September 17th, 2007, 22:56
Nothing to celebrate one year after the coup
Thailand News.Net
http://www.thailandnews.net/story/282834
Sunday 16th September, 2007 (IANS)
A year ago Wednesday Thailand's military staged a coup toppling former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of corruption, undermining democracy and dividing the nation.
A year later, Thailand is still divided, the military is accused of undermining democracy and Thaksin is living in London far from the reach of Thai law but earning plenty of good publicity at home off his recently purchased Manchester City football club.
The coup-makers and their appointed cabinet arguably have little to crow about.
Thailand's economy is expected to grow 4 percent this year, down from 5 percent in 2006, business and consumer confidence is down and the political outlook is uncertain.
The good news is that the junta seems to be sticking to its promise to return power to the people within this year. A general election is now scheduled for Dec 23.
But there are already some questions about the credibility of the upcoming election thanks to Thailand's rejection of the European Union's 'friendly' offer to send an election observation mission to monitor the polls.
Ostensibly, Thailand's Election Commission refused the EU offer on the grounds that it could not sign a memorandum of understanding with the grouping on terms for the polls monitoring mission, citing the need for legislative approval.
This was a lost opportunity for Thailand to remove any doubts about the outcome of the next polls and set a precedent for future elections.
The results of the referendum held Aug 19 on the junta-sponsored constitution (Thailand's 18th) has given the coup makers good reason to be anxious about the upcoming polls.
Only 57 percent of the voters endorsed the constitution and more worrisome still for Thailand's current leadership some 62 percent of the population in the northeast region rejected the charter.
The northeast, Thailand's poorest and most populous region, was the heartland of Thaksin's political support during his two premierships between 2001 to 2006.
While Thaksin's populist policies may have irked Thailand's Bangkok-based elite and tax-paying middle class, they won him and his Thai Rak Thai Party votes in the country's impoverished and traditionally neglected countryside.
This government has tried hard to eliminate the Thaksin threat.
On May 30 Thailand's Constitution Court dissolved the Thai Rak Thai Party on charges of committing electoral fraud in the April 2006 polls, and barred its 111 executives including Thaksin from politics for the next five years.
This has not stopped a host of new political parties from emerging that are openly pro-Thaksin, if not outright puppets for the absentee billionaire politician.
Samak Sundravej, a close political ally of Thaksin's who is now leader of the newly formed People's Power Party, has announced that he would push for an amnesty for the 111 barred politicians should he gain power after the Dec 23 election.
That is as a good a reason as any for Thailand's junta to try its best to manipulate the upcoming polls.
The worst-case scenario for the junta would be a pro-Thaksin coalition government that pushes through an amnesty for Thaksin, 60, who would then be in a position to a return to power with his cronies within one to two years after a new election.
That would bring Thailand right back to where it was a year ago.
The biggest victim of all this political uncertainly has been the Thai economy, and ultimately the Thai people.
Many foreign businessmen initially welcomed the coup, under the illusion it would usher in a cabinet of savvy technocrats who would use the absence of elected politicians to push through legislation that would further liberalize Thailand's economy and make it more competitive with up-and-coming rivals such as Vietnam.
Instead the military-appointed government has introduced capital controls on foreign funds and mooted amendments to legislation covering foreign business that, if passed, would seriously undermine foreign investments in some sectors.
Now, hopes are high that the next government will undo some of the damage done over the past year.
Nor is the prospect of a Thaksin return necessarily something even the foreign business community is looking forward to.
Thailand News.Net
http://www.thailandnews.net/story/282834
Sunday 16th September, 2007 (IANS)
A year ago Wednesday Thailand's military staged a coup toppling former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of corruption, undermining democracy and dividing the nation.
A year later, Thailand is still divided, the military is accused of undermining democracy and Thaksin is living in London far from the reach of Thai law but earning plenty of good publicity at home off his recently purchased Manchester City football club.
The coup-makers and their appointed cabinet arguably have little to crow about.
Thailand's economy is expected to grow 4 percent this year, down from 5 percent in 2006, business and consumer confidence is down and the political outlook is uncertain.
The good news is that the junta seems to be sticking to its promise to return power to the people within this year. A general election is now scheduled for Dec 23.
But there are already some questions about the credibility of the upcoming election thanks to Thailand's rejection of the European Union's 'friendly' offer to send an election observation mission to monitor the polls.
Ostensibly, Thailand's Election Commission refused the EU offer on the grounds that it could not sign a memorandum of understanding with the grouping on terms for the polls monitoring mission, citing the need for legislative approval.
This was a lost opportunity for Thailand to remove any doubts about the outcome of the next polls and set a precedent for future elections.
The results of the referendum held Aug 19 on the junta-sponsored constitution (Thailand's 18th) has given the coup makers good reason to be anxious about the upcoming polls.
Only 57 percent of the voters endorsed the constitution and more worrisome still for Thailand's current leadership some 62 percent of the population in the northeast region rejected the charter.
The northeast, Thailand's poorest and most populous region, was the heartland of Thaksin's political support during his two premierships between 2001 to 2006.
While Thaksin's populist policies may have irked Thailand's Bangkok-based elite and tax-paying middle class, they won him and his Thai Rak Thai Party votes in the country's impoverished and traditionally neglected countryside.
This government has tried hard to eliminate the Thaksin threat.
On May 30 Thailand's Constitution Court dissolved the Thai Rak Thai Party on charges of committing electoral fraud in the April 2006 polls, and barred its 111 executives including Thaksin from politics for the next five years.
This has not stopped a host of new political parties from emerging that are openly pro-Thaksin, if not outright puppets for the absentee billionaire politician.
Samak Sundravej, a close political ally of Thaksin's who is now leader of the newly formed People's Power Party, has announced that he would push for an amnesty for the 111 barred politicians should he gain power after the Dec 23 election.
That is as a good a reason as any for Thailand's junta to try its best to manipulate the upcoming polls.
The worst-case scenario for the junta would be a pro-Thaksin coalition government that pushes through an amnesty for Thaksin, 60, who would then be in a position to a return to power with his cronies within one to two years after a new election.
That would bring Thailand right back to where it was a year ago.
The biggest victim of all this political uncertainly has been the Thai economy, and ultimately the Thai people.
Many foreign businessmen initially welcomed the coup, under the illusion it would usher in a cabinet of savvy technocrats who would use the absence of elected politicians to push through legislation that would further liberalize Thailand's economy and make it more competitive with up-and-coming rivals such as Vietnam.
Instead the military-appointed government has introduced capital controls on foreign funds and mooted amendments to legislation covering foreign business that, if passed, would seriously undermine foreign investments in some sectors.
Now, hopes are high that the next government will undo some of the damage done over the past year.
Nor is the prospect of a Thaksin return necessarily something even the foreign business community is looking forward to.