PPP Bye Bye? High Noon In Bangkok

BangkokDan made a bet with a friend that finally pretty boy Abhisit Vejjajiva will be crowned prime minister.

Which is looking more and more likely by the day.

Or must we expect a revolt in the North and Northeast of the country after Samak Sundaravej and cohort will be robbed of the title of election winner?

It is a tragic coincidence that only the sad, untimely death of Princess Galyani Vadhana keeps the lid on political feelings that run higher and higher. Our sincere condolences to the Royal Family and all Thai people.

But two weeks after the elections still no government.

Now the Supreme Court will decide whether Thaksin’s proxy, the People Power Party PPP, is a nominee of his dissolved Thai Rak Thai TRT.

PPP a TRT-nominee? Any kindergartner can answer you this question conclusively – but whomever the powers may be behind this yet another, this time more carefully orchestrated constitutional coup d’état, they won’t show their faces.

An extra-constitutional spanner in the works to seemingly solve the problems?

That, some say, is out of the question. As a highly placed source here told absolutelyBangkok.com, the petition lodged by Democrat Chaiwat Sinsuwong was the “natural thing to do”.

The Democrats would have had a strong case already for the dissolution of PPP with the CDs of Thaksin engaging in the election campaign. “The Democrats gave up on the CD-case even it was sufficient if they were strict about it,” said our source.

Adding to PPP’s new headaches, a massive 83 of the 480 poll winners face election fraud inquiries – most of them, does it surprise, in the North and Northeast. BangkokDan got friends telling him how money was handed out in the Northeast in the open. PPP clearly wasn’t playing fair – does that surprise?

And if they don’t play fair, why should the others play strictly fair?

Why though hasn’t the Election Commission EC reacted more promptly? Because, on the local level, the EC is infiltrated by PPP, whereas the actual commissioners are people of quite good standing.

This is why the EC had to request special powers from the police to investigate allegations of election fraud. Such investigations are rather difficult as the PPP/TRT has lots of people everywhere – as the party is taking care of its people by paying them well.

Now the country is back in the hands of the courts and commissions.

Expect appeal after appeal.

Democracy gone mad.

Because, as the Economist sums it up:

“The generals signally failed to prove the claims of “rampant corruption” and other misdeeds by Mr Thaksin used to justify the coup. Worse, they did nothing to correct the most heinous abuses of his administration: Extrajudicial killings by police during a 2003 “war on drugs” and two massacres in 2004 of Muslim protesters by security forces in Thailand’s troubled south.

The junta and those among the fickle Bangkok elite who excused the coup should have learned their lesson that extra-constitutional excursions do not solve problems. That, however, may be too much to hope.”

Samak himself already accused a “dirty invisible hand” of denying him the powers he deserves – but then again: His strong boys may have garnered the most votes on December 23rd, but on the constituency level the vast majority of the record turn-out of voters gave an overwhelming 63 percent of their support to representatives parties other than the Thaksin-backed PPP, as the Asia Sentinel reported.

Thaksin claims victory – but he better has his oneway ticket for a pseudo-hero’s welcome back home not yet booked.

As it is getting dirty again in the Thailand of the feuding elites and the coalition skirmishes.

Chapeau so far to Banharn and the Puea Pandin for not instinctively jumping on the PPP-bandwagon – and “insulting” Samak, as the latter put it.

Or was it just another ploy that Chart Thai and Puea Pandin demanded in exchange for a coalition alliance that the PPP must have reverence for the monarchy, not offend Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda, not take revenge against political opponents, not interfere in the judicial process against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and not dissolve the Assets Scrutiny Committee ASC?

Or – you trust the Democrats?

After all, our beautiful Bangkok was in their hands for the past years – but what good did Governor Apirak Kosayodhin exactly do?

BangkokDan just had a talk with a Siemens-employee. About the escalating fight between Siemens and the Bangkok Mass Transit System BTS, namely the Skytrain.

The Skytrain’s extension at Saphan Taksin over the Chao Phraya could be used since years. Commuters stuck in traffic jams over the river are reminded every day by an empty, lonely Skytrain-bridge how easy life could be if Apirak just wanted to.

The Bangkok government claims various breaches of contracts as the reason behind the “delay.” Contractors claim: The powers that be wanted too much money.

But that is another story. Now Thailand is facing the dissolution of the PPP.

Lots of people would take the opportunity to create problems and take to the streets.

How many problems depends on the logic of the judges and the verdict.

But bye bye national unity and reconciliation.




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January 4, 2008 | Filed Under Politics, The Thai Mind 

Comments

3 Responses to “PPP Bye Bye? High Noon In Bangkok”

  1. SukhumvitFrank on January 4th, 2008 7.05 pm

    Chapeau to you, BangkokDan, for the brilliant analysis of the situation as it develops. But with one exception, ironically exactly the lines which begin with that very word chapeau: There’s for sure no motivation of high ethical standards behind Banharn and company to join the PPP bandwagon, but only pure opportunism, the only guideline of their actions since years and years …

  2. BangkokDan on January 5th, 2008 10.27 am

    Agreed, SukhumvitFrank.

    Whatever Banharn’s motives, he needs the grand thinking to extend his dwarfism.

    Remember the inaugural ASEM meeting 1996 in Bangkok? Hosted by then-Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-Archa.

    Was impossible to see him behind Germany’s then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

    Even good old Suharto was in town back then! – overtowering Banharn.

    Who clearly enjoyed his role as the great chairman of the event.

    Guess he’s still fascinated by these “ego-extensions” – and therefore goes for any major office, at whatever cost.

    BangkokDan

  3. Freedom, At Last on May 15th, 2009 2.06 pm

    [...] the rolling stock ordered, since years … But then again all the conflicts and unsubstantiated accusations against main supplier Siemens with France’s Alstom and Canada’s Bombardier wanting a [...]

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