Thailand’s King hinders sister’s political bid
DW – The Thai Raksa Chart party, Thailand’s opposition party, said in a statement on Saturday that it would comply with the Thai King’s order which invalidates Princess Ubolratana’s candidacy for prime minister.
The party thanked the 67-yearold princess for her efforts, and said it would abide by the election regulations as well as the “tradition and royal customs” under Thailand’s constitutional monarchy.
The party shocked the country when it announced that Ubolratana is its candidate on Friday morning. Later that day, the reigning King, Maha Vajiralongkorn, condemned the bid as unconstitutional and “inappropriate.”
In a strongly worded statement, the king said that senior royal family members should remain above politics and be politically neutral.
The election commission, which is overseeing the March elections, said that it would issue a ruling on the matter on Monday. While the body has the final say on the list of candidates, it is unlikely that it will ignore the king’s position in making its decision.
Battle between military and Thaksin loyalists
The upcoming general election — the first since a coup in 2014 — is widely seen as a contest between the junta and other groups, including the Thai Raksa Chart party, who are loyal to the former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Ubolratana’s candidacy would have pitted her against the Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led the 2014 coup against a proThaksin government.
The princess did not respond directly to her younger brother’s efforts to cancel her bid. However, she thanked her followers on Instagram early on Saturday, and said that she wanted Thailand to “move forward.”