Prayut pledges to reveal political ambitions
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has reaffirmed that he will announce a decision about whether he will re-enter the political fray next month.
The prime minister was speaking after reporters reminded him of the remarks he made in an interview with Bloomberg during his visit to London in June that he would make his political future clear in September.
“The time has not come yet ... I haven’t forgot what I said. When the time comes, I’ll let you know ... I don’t know whether I’ll go or stay on. I have to look at the law and the constitution. I have to consider what I should stay on for,’’ he said.
Gen Prayut also said he would have to consider which party he would join. “If I decide to join a party and the people do not vote for it, how can I come back? I have my own criteria. I’ll let you know in September,” he said.
Speculation is rife that several MPs, particularly from the Pheu Thai Party, are being courted to join the Phalang Pracharat Party, which is seen as a potential vehicle to support Gen Prayut to return as premier after the general election tentatively slated for February 2019.
Asked about suspected efforts of the Sam Mitr Group (Three Allies) to poach politicians from other parties, Gen Prayut said that he did not know which party the group is affiliated with and that the government is keeping a close watch on its activities.
The Sam Mitr group claimed it was travelling to the provinces in the Northeast to hear local people’s grievances and demands so they could be relayed to the government, though critics saw the trip as a move to gain advantage over other political groups that are restricted from engaging in political activities. The group is known to be close to Phalang Pracharat, which backs Gen Prayut’s return after the poll.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon yesterday declined to comment on the Sam Mitr group’s claim that it was given the green light by 2nd Army chief Lt Gen Tharakorn Thamwinthorn to engage in so-called political activities during its engagements in the Northeast.
Chusak Sirinil, head of Pheu Thai’s legal team, yesterday accused the regime of applying double standards by favouring the Sam Mitr group while keeping a tight rein on other political parties.
“The regime claims there is nothing wrong with the group’s activities because it is not a political party, but it is undeniable that members of the group are politicians and their trips were actually an attempt to recruit politicians to run in the polls,” Mr Chusak said.
“Their activities are 100% political. In each trip, they gathered for a media briefing and there were more than five people at each one,’’ Mr Chusak said, adding that such gatherings breached the regime’s ban on political gatherings of five people and more.
The application of “double standards” by the powers-thatbe against those from opposing political sides has been pointed out as one of the root causes of Thailand’s political conflict for over a decade.
Since the current military regime, which staged the 2014 coup, and its government have pledged and made efforts to “foster reconciliation and political reform”, they should also have refrained from applying any double standards. But their recent action, or inaction, towards a political group, in this case the Sam Mitr (Three Allies) political group, is making many wonder if double standards have come into play.
In the past decade, the red shirts and pro-Thaksin Shinawatra camp claim they have been treated unfairly by several rulings by state agencies ranging from independent organisations to the Election Commission and the judiciary. The application of double standards is a core problem, they say, which has resulted in political conflicts and social divisions.
No matter whether the claim is true, “double standards” are bitter pills for those in Thai politics to swallow. Applying them is thus the first thing that should be on the not-to-do list of the military regime if it really wants to forge reconciliation.
In recent weeks, there have been growing concerns over double standards making a return to Thai politics following the regime’s silence regarding the moves being made by the Sam Mitr group.
The group is led by veteran politicians Somsak Thepsuthin and Suriya Jungrungreangkij. A third name has been touted but not confirmed as a possible leadership figure in the form of Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
The group has clearly thrown its support behind Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha making a comeback as an outsider prime minister, an arrangement made possible by the current constitution, after the general election planned for early next year.
Despite denying its support for Gen Prayut, the group is seen as an agent of the pro-military Phalang Pracharat Party, reportedly designed as a vehicle to secure Gen Prayut’s return to power. The group is apparently trying to convince former MPs in several provinces to defect from their parties and either join it or Phalang Pracharat.
Sam Mitr appears to be carrying out political activities as it has held meetings with a number of local politicians even though the National Council for Peace and Other (NCPO) has long issued a ban on such political activities.
This is where the regime is criticised for applying double standards. While it refuses to lift the political ban against other political groups and parties, the government allows Sam Mitr to proceed unhindered.
Previously, the Election Commission warned the group not to violate the election laws after former members of the Pheu Thai Party filed a complaint over Sam Mitr’s dubious activities.
Sam Mitr has even been accused of paying former MPs to defect to Phalang Pracharat.
EC president Supachai Somcharoen said the commission has monitored the movements of the Sam Mitr group and would determine whether its activities constitute a violation of the Political Party Act.
The act forbids any political parties or individuals from promising anything in exchange for having other people sign up as members of a political group.
But so far, the group has continued its activities while insisting that it has done nothing wrong.
Sam Mitr spokesperson Thanakorn Wang boonkhongc han a said the several trips it has made to the provinces were organised following requests by local leaders and politicians. They wanted the group to learn about the problems faced by local residents in their regions and then convey these to the government, the spokesman said.
The group also claims it does not hold political party status and thus it is not regulated under the Political Party Act.
In addition, the group’s legal adviser, Don Ngamthura, said its actions have not violated the NCPO’s political ban. He remarked that 2nd Army chief Lt Gen Tharakorn Thamwintorn said it was usual for local politicians in the Northeast to attend meetings as long as their activities did not stir unrest.
If the NCPO is convinced by such reasoning, then the concerns of a “double standard” being applied in favour of this group are grounded.
In March, when political young blood Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit floated his plan to organise a meeting over coffee with political enthusiasts, NCPO spokesman Col Winthai Suvaree issued him a warning that this could constitute a violation of the ban.
He said this despite the fact that, at the time, Mr Thanathorn’s Future Forward group was not registered formally as a political party and had not carried out any activities.
In contrast, Sam Mitr has held meetings with local politicians several times without being issued such a warning. Even though it remains unclear whether the group plans to establish a political party, its political goal is obvious: It is here to support the regime.
But the NCPO remains tightlipped on its movements. Several parties have lost their patience and criticised the regime’s inaction.
Gen Prayut finally addressed the issue yesterday. He said the government has tried not to impose a total ban on political speech and action, and that Sam Mitr is not the only political group that has held meetings with people in the provinces.
The NCPO, as the ruling power, is expected to be transformed from being a referee in such political conflicts to being a key player in the political end-game.
But its goal of securing national reconciliation will be derailed if it fails to ensure fairness for all stakeholders, even at this stage.
The goal of securing national reconciliation will be derailed if it fails to ensure fairness for all.