Thank the junta

The rainy season can mean political tumult. PPT can’t predict an outcome, but we do think the signs are worth mentioning.

A day or so ago, the Bangkok Post had the headline “Big blow for People’s Party in local polls.” The report of local elections is that “Old-school politics still leads the field.” It reckons the party is “losing popularity” and is at risk of a big decline when the next national election comes.

That may not be the case if the next few months of big party jockeying continue to show that the political system is corrupted. In fact, the current political system was designed by the military junta to be corrupted.

By Stephff

The plan was to return the political system to the old days where weak coalition governments and their associated grimy dealings and the necessity for filling election war chests weakened elected governments. The winners in this situation were the military and the backroom wheeler dealers from the establishment. This was the situation when the now dead king built his political position. One other important group of winners were the dark influences who control local elections and which the junta’s electoral rules and constitution brought back to political and economic life.

Evidence for the corruption of the political system was on display in the local elections. This included a policeman at a polling station beaten up by a member of the Songkhla Provincial Administration Organization and six of his henchmen. The chief thug was Siridanai Plaiduang, the son of Somyot Plaiduang, a Democrat Party MP for Songkhla. Another example was provided by Smitthiphat Leenawarat, a son of  prominent Pathum Thani politician. A week or so ago, Smitthiphat was irked by a pickup truck. As the rich, powerful and impune do, he then deliberately crashed his luxury car into the pickup, injuring an elderly couple. Smitthiphat didn’t even have a current license to drive. His family’s influence and money swept the election.

Another throwback is the buying up of MPs and small parties. This is seen in the activities of convicted heroin smuggler Thammanat Prompao, an MP who is busy allegedly hoovering up MPs from smaller parties, hoping to get a lucrative cabinet position if and when the current Puea Thai-led coalition falls apart. There’s other dark influences doing the same, with Krit Chevathamanon, a People’s Party MP allegedly being bought in Cholburi, said to have been “offered a large sum of money, a monthly allowance and a luxury van in exchange for defecting.”

Part of the reason for this is that the current coalition is looking shaky. This is seen in the action against Thaksin Shinawatra, suggesting the establishment might be prepared to end the deal done to prevent a progressive government. That the People’s Party is weakened supports the view that Puea Thai may no longer be needed for a weak, royalist coalition. The support the palace has recently provided to Bhum Jai Thai’s Anutin Charnvirakul is also hinting that he’d make a suitable premier.

“Thank” the junta for all of this trashing of progressive and electoral politics.