Young Turks face competition
Even the old dinosaur parties realise times are changing, writes Aekarach Sattaburuth
An image of a young businessman Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit announcing his plan to lead the Anakhot Mai Party to an election victory has wakened hope for a shakeup of politics driven by so-called young bloods.
The 39-year-old co-founder of Anakhot Mai, or Future Forward Party, wants to make his party accessible by the public and able to put the ideas of “regular people” into practice.
However, Anakhot Mai is not alone in branding itself as a Young Turk party because other competitors, which have been in the political sphere for over a decade, have troops of young politicians who also see a need to devise new policies to suit the digital age, which is rapidly changing society.
Mr Thanathorn’s political camp, registered with the Election Commission along with 60 or so new parties last Thursday, has to pit their avant-garde ideas against those to be launched by young, heavyweight members of established parties such as the Pheu Thai and Chatthaipattana parties in the 2019 election.
These politicians are trying to keep up with social trends, largely driven by a wider access to information on the internet.
As executive vice-president of the Thai Summit Group, one the country’s leading auto part makers, Mr Thanakorn is accustomed to top-down decision making. Despite this, he says his political approach will be different, as he wants the people to be at the centre of Anakhot Mai.
He wants Anakhot Mai to be known as the new power of the people.
“It will be a party of people who want to see changes in democracy,” said Mr Thanathorn, who is also the founder of anti-establishment magazine Fa Diew Kan, or Same Sky.
Even in his party’s stance against the prospect of selecting a so-called outsider prime minister if the Lower House and the Senate fail to vote for a PM nominated by the parties, Anakhot Mai welcome input from the people.
The party plans to raise funds from people to prevent too many businessmen influencing its direction. Party members are also invited to take part in every step of its political affairs ranging from selecting candidates to drafting party policies.
Even the debut of the 25 co-founders of the party on March 15 reflected strong links with people.
Anukun Saiphet, dubbed a “digital farmer,” is helping fellow farmers improve their standard of living via the internet and smart phones. He believes digital technologies can secure agricultural careers.
The 27-year-old Surin resident has encouraged rice farmers to try the Folkrice application as a new channel to sell their organic produce, believing this internetbased platform will improve access to their products by urban customers and health lovers.
His colleague and party’s co-founder Alisa Bindisa, a law student of Prince of Songkhla University, is a human rights advocate.
She helped protect the rights of villagers against possible adverse impacts from a lignite coal mine project in Lampang and a controversial state coal-fired power plant project in Songkhla’s Thepha district.
The young bloods of other parties share similar ideas when they talk about the people.
Pheu Thai member Chayika Wongnaphachan is aware of changes in the way people get information through online media channels, particularly social networking. Voters know more about what is going on and should be given more space to help shape policies, she said.
But despite her acknowledgment of the power of technology, the 39-yearold mother also supports the idea of designing a new school curriculum based on the “humanity of man” rather than over-emphasising robots and artificial intelligence.
She is a member of Pheu Thai’s new generation where age is not the defining factor of membership. According to former Pheu Thai MP for Bangkok Surachat Thienthong, even senior party members can be regarded as “new generation” members as long as they have stances similar to the so-called young Turks.
The 38-year-old politician said he agrees with the need to bring back voters into the party fold who may have lost faith in the “old faces” of Thai politics.
Key Chartthaipattana Party figure Varawut Silpa-archa said his party is also planning to offer new things to a rapidly changing society.
“This mission strengthens Chartthaipattna,” the 44-year-old said, believing experience of senior party members are still necessary as the party tailors new policies for people.
Such policies need time, Mr Varawut said, but one thing he wants to see in the end is a picture of politicians “people can trust again.”
It is not just a push for closer connections with people that unites these politicians. The other similarity they share is their link with those old faces, the country’s veteran politicians, mostly through family bloodlines.
Mr Varawut, former deputy transport minister, is son of the late Chartthaipattana leader Banharn Silpa-archa and is tipped to succeed his father.
Mr Surachat is son of former deputy interior minister Sanoh Thenthong.
Ms Chayika is a niece of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra while Mr Thanathorn is a nephew of former transport minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, who also had connections with Thaksin while working in the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party. All express the will to achieve a breakthrough into new, if not avant-garde, politics.
Thammasat law lecturer and Nitirat group leader Worachet Pakeerut has distanced himself from a group of “young blood” aspirants seeking to form a new political party.
Speaking at the launch of his new book titled History of Ideas of the Philosophy of Law at Thammasat University, Tha Phrachan campus yesterday, Mr Worachet denied he was behind the move to set up the Anakhot Mai Party or Future Forward Party.
“I am not behind any political parties,” he said. The Nitirat group which comprises legal scholars has nothing to do with any parties, Mr Worachet said.
A group of “young blood” politicians led by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the scion of Thailand’s biggest auto parts group, has launched a new party offering itself as an alternative catering to younger voters.
The 39-year-old executive vice-president of the Thai Summit Group applied to register the party at the Office of the Election Commission last Thursday.
His co-founder i s 38-yearold Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, a former law lecturer at Thammasat University and noted member of the Nitirat group, whose members include progressive legal specialists.
A former student of Mr Worachet, Mr Piyabutr resigned as a Thammasat lecturer to join the new party.
Mr Worachet said he still maintains teacher-student relations with Mr Piyabutr, and it has nothing to do with politics.
“I see passion in him. He is eager to change the political landscape and blaze a new path. I want him to be independent and be himself with ideas for change,” Mr Worachet said.
“I don’t have the right to oppose him, but have to respect his decision,” Mr Worachet said, referring to Mr Piyabutr.
Mr Piyabutr earlier said he would press ahead with the proposed amendment to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, if he had a chance to do so in his new political role.
Mr Worachet said that since Mr Piyabutr has now taken on a political role, he no longer belongs to the Nitirat group.
The Future Forward Party would make up its own mind about whether to back a change to Section 112 as part of its policy for the upcoming election, he said.