Thailand Politics

Democrat Party Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva Boycotts New Election Talks

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva announced shortly before the meeting began that he would not be going.

BANGKOK – Negotiations on a road-map to elections in Thailand following months of political turmoil suffered a major setback Tuesday, April 22, as the opposition democratic Party pulled out of rare multi-party talks at the last minute.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is pushing for new polls as soon as possible to bolster her precarious position in the face of a series of legal threats that could force her from office.

EC chairman Supachai Somcharoen said at the start of the talks that the meeting would be “important for solving the country problems.”

The kingdom has been without a fully functioning government or parliament since December, and an election held in February was declared invalid after opposition demonstrators disrupted voting.

The Southeast Asian nation has been shaken by months of political violence that has left 25 people dead and hundreds wounded, including many protesters, in grenade attacks and shootings.

Election officials called a meeting for Tuesday to discuss a new election date with political rivals including the main opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the last round of voting.

The Election Commission (EC) called the talks to discuss a new election date with political rivals including the main opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the last round of voting.

But a day after describing the talks as “the most opportune time to put aside our party views,” Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva announced shortly before the meeting began that he would not be going.

“I will not attend the meeting because of security,” he told reporters without specifying the nature of the concerns. “No one from the Democrats will attend.”

On the eve of the meeting, Yingluck’s Puea Thai Party decried a “conspiracy” by her opponents to thwart new polls.

In a statement the party said certain groups and political parties “don’t want democracy” and are trying to create a political vacuum so they can appoint their own unelected leader.

The EC – which has been accused by government supporters of siding with the opposition – says it needs several months at least to organise new polls, leaving the country in legislative limbo.

EC chairman Supachai Somcharoen said at the start of the talks that the meeting would be “important for solving the country problems.”

But without the participation of the opposition, hopes of a breakthrough were fading.

Representatives of more than 50 other political parties joined the talks, according to election officials.

Opposition protesters have threatened to disrupt any new polls. Dozens of anti-government demonstrators rallied outside the Bangkok hotel where the talks were taking place Tuesday, demanding “reform before election”.

Justice or Power Grab?

Yingluck, who won a landslide election victory in 2011, could be ordered to step down within weeks in connection with two legal cases under consideration by the Constitutional Court and an anti-corruption panel.

Thailand’s first female premier is accused of the alleged improper transfer of a top civil servant as well as dereliction of duty linked to a loss-making rice subsidy scheme that critics say is infested with corruption.

Her supporters see the moves as an attempted power grab.

The backdrop is an eight-year struggle between a royalist establishment – backed by parts of the judiciary and the military – and Yingluck’s family, which has traditionally enjoyed strong support in the northern half of Thailand.

Yingluck’s “Red Shirt” supporters have vowed to take to the streets again to defend her administration, raising fears of a bloody new chapter in Thailand’s long political crisis.

Mass protests by the Red Shirts in 2010 triggered a military crackdown under Abhisit’s government that left dozens dead.

A senior figure in the red-clad movement, Thida Thavornseth, urged followers Tuesday to be ready for another “long protest.”

The opposition protesters want Yingluck to resign to make way for an unelected “people’s council” to oversee political reforms.

They have vowed to purge the kingdom of the influence of her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 but looms large over Thai politics from self-exile in Dubai where he lives to avoid prison for a corruption conviction.

Asked Tuesday about reports that the Shinawatra family had offered to quit politics if the opposition respected the democratic process, Yingluck said only that she was “not clinging to her position.”

Thailand Politics

Thai Prime Minister’s Popularity Declines as Move Forward Party dominates

(CTN News) – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin continues to make local and international visits to try to solve problems and promote Thailand, but he has failed to impress most voters, according to a Nida poll. The poll also revealed the declining popularity of Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the rise of the Move Forward Party.

According to a poll released on Sunday, only 12.85% of people supported the prime minister, down from 17.75% in the previous survey. The daughter of convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin, currently on parole, saw her popularity drop from 6% to 4.85%.

The National Institute of Development Administration conducts a quarterly survey of the public’s preferred political leaders. The last survey was released at the end of March.

According to the survey, supporters of the prime minister described Mr Srettha as a resolute decision-maker determined to address their problems. Ms Paetongtarn was complimented for her vision, leadership, knowledge, and grasp of the country’s difficulties.

This weekend, the prime minister will be in the northeast region listening to citizens’ concerns. The journey occurred only a few days after he had visited northern provinces earlier in the week.

Despite criticism, he has reduced his abroad trips, citing the need to showcase Thailand to investors and traders.

Pita Limjaroenrat, the chief advisor of the Move Forward Party, remained the top candidate for prime minister with 45.50% of the vote, up slightly from 42.75% in the previous quarter’s poll.

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga was the huge winner. The leader of the United Thai National Party saw his popularity nearly quadruple from 3.55% to 6.85%.

The sampled voters stated they appreciated Mr Pita’s political beliefs and thought he had broad knowledge. They praised Mr Pirapan’s credibility, claiming he was clean and honest.

Two other probable prime minister candidates were Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party and Anutin Chanvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai. However, they were less popular than others.

About 20% of voters still did not believe any candidate was qualified to lead the country, which is the same percentage as in the last survey.

Move Forward Party was the most popular party with 49.20%, up slightly from three months ago, while Pheu Thai fell around five percentage points to 16.85% from 22.10%.

The poll, issued on Sunday, surveyed 2,000 ineligible voters between June 14 and June 18.

Thailand Politics

Move Forward Party MP Jirat Thongsuwan Appeals Suspended Jail Sentence for Defamation

(CTN News) – Jirat Thongsuwan, a Move Forward Party MP, says he would appeal his one-year suspended jail sentence for defaming a former senior defense ministry official concerning the state’s procurement of bogus bomb detectors.

The Criminal Court also fined Mr Jirat 100,000 baht for falsely accusing ACM Tharet Punsri, a former Air Force chief-of-staff who later became the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, of being the chairman and shareholder of a company that supplied the military with the infamous GT200 bomb detectors.

The Chachoengsao MP claimed a July 20, 2022, no-confidence vote against cabinet ministers in Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government. ACM Tharet was not a cabinet member.

Jirat Thongsuwan also identified ACM Tharet as a key figure in the 2006 coup headed by then-army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, which overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra.

ACM Tharet told the court that Jirat Thongsuwan’s charges were false and harmed his reputation. He denied involvement with the bomb detection company and said he was not the company’s senior chairman or shareholder.

In addition to the suspended jail term and fine, the court ordered Jirat Thongsuwan to pay $ 500,000 baht in damages to ACM Tharet and publish an apology in three newspapers for five days.

Jirat Thongsuwan later announced on his X account that he had challenged the verdict with the hashtag “An injustice is infuriating”.

The MP has also been accused of dodging required military conscription. He admitted to the accusation on May 8.

A British business promoted the GT200 as a “remote substance detector” and sold it in several countries. Between 2004 and 2009, fourteen Thai government organizations, most of which were military, were projected to spend 1.4 billion baht on the units.

Concerns about the GT200 and related gadgets arose after the National Science and Technology Development Agency discovered they lacked electronic components.

The devices were later revealed to be “divining rods”.

Thailand Politics

Thaksin Shinawatra Files 100 Million Baht Defamation Lawsuit Against Warong Dechgitvigrom

(CTN News) – Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, has launched a defamation action against Warong Dechgitvigrom, the head of the Thai Pakdee Party, accusing him of paying a bribe to be released on bail in a lese majeste case.

Thaksin’s attorney, Winyat Chartmontree, filed a lawsuit against Warong, seeking 100 million baht in damages.

Warong, a long-time Thaksin Shinawatra critic, gave a public statement and posted on social media, saying that 2 billion baht was paid to judicial officials in exchange for release on bail in the lese majeste case.

Thaksin Shinawatra Granted Release on 500,000 Baht Bond

Thaksin was granted release on a 500,000 baht bond last week and told not to leave the country without court authorization after pleading innocent to charges of defaming King Rama IX in a 2015 interview with South Korean media.

Winyat stated that, while Warong did not identify Thaksin Shinawatra by name in his speech or post, he did include a hashtag with Thaksin’s name as well as the date Thaksin must appear in court, allowing readers to connect Thaksin to the allegations.

Winyat further stated that he was investigating the fact that Warong mentioned the specific aircraft and automobiles utilized by Thaksin Shinawatra to violate the Personal Data Protection Act.

“I have requested Mr Warong to provide proof as to where he received the data. “If it turns out that it came from state officials, there will be legal consequences,” he warned.

The Criminal Court has scheduled the case’s preliminary hearing for September 30.