No support for Chavalit’s ‘interim govt’
Key politicians pour cold water on idea
Former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh’s idea to set up an “interim government” to solve Thailand’s endless cycle of coups and charter rewriting has garnered a less than positive reception.
The veteran politician yesterday suggested a new type of government as an alternative to an earlier proposal of a national government, saying it could pave the way for fewer political conflicts.
But politicians from the Pheu Thai and Democrat parties poured cold water on the idea, saying there are currently no laws that would enable the birth of an interim government.
Gen Chavalit floated the idea ahead of the fourth anniversary of the coup that toppled the Pheu Thai-led government on May 22, 2014.
“If we use the national government model, we’ll hardly solve the problem,” he said.
The national government idea was proposed by an ex-Democrat leader Bhichai Rattakul last year with the military, which backs the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration, thought to be plotting to prolong its power after next year’s election and key political parties still polarised, though sharing the same demands for democracy.
Under his proposal, the Democrat, Pheu Thai and Bhumijaithai parties would join hands with the military to form a government to move Thailand forward in the short term. Among the first to react to the idea was Gen Prayut who said it was “not the right time” to discuss the issue.
In March this year, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted his party will not team up with its arch-rival the Pheu Thai Party which he said is still influenced by “Thaksinocracy”, a term that refers to the period when Thailand was led by Thaksin Shinawatra, who he blames for conflicts of interest and irregularities in carrying out public policies.
Gen Chavalit was next in line yesterday to voice his opposition to the national government proposal.
“We need an interim government in order to better deal with the long-running Thai political conflict,” he said.
Gen Chavalit was referring to a government formed to solve national problems over a certain period.
Once it finishes its work, a general election can be held, he said.
“The period should last for five or six months.”
The national government model hardly solves the problem because it is made up of various political parties, which can lead to quarrels among politicians, Gen Chavalit said.
Their disputes can escalate to serious political problems, he added, suggesting that the military would eventually stage another coup.
Looking back to 1932 when Thailand first adopted a democratic system, Gen Chavalit said: “Thai society has stayed the same for 86 years,” with its cycle of coups and charter rewriting.
Other countries have had only one or two versions of a constitution, but Thailand last year promulgated its 20th charter, he said.
When looking at the timeline of Thai political development, Gen Chavalit said it is “not quite right to blame the NCPO”, the National Council for Peace and Order, which staged the coup four years ago.
The proposal of an interim government is his latest attempt to help the country solve its political conflicts. In 2016, he said he organised a “Third Force” comprising millions of people who wished to eradicate political colour codes, which represent the deep divisions between pro- and antiThaksin groups.
The founder of the New Aspiration Party was dubbed the “middle ring of a chain” for his attempt to strike a compromise between the military and political groups.
However, his interim government proposal did not impress key political figures.
Wirat Kalayasiri, chief of the Democrat Party’s legal team, called the idea “not sensible”.
“Gen Prayut was empowered by the coup and has worked under the charter, but there are no laws to support such an interim government,” he said.
Former Pheu Thai MP for Ubon Ratchathani Somkhit Chueakhong took a similar view.
“The best solution is an election,” he said, adding that people want to determine their own future, rather than put it in the hands of national or interim governments.