Hick party royalism

The Nation reports that the central region’s hick party, which will usually bend over backwards and perform cartwheels to gain a cabinet seat is setting “conditions” for its participation in any coalition government that go beyond access to cabinet money-making opportunities.

Chart Thai Pattana Party, owned by the Silpa-archa family, through its leader Varawut Silpa-archa, said that it/he had “set three conditions for joining the next coalition government…”.

Newin (r) seeking a bit of help from Banharn Silpa-archa

The main condition was “a promise not to touch the lese majesty law.” Varawut told this to “reporters while campaigning in Yasothon’s Muang district.”

The other two conditions were “to create a people’s assembly to draft a new Constitution” and a “promise to allocate money for a fund for to help farmers and rural people.”

It seems likely that a handful of Silpa-archas and associates will have limited bargaining power other than with another military-monarchy coalition government where such “conditions” would be easily met.

As previously, the Silpa-archas are probably hoping to align with Newin Chidchob’s lot from Buriram. Those two parties, both adept at political somersaults, seem to be hoping for a weak coalition government.

The truly popular parties are likely to have a mandate for 112 reform and this seems like a warning shot from the right.

That said, we’d expect hick royalists to cartwheel again in order to get status and loot.