After the promulgation of the Constitution 2007 which is called among the democratic movements the “aristocratic constitution”, there were general election on 23 December 2007. This election was neither free nor fair. It was one of the most corrupted and fraud with interventions from the junta apparatus and their supporting elites and groups, especially in some provinces that remained then under martial law. Beside , the new National Election Committee (NEC) was appointed by the undemocratic junta. It has limited the political rights of the 111 former executive of TRT in supporting the People Power Party (PPP), the rebirth of TRT, which became the biggest political party. Samak Sunthornvet, a veteran politician, former deputy prime minister and minister of several cabinets, was its leader.
The results of the election came out with the big victory of PPP: it gained 233 seats from 480 seats of the House of Representative. But the PPP could not easily form the government because the anti-Thaksin movements led by the People Alliance of Democracy (PAD) and the opposition party, including the majority of media, tried to obstruct this party from forming government. They complained to NEC of the vote buying of the PPP. After weeks of horse trading the PPP succeeded in forming the cabinet with the other 5 parties in February 2008.
Since the beginning of the Smark government, all opponents united to derail it violently. Members of Parliament (MP) of the Democrat party and appointed senators attacted from in side the Parliament. Out side were PAD and the medias. They accused the Samak government of being Thaksin’s puppet, of abuse of power, of establishing a police state. At the end of May PAD has been rallying their people to protest against the constitution amendment agenda and attack Foreign minister for supporting Cambodia to register Preah Vihear temple as a world heritage site in a disputed border. This last issue is a nationalist campaign which induced the vast allies for PAD.
Two weeks later they demanded the ouster of Samak government. The demonstrations against the government are still on the street near the prime minister office. In the parliament, PAD ’s allies the Democrat party and the appointed senators, proposed the motion of no-confidence debate at the end of June.
Actually these issues occurred since 2006 and were proxies for a deeper struggle between supporters of Thaksin, the ousted populist prime minister, and the opponents who include the monarchists, the military and conservative elements. They shouted slogan “Proctect Nation and the King” they use the lese majeste to oust one minister. Their senators cliques also complained to the Constitutional Court to disquailify 3 ministers. More seriously PAD has called military to stage another coup and proposed a less democracies, political platform such as decreasing the number of elected seats in Parliament.
I would like to point that after the general election of 2007 the various Courts, Administrative , Constitutional and Justice, all received the cases by the anti-Thaksin movements to disqualify the Prime Minister, Ministers and members of the House of representative of wrong doing or unconstitutionality. The courts’ decisions in July disqualifed 1 minister and 2 ministers resigned. It is also the National Election Committee continueously punishs the MPs of the PPP for election frauds. The cases were all locked up by the provision of the Junta’ s designed Constitution, which aims to create traps for those dis favoured horses who win the election. The Junta and its created outfits thus act as baby sitter for the Democrats Party. The process is still going on. Conseguently, the Prime minister reshuffled his cabinet in August and may be the dissolution of PPP with in next 3 months.
Why is Democrats the favoured kids? Well, they share the same breed as the Junta and the PAD, and they have never been the lovers of people’s power and are willing to be a junior partner in the bureaucratic regimes, which they have indulged in over their 65 years of existence. Our problem is not with the Democrats, but with the new breed of anarchists is led by the PAD. The breed try to emulate the Cultural Revolution led by MAO and the Gang of Fours and their terrorizing activities, which destabilize China for over 12 years. After Deng consolidation it took another 12 years to put China on the right track.I do not personally think the Thai will let this happen but this will serve to delay our development and to complicate our situation.
By supporting the present democratically elected government to stay around and provide vehicles to get through constitutional amendment to get rid of the political traps, we will prevent the Maoist and the New Red Guards from ruining Thailand.
On the hindside, the socalled intellectuals are also culprits to the past coup, which hinder our process of democratization, by misleading the public. Thus the solution is to give the right education which aims at correctry the understanding.
Finally, world community should pay close attention to Thailand’s democratization as it will have a strong impact on regional stability in line with globalalization process which benefits humanity at large.