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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022651

Thaksin’s youngest daughter to take centre stage when Pheu Thai launches election campaign next week

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 01, 2022

The main opposition Pheu Thai Party will launch its election campaign during its party caucus next Tuesday where the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will speak about her vision for Thailand’s future, Pheu Thai leaders said.

The event was announced at a joint press conference held by Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew, party secretary-general Prasert Chanruangthong and party spokeswoman Teerarat Samretwanich.

The party will hold its caucus from 10am on Tuesday at its head office and will use the opportunity to launch its election campaign, Cholnan said, adding that Pheu Thai – which means “For Thais” – will run under the slogan “Think Big, Act Smart, For All Thais”.

The highlight of the event will be a speech delivered by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, head of Pheu Thai Family Project and chief advisor of the party’s committee on participation and innovation. She is expected to focus on Pheu Thai’s readiness to lead Thailand to a better future.

An election candidate selection committee will be elected in the afternoon, and vacant seats will be filled, Cholnan added.

Paetongtarn, 37, is the youngest daughter of Thaksin, a populist billionaire who was elected prime minister in 2001 when his Thai Rak Thai (“Thais Love Thais”) party swept to power. Thaksin was ousted in a coup in 2006, following intense street protests against him, a deadly war on drugs, and allegations of massive corruption.

He has lived in self-imposed exile since then, but continues to dabble in politics through his female relatives. His sister subsequently served as prime minister before she, too, was ousted in a coup.

Paetongtarn is the top choice for Thailand’s next prime minister in every region of the country except the South and Bangkok, according to opinion surveys. She is also the most popular prime ministerial candidate, a nationwide survey.

Although Pheu Thai has not yet announced that she will be its candidate for prime minister, her rising popularity leaves little doubt it will, observers say.

Cholnan said the Pheu Thai will launch its election campaign at next Tuesday’s caucus after the Constitutional Court ruled the new MPs election bill was legal.

The court ruled Wednesday that the bill did not violate the charter as a group of 105 MPs and senators claimed. The ruling cleared all hurdles for the Election Commission to hold the next election – tentatively scheduled for May 7.

“The party’s caucus will clearly show to the public that if Pheu Thai becomes the coalition leader after the 2023 election by winning a landslide, the party will be able to bring significant changes to the country that will make the future of Thai children better,” Cholnan said.

Armed with its new slogan, “Pheu Thai will fill in its picture for Thailand’s future. The big picture will define how the country needs to be changed,” Cholnan explained.

The Pheu Thai leader said his party will run candidates in every constituency in the country’s 77 provinces.

He urged party supporters to watch the caucus live via its social network platforms.

Paetongtarn has been leading Pheu Thai teams to announce tentative election candidates in several provinces. She has urged party supporters to ensure Pheu Thai wins by a landslide so that it can form a government.

Pheu Thai needs an overwhelming majority to neutralise votes from senators when Parliament elects the next prime minister. Members of the upper chamber, who are appointed, are expected to vote for incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Apart from kicking off its election campaign, and electing new executives, Pue Thai will also amend several of its internal regulations to bring them into line with the new MPs election law, Prasert said.

He said the Pheu Thai would also introduce a series of experts in fields like economics, education and labour who will represent the party and talk to the media on policies relevant to their expertise.

“We are ready to enter election mode and enter the election arena. Our personnel and policies are ready. We’re ready to be the next coalition leader,” Prasert said.

Teerarat said the party’s committees have been working hard to draft the best policy platform for the people. The platform will be announced on Tuesday, he said, urging people to watch the event live.

Related stories:

Thaksin’s daughter top choice for PM in Central Thailand: survey

Thaksin’s daughter top choice for PM in eastern provinces, says survey

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022642

Thai Parliament sees 23rd meeting collapse as opposition MPs stage boycott

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 01, 2022

Yet another meeting of the House of Representatives collapsed on Thursday after failing to achieve a quorum following a boycott by MPs.

Opposition MPs refused to join the debate on a bill for impeachment of local administrative officials, triggering the 23rd collapse of a meeting during this Parliament.
Deliberations on the bill were interrupted last week following a disagreement between ruling coalition and opposition MPs.
On November 23, the House voted 163-75 to support a minority-led committee’s version of a clause in the proposed law.
Government deputy chief whip Chinnaworn Boonyakiat (Democrat Party) then asked for a revote, arguing that some MPs had been confused by a speaker’s question before voting. Opposition MPs disagreed with a revote.

When the meeting resumed at 11am on Thursday, MP Julapun Amornvivat of the opposition Pheu Thai Party said opposition MPs would not register their attendance as they disagreed with a revote.
House Speaker Chuan Leekapai duly adjourned the meeting shortly before noon after it failed to reach the minimum number of MPs required.
The draft bill on impeachment of local administrators has now been tabled four times without success.
This was the 23rd collapse of a meeting since this Parliament convened in May 2019.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022620

Trio appointed to Cabinet as PM prepares for next election

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has added three new members to his Cabinet, including former government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, according to an announcement in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday.

Thanakorn was appointed as a PM’s Office minister, while Sunthorn Parnsaengthong was appointed deputy agriculture minister and Narit Khamnurak was appointed deputy interior minister.

Filling the three vacant Cabinet seats was seen as a crucial move for the coalition parties to begin preparing for the next general election, which is scheduled tentatively for May 7.

As government spokesman, Thanakorn served as one of Prayut’s most loyal supporters and ardent defenders. He has degrees in mass communications, political science and public administration, the last of which is a doctorate from Western University.

Thanakorn won a party-list House seat under the ruling Palang Pracharth Party’s banner in August. He had been on the waiting list since the March 2019 election. He joined the ruling party in November 2018.

Narit will fill the seat left vacant by the Democrat Party’s deputy interior minister Niphon Bunyamanee since September when he resigned. Niphon resigned to defend himself against court charges of malfeasance from the time he was president of the Songkhla provincial administration organization.

Like Thanakorn, Narit has three degrees: a bachelor’s in agriculture, a master’s in social development and a doctorate in public administration. He received his doctorate from Southwestern University. Narit was elected as a Democrat MP for Phatthalung for the first time in 2001 and was re-elected in 2005, 2007 and 2011.

Sunthorn received his Cabinet seat under the quota allotted to the Samut Prakan group of MPs in the ruling coalition. Previously, he served as vice president of the Samut Prakan provincial administration organisation.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022613

Last election hurdle cleared as Constitutional Court endorses MPs election bill

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2022

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the constitutionality of the MPs election bill, clearing the last hurdle before the next general election scheduled for 2023.

The court said that the nine judges viewed the MPs election bill as drafted under the provisions of Section 132 of the Constitution and it has no wordings or provisions that would contradict Section 93 and Section 94 of the Constitution of Thailand.

A group of 105 MPs and senators had signed a petition to ask the court to rule whether Section 25 and 26 of the MPs election bill would violate Section 93 and 94 of the Constitution.

The 105 MPs and senators had alleged that the bill had not properly passed the enactment process as required by the Constitution because it had not been vetted by a parliamentary committee.

They argued that Section 25 would violate Section 93 of the charter because it would cancel the prohibition in Section 93 on the counting of votes in constituencies where by-elections need to be held, as votes for sharing party-list House seats.

They also pointed out that Section 26 would violate Section 94 because it would cancel a requirement in Section 94 for recalculating party-list House seats in a year if some constituency MPs are found to have cheated in the election.

But the court disagreed and ruled the bill was valid constitutionally.

On November 9, the court had announced that it had enough information to issue a ruling on Wednesday.

In the next step, the Constitutional Court will inform the Parliament president of its ruling so that the prime minister can be informed to send the bill for a royal command that will officially enact the bill. The prime minister is scheduled to send the bill for a royal command within 20 days.

The MPs election bill — the version of the Election Commission — will use the divisor of 100, which is the total number of party-list MPs, for calculation of party-list House seats.

Small and micro parties prefer the use of the 500 divisor, which is the total number of House seats, because they would stand a much better chance to be allocated one or two House seats from the party-list election.

Earlier, Rawee Maschamadol, leader and party-list MP of the New Palang Dharma Party, said he and 104 other parliamentarians questioned the validity of the election bill and political party bill because they had not been properly vetted. They also suspect that the two bills would violate the intention of the Constitution that would share party-list House seats on the principle that all votes must be taken into account – even votes for failed candidates.

The two bills were taken up for use after the bills that had been vetted failed to clear the third reading in Parliament within the 180-day deadline due to repeated lack of quorum.

Rawee accused major parties of playing games to cause the lack of quorum in order to sink the vetted bill that would use the 500-divisor for party-list House seat calculation.

On November 23, the Constitutional Court voted unanimously to endorse the constitutionality of the political party bill.

Related story:

Court endorses constitutionality of new political party bill

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022580

Prawit was ‘joking’ about Phalang Pracharath and RTSCP being same parties

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2022

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan’s remark about Phalang Pracharat (PPRP) and Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party (RTSCP) being the same parties was meant in jest, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam clarified on Tuesday.

Appearing in a jovial mood on Monday, Prawit had told reporters that the ruling Phalang Pracharath is virtually the same party as the one Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is poised to join.

“Prawit was kidding,” Wissanu said, adding that political parties cannot dominate others under the law.

When asked if somebody would want to complain about Prawit’s remark, Wissanu said they could file a complaint with the Election Commission.

He said each political party can help form an alliance to set up the government.

“Some parties put a lot of effort into campaigning, but they help each other when forming a government,” he said.

He said Prayut can join the RTSCP without having to resign from his position as PM, as there is no restriction on becoming a political party’s prime minister candidate.

He also vowed to find a way to hold a general election in line with the Constitution.

“It is not weird if the serving prime minister wants to move to a new political party,” he said.

Asked about the impact of the prime minister’s move to avoid dissolution of Parliament, he said the House will be dissolved if it lacked quorum due to resignation of MPs.

Related stories:

• Smiling Prawit says PPRP, Ruam Thai Sang Chart virtually the same party
• ‘Not yet’, says Prayut in answer to leaving PPRP
• Prawit refuses to evaluate his performance as acting PM

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022529

Enough time for cannabis bill readings before House dissolves: Chuan

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

The current House of Representatives still has enough time to deliberate on the second and third readings of the Marijuana and Hemp Bill before its tenure ends in March.

Parliament President Chuan Leekpai said on Monday that the bill is now the second topic on the House’s agenda and can be moved up after a week’s notice.

The marijuana bill, which was engineered by coalition partner Bhumjaithai, was sent back to the House committee that vetted the bill for a review in September.

Bhumjaithai Party cried foul, asking why a coalition partner was trying to undermine its political popularity. The party had promised to legalise marijuana while campaigning for votes ahead of the 2019 general election.

The House voted 198:136 to return the bill to the ad hoc panel for review after the Democrat Party, also a coalition partner, said legalising marijuana would promote its recreational use. Democrat MPs also voiced concern that young people would abuse cannabis as a drug. A similar concern was raised by the Rural Doctors Society.

Chuan, who is also House speaker, was speaking to reporters after meeting with the coalition, opposition and Senate whips to discuss how to make most of the time left before the House dissolves on March 23.

The whips were informed that the House would hold an extra meeting each Friday because several MPs have pending overseas missions later, Chuan said.

The whips agreed to extend weekly meeting hours to 8 or 9pm to avoid having to hold extra meetings to clear the backlog.

The whips have also agreed to first study each case on the agenda to see if the extra Friday meetings are necessary.

Chuan added that both the House and Senate are scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday to deliberate on some issues. If the remaining issues on the agenda are also cleared then another joint meeting will not be necessary, he said.

Chuan said he has also asked Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam to coordinate with the government to ensure that all coalition MPs attend House meetings so there are no quorum issues.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022521

Smiling Prawit says PPRP, Ruam Thai Sang Chart virtually the same party

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan appeared in extraordinary good mood on Monday, quipping to reporters that his ruling Phalang Pracharat (PPRP) is virtually the same party as the party Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is poised to join.

PPRP leader Prawit had been dodging reporters’ questions about Prayut’s political future for the past three weeks amid intense speculation that the PM is about to join the new Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party (RTSCP).

But before leaving Government House on Monday morning, Prawit walked to the podium where government leaders normally talk to the press and smiled at reporters as if inviting them to fire questions.

Reports indicate that Prayut, who was Phalang Pracharat’s sole prime ministerial candidate at the last general election, will join RTSCP and become its PM candidate for the next national poll, tentatively scheduled for May 7, 2023. It is thought that a group of PPRP MPs will also defect with Prayut to the new party.

Prawit, however, appeared in a good mood as he stepped up to the podium.

“Who said I’m upset. I’m not upset. I’m excited every day. You, reporters, are upset yourselves so you say that I’m like you. I can confirm that I’m not upset and not under pressure,” said a smiling Prawit at the impromptu press briefing.

The deputy PM also insisted that PPRP MPs would not be lured away to rival parties.

When asked to comment on speculation that PPRP MPs would join the new party with Prayut, he replied:

“Let them go. We’re the same party. It will be fine.”

Asked by a reporter whether PPRP and RTSCP were political allies, Prawit smiled and said only that: “Gen Prayut and I are brothers. Nothing has gone wrong between us. If he wants to stay with that party, let him. I won’t complain. I have no problem.”

He quickly added: “Living separately does not mean rifts. We have been working together for 40 or 50 years. Why should we have conflicts?

“You ask this question every day, don’t you?” Prawit chuckled.

“People, please be informed that I have no conflicts with Prayut.”

Generals Prawit and Prayut are known as brothers-in-arms, having served together in the military and both risen to the post of Army chief.

Asked whether their different platforms in power had prompted Prayut to join a new party, Prawit replied in a high-pitched voice: “Nooooo! It’s a matter for the prime minister. You must ask him yourselves.”

Prayut has never been a member of the PPRP.

Asked whether the PPRP and RTSCP would ally for the next election battle, Prawit replied: “We won’t join forces to fight but we will mind our business.”

When a reporter asked if PPRP and RTSCP are “brother parties”, the deputy PM confirmed again that they were actually the same.

“We know each other. Actually, it’s the same party,” Prawit replied.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022422

House panel to take up police violence against reporters during Apec Summit

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2022

A media representative on Thursday asked a House committee to investigate police’s use of violence against reporters during a crackdown on protesters last week.

The petition was submitted by Pongpiphat Banchanont, senior editor of The Matter, to Natcha Boonyachai-insawad (Move Forward Party-Bangkok) in his capacity as the chair of the House standing committee on political developments, media, and public inclusion.

The letter called on the House panel to investigate the police crowd-control operation on November 18, the first day of the Apec Summit, near the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

Protesters had gathered a few hundred metres from the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, where the Apec Summit was being held and clashes soon broke out, with riot police shooting rubber bullets into the crowd.

Clips of a monk being pushed against a wall and a policeman reportedly attacking a reporter from the online news site, The Matter, went viral. The reporter was attacked even though he shouted out his credentials and showed his press armband.

After receiving the letter from Pongpiphat, Natcha said it was inappropriate and not right for police to harm reporters.

He said he has initial information that four journalists were injured — a reporter of The Matter, a photographer of Top News, a reporter of Prachathai, and a photographer of Reuters.

Natcha said his House panel would put the issue on its meeting agenda immediately and would discuss it as soon as possible. The House panel would gather evidence and would summon officials concerned to testify, Natcha said.

Pongpiphat said the crackdown on protesters on November 18 was really violent, and prompted many to wonder whether police unjustifiably used violence against reporters.

He said the Thai Journalists Association had earlier discussed with the Metropolitan Police Bureau and the police spokesman about field reporters’ work.

Pongpiphat said when reporters were deployed to cover an event, they were doing their duty just like police personnel.

Pongpiphat noted the Civil Court had ruled in a case that police must take into account the safety of reporters when they use force to disperse protesters.

“But the operation on November 18 harmed several reporters. This prompted us to wonder whether police were obeyed the order of the Civil Court or not,” Pongpiphat said.

He said reporters wondered whether the use of force against the media was not personal behaviour of certain policemen but an order of someone.

He said the media’s letter called on the House panel to:

– Conduct a fact-finding probe why police had used violence to injure many people and reporters.

– Summon the senior official concerned to testify on the operation on November 18, including the National Police chief, the Metropolitan Police chief and head of the operation on that day.

– To demand documents from police regarding the operation on November 18. The documents should state the number of policemen used, policies and orders of the crackdown and details of used tools.

– To demand documents about appointments of fact-finding panels of police in charge of probing incidents that saw people and reporters injured from 2020 until the November 18 incident.

“Our police could do better than this. We would like to see police work with standard and responsibly,” Pongpiphat said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022373

Court endorses constitutionality of new political party bill

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022

The Constitutional Court voted unanimously on Wednesday to endorse the constitutionality of the new political party bill, a crucial step for permitting the next general election.

The nine Constitutional Court judges ruled that the political party bill, one of two organic laws needed for holding general elections, did not contravene the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Earlier, 77 senators asked the court to deliberate whether sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 of the new political party bill would contravene the charter or not.

The senators’ petition was forwarded to the court by the Parliament president on August 29 and the court accepted it for judicial review on September 21.

The sections in question regard membership fees of political parties and how they would select election candidates.

The new bill would reduce the annual membership fee from 100 baht a year to just 20 baht and the life membership fee from 2,000 baht to 200 baht.

The senators who sponsored the petition expressed concern that the lower membership fees would allow business tycoons to dominate parties by hiring people to apply for membership.

The amended bill’s sections in question would also allow people charged in criminal cases, corruption cases, gambling and drug cases, money laundering and human trafficking to be members of parties if they escape imprisonment.

The senators also expressed concern that the new party bill that would allow provincial committees of a party to nominate election candidates would violate the charter. They said the charter requires the people or ordinary party members to nominate candidates based on constituencies instead of provincial committees selecting candidates based on provinces.

The court will formally inform the Parliament president of its decision and the Parliament president will inform the prime minister to send the bill for royal command and enact it.

The political party bill is one of two organic laws for organising general elections. The other bill is the MPs election bill, on which the court will make a decision on November 30.

A group of 105 senators asked the court to consider whether Sections 25 and 26 of the election bill violated the charter or not.

Section 25 would cancel the prohibition in the previous election law on the counting of votes in constituencies, where by-elections need to be held, as votes for sharing party-list House seats.

Section 26 would cancel a requirement in the previous election law for recalculating party-list House seats in a year if some constituency MPs are found to have cheated in the election.

Political observers fear that if the court rules against the election bill, there could be a political vacuum and the next general election might not be held unless the House speeds up passage of a new election bill in time.

So far, the Election Commission has tentatively set May 7, 2023, as the date for the next election.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022365

Prayut says ‘still considering’ whether to join Ruam Thai Sang Chart

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022

Both Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and the leader of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party on Wednesday denied the premier had already joined the new party as a member.

Prayut simply replied that he was “still considering it” when reporters approached and pressured him for confirmation of reports widely circulated on Tuesday.

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, leader of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart, or United Thai National Party, dismissed the reports as fake news.

Reporters asked Prayut for comments on the reports after he chaired the 21st meeting of the Veterans Confederation of Asean Countries at Centara Grand, Central Plaza Ladprao.

Initially, Prayut declined to talk about his political future and the reports about his Ruam Thai Sang Chart membership.

But after reporters were relentless in questioning him about whether he applied for Ruam Thai Sang Chart membership, Prayut shook his head and said “Still considering it”, then abruptly left the hotel in his official sedan.

It was reported on Tuesday that Prayut had joined the new party on Monday.

During the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Prayut told Cabinet members he would continue to work for the people as much as possible before his tenure expires in March next year.

Prayut told the Cabinet he would speak “as less as possible” to avoid creating political conflicts and he would try his best to maintain peace and order in the country.

On Sunday, Prayut met Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) at the office of the Foundation for the Conservation of Forests in Five Adjourning Provinces at the 1st Infantry Regiment in Bangkok.

The meeting led to speculation that Prayut was there to inform Prawit of his decision to join the Ruam Thai Sang Chart and many PPRP MPs would follow him in joining the new party.