Asian Review: As election looms, Thais yearn for stability
Thailand’s Election Commission rejected Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya’s candidacy for next month’s general election on Monday. This is in keeping with the Thai tradition that says the monarchy must remain above politics.
This incident has added another twist to the election the run-up to which has been complicated.
In 2014, Thailand’s military seized control of the country after negotiations with rival political factions failed. Subsequently, then head of the army General Prayuth Chan-o-Cha took over as the Prime Minister. It is expected that the upcoming general election on March 24 would end the more than four-year-old rule of Prayuth’s junta.
However, originally scheduled for February, the election was postponed by one month due to King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s coronation, which led to unrest.
The military government has not done much for economic development, regardless of its contribution to social stability. Thus, the public hopes the election be held as soon as possible so that the junta can hand state power back to the people and the nation’s economy can be developed.
Hence, any news of election delay unsettles Thai people. Fortunately, one month is not too long a wait.
The 67-year-old princess, the eldest daughter of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and sister of the present King, married an American and relinquished her title in 1972. After returning to Thailand in 2001 following her divorce, she resumed royal duties and enjoyed prestige among the Thai people, although her royal title has not yet been restored.
Around 20 military coups have taken place in Thailand since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. The Constitution was also amended in 2017 during the military government’s rule.
In this context, the Thai Raksa Chart party (Thai Save The Nation, or TSN) tried to break the vicious circle in Thailand’s politics by nominating Ubolratana as the prime ministerial candidate. The probability of her winning the election would have been high if she were allowed to contest. Her victory would have brought back political stability to some extent. TSN is linked to former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who enjoys popular appeal in the country. Thaksin carried out several policies that benefited the grass roots and won him their support. Even though he was ousted in 2006, his influence remains strong.
In the upcoming election, I believe pro-Thaksin parties can still have high public approval ratings. But considering the latest military-drafted constitution which gives considerable rights to bureaucrats and military, it is still not known whether a pro-Thaksin politician can be elected prime minister.
Thailand’s political changes mirror those of Southeast Asia, which is a region in transition. Since the beginning of the 21st century, this region has come across political struggle between new capitalistic groups and old bureaucratic factions, as well as political turmoil as a result of the huge gap between the rich and poor.
Indonesia is also going to hold a presidential election in April. These upcoming elections have sent a clear signal that Southeast Asian countries long for political stability and development.
The Thai election can give confidence to other countries in the region. After all, with very few exceptions, the junta can return power to the people through elections.
As for China-Thailand relations, historically, no matter which government came to power after several coups, the direction of bilateral ties has never changed. The cooperation between China and Thailand has become the common aspiration of the two peoples and is in their mutual interest.