Pracharat is expected to also dominate the Cabinet, with the same people holding the posts of PM, deputy PMs and ministers. General Prayut Chan-o-cha will be the prime minister, while his current deputies General Prawit Wongsuwan, Somkid Jatusripitak and Wissanu Krea-ngam will continue in their positions. 

 

Meanwhile, the portfolios for Defence, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Industry and Commerce will be given to the same old faces, namely Prawit, General Anupong Paojinda, Don Pramudwinai, Uttama Savanayana and Sontirat Sontijirawong respectively.

 

Also, veteran politicians like Somsak Thepsuthin, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Anucha Nakasai and Ittipon Khumpleum, who helped Phalang Pracharat win the election, will be awarded with ministerial seats. 

 

Other ministerial candidates include pro-coup figures such as Nattapol Teepsuwan and Puttipong Punakanta.

 

The Democrat Party, meanwhile, will be allocated secondary ministries such as Higher Education, Education, Justice and Labour, or secondary positions such as deputy ministers in Interior, Finance and Agriculture.

 

Bhumjaithai may be given both the posts of minister and deputy minister in Public Health, and deputy minister posts in the Transport, Interior, Agriculture, Finance and Commerce ministries. 

 

Separately, Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit’s fate in politics hangs by a thread despite his party’s successful debut. 

 

The Constitutional Court will on Thursday discuss whether he should be disqualified for allegedly holding shares in a media company. If found guilty, Thanathorn can be banned from elections for 20 years and jailed for one to 10 years.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30369720

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-21

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[sjaak327]

Pptp did not win the elections. Despite not winning them they are already forming a government, disgraceful stuff....

[Thailand]

Dems and BJP already on board with Prayuth, just down to who gets what slices of the pie.

[nikmar]

Cant you just  sense how much they want to work for the benefit of the people. 

[holy cow cm]

delete 

[yellowboat]

The "Democrats" chances of ever winning a free and fair election will drop dramatically if they side with the junta.   The will be seen as those kept Thailand in chains.  

 

The first order of business cha cha wants is that everyone plays nice.  He has a grammar school understanding of politics, but he is probably a pretty good marksman. 

[Grossman]

The color scheme of their apparels of choice lately (both BJP and DEM) seems quite indicative... I think they've been just told to hold back announcing anything despite an already settled trough position.

 

[Creasy]

I voted in the Aussie federal election last Saturday morning.

The result was clear by Saturday evening.

 

How long does it take the crooks in Thailand to rig the outcome of their election which was held months ago ?

[hotchilli]

Almost 2 months since the election vote and parties are still jockeying for a top place at the trough...

farcical !!

[Baerboxer]

7 hours ago, sjaak327 said:

Pptp did not win the elections. Despite not winning them they are already forming a government, disgraceful stuff....

 

PTP didn't win the election either. They won the most constituency seats but not an overall majority.

 

Where, in any country let alone Thailand, does it say that only the largest minority can form a coalition to govern?

 

 

[Baerboxer]

9 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Almost 2 months since the election vote and parties are still jockeying for a top place at the trough...

farcical !!

 

IIRC countries like Italy, Greece etc have issues like this. No clear winner leads to cobbled together deals, which often can't govern for long or effectively.

 

Politicians are always willing to sell out and stuff the electorate.

[sjaak327]

57 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

PTP didn't win the election either. They won the most constituency seats but not an overall majority.

 

Where, in any country let alone Thailand, does it say that only the largest minority can form a coalition to govern?

 

 

Very few parties win an overall majority in a Multi (40+) party system. One wins the elections if one has the most seats in parliament, PT has won the elections, end of story. 

 

And yes, in most democracies, the biggest party has the first chance to form a government, I doubt there are many countries where this good democratic tradition is not upheld. 

 

Let's not talk about the 11 micro parties that were all awarded a seat, without those 11 micro parties that magically all support Prayuth, this coalition wouldn't even be possible. Meanwhile PT didn't even get a single party list seat. It is clear the elections weren't free and fair, and the results, even though a masisve loss of face for the junta, have been altered just enough to grant them a possible majority. The Thai electorate has been sidestepped again.

[chama]

If one of the goals was to build confidence, bot domestically and internationally, in the new government this delay is not getting it done. The only people who are confident are the junta members that orchestrated the heist of the election and the onlookers who are confident this whole thing is a circus show.

[pornprong]

14 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

PTP didn't win the election either. They won the most constituency seats but not an overall majority.

 

Where, in any country let alone Thailand, does it say that only the largest minority can form a coalition to govern?

 

 

Nobody is claiming that PTP won the election.

Printing nonsense like PPTP won the election is the reason The Nation is losing money and has had to shut down the printing presses - peanuts. 

 

The facts are PPTP cheated in every which way possible and still failed to win. PTP in fact won the most seats, which by convention should mean they have the first chance to try to assemble a coalition. The reason PTP have been denied this right - PPTP is maintaining their pre-election form post-election by continuing to cheat.

 

As to the four core conditions from BJT, they are irrelevant. The only condition should be is pro-democracy or pro-(cannot be named or post deleted). Get democracy up and running and then move on to the other problems facing the country.

 

Idiotic "but, but Thaksin" delusions have run passed there used by date. 

Fascism has failed here.

Your anti-Thaksin nonsense is seen for what it is - nonsense.

 

The most honourable act so far during this horse trading period has come from PTP, despite winning the most seats they have stated they will give up all claims to the Prime Ministership, all cabinet positions and all pre-conditions in return for a pro-democracy coalition. What more could be asked of them in return for getting Thailand back to being a functioning democracy..... nothing!

 

It must kill you, Baerboxer, that the only people acting with decency, honesty and the best interests of the Thai people in mind are PTP and FF. 

 

Whichever way the Democrats and BJT fall, democracy is the winner - either they join the pro-democracy camp now and kick out the usurpers or they join PPTP now and destroy their own chances next election which will be just a year or two away.

 

Thailand's future is some sort of mixture between PTP and FF, it is the peoples will and the longer it is denied, the more inevitable it becomes.

 

It's time for the anti-democratic, pro-fascist TVF warriors to start considering their options for the future which are but two:

 

1. Retire from the keyboard

2. Move to, perhaps, North Korea (or a similar country) where you guys can revel in the economic mismanagement, censorship, oppression, corruption and bigotry you have all admired so greatly here under the current regime