Thread: Thai elections 2011-Thai PM sets stage for tough election

Originally Posted by Buksida

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Thaksin: "Matichon has published the interview today which I gave on May 14 ... thus if the PM would be voted directly I'd chose Yingluck!"
7 minutes ago

Would be interesting to know what Matichon has to say about this.

Has Matichon commented on the claim that the interview was done before Yingluck got the top spot? Very difficult to beleive they'd wait so long before publishing, if it's true very unprofessional of them.

TAN_Network TAN News Network

Yingluck boasts of increasing popularity and counters Abhisit's statement that BKK votes will determine the poll

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255405240004

Pheu Thai: Yingluck real next PM candidate



BANGKOK, 24 May 2011 (NNT) – The Pheu Thai Party has confirmed that its first party-listed MP candidate Yingluck Shinawatra, the youngest sister of ex-Prime Minister Dr Thaksin Shinawatra will be named the next prime minister if the party wins most MP seats.

Pheu Thai Party Deputy Leader Plodprasop Suraswadi dismissed the rumor that Ms Yingluck would not be selected to be the leader of the country following an unclear interview on the matter given by her brother Thaksin.

According to the interview, the ex-prime minister said the next prime minister is not limited to the number one party-listed candidate only if the party gets the majority of the votes in the upcoming general-election. In other words, it can be others apart from his sister.

Mr Plodprasop claimed that the former prime minister gave the mentioned interview before the party executives resolved to place Ms Yingluck for the prime minister candidacy. He said Dr Thaksin’s expression just indicated his care for his sister.

The deputy leader affirmed that the prime minister candidate of the party will be unchanged while Dr Thaksin himself has been giving Ms Yingluck morale after she got supports from the party and had registered with the Election Commission to take part in the election.

Other Bangkok Post updates this morning.

PM says city voters will determine poll
24/05/2011 : The vote in Bangkok will determine the winner of the general election, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva believes.

Chavalit anoints son as heir, won't rejoin New Aspiration,
24/05/2011 : Former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh insisted he would not officially rejoin the New Aspiration Party even though his son will be a party list candidate.

Campaign financing in the spotlight
24/05/2011 : The Anti-Money Laundering Office will ask the Election Commission to disclose suspicious financial transactions in the lead-up to the July3 general election.

Thaksin: Democrats will ‘destroy’ Yingluck if she becomes PM | Asian Correspondent

Thaksin: Democrats will ‘destroy’ Yingluck if she becomes PM

By Bangkok Pundit May 24, 2011 9:00AM UTC

The original is in Thai here. BP has excerpted the first part of The Nation‘s translation which is headlined “Yingluck may not be my PM’s choice: Thaksin”:

Following are excerpts from his interview given to Matichon:

Yingluck is Pheu Thai’s No-1 party-list candidate. So, you have decided to make her the next prime minister?

I am thinking about it. The prime minister does not need to be No-1 party-list candidate. I am thinking about it back and forth. First of all, Thai politicians are bent on destroying rivals. Anyone who becomes the government leader will be destroyed. Both true and untrue stories will be cited to try to destroy the government leader. So, I feel sorry for my sister and she is a woman. She is good at administration and she used to run AIS and run a firm with Bt200 billion worth of assets. But running a firm is different from running a government.

I believe when she becomes the prime minister, she will definitely be destroyed by the Democrat. So, I am worried whether she will be able to tolerate it. … I am confident she can be a very capable prime minister because she has more administration experience more than Abhisit [Vejjajiva, the Democrat leader].

… I am now reviewing as to whether she should become Thailand’s first woman prime minister or not.

If not Yingluck, whom will you select as the next prime minister?

There are several choices in the party. I am pondering the choices of Mingkwan [Saengsuwan], Prach [Promnok], Yongyuth [Wichaidit] and some outsiders. I have approached a few outsiders for the task.

BP: Matichon‘s article clearly states it was published on page 11, Matichon Daily, May 23, 2011 (หน้า 11, มติชนรายวัน ฉบับวันจันทร์ที่ 23 พฤษภาคม 2554) and the introduction to the interview was “Thaksin opens up after becoming aware of the result of Puea Thai getting No. 1 as the number for the party” (พ.ต.ท.ทักษิณเปิดใจหลังทราบผลที่พรรคเพื่อไทยได้หมา ยเลข 1 เป็นหมายเลขประจำพรรค). Of course, Puea Thai received the No. 1 May 19 and had earlier on May 16 nominated Yingluck to be No. 1 on the party list. It appears that Thaksin is making these comments after these events and seeing Yingluck speaking. No date is mentioned, but BP got the impression that interview would have taken place May 20-22 – it has to be since May 19 – so it seemed clear that Thaksin was having second thoughts about Yingluck. This is also the interpretation from The Nation and BP sees that as a perfectly reasonable interpretation from what Matichon published.

However, yesterday evening Thaksin then tweeted “Today, Matichon published an interview with me which I gave on May 14 which was before Puea Thai passed a resolution for Yingluck to be No. 1 on the party list and has caused confusion on who will be the Prime Minister” (วันนี้มติชนลงบทสัมภาษณ์ผมซึ่งให้เมื่อวันท่ี14ก่อน พรรคเพื่อไทยมีมติให้ คุณยิ่งลักษณ์ฯเป็นปาร์ตี่ลิสต์เบอร์ 1ก็เลยเกิดการสับสนว่าใครจะเป็นนายกฯ). Thaksin also tweeted that if Thailand chose a PM directly and I had a vote then I would choose Yingluck to be PM (หากประเทศไทยให้เลือกนายกฯโดยตรงแล้วผมมีสิทธิ์ลงคะ แนนผมจะเลือกคุณยิ่ง ลักษณ์ฯเป็นนายกฯ). He then goes and lists five reasons. This could not be any clearer….

BP: BP was like huh? It is either that Thaksin is lying and the interview was May 19 onwards OR Matichon is deceiving its readers. Having no date would simply be misleading readers into falsely believing it was a more recent interview, but Matichon included the introduction stating that Thaksin opened up after Puea Thai received the No. 1 number for the party which happened on May 19. There is just no way to reconcile what Thaksin says and what Matichon says. Matichon are clearly aware what Thaksin has tweeted because they refer to his tweet stating that he would choose Yingluck to be PM in an article, but make no reference of his tweet just before that stating that the interview was done on May 14.

In addition, checking to see if the Matichon Weekly from May 20-26 that had excerpts of an interview with Thaksin was the same. Matichon Weekly on page 10 had an article that began with the headline “Thaksin clears up the issue on why it must be Yingluck…” (ทักษิณ ชินวัตร ไขปริศนา ทำไมต้อง ยิ่งลักษณ์….). You can view the Matichon Weekly article here (PDF). It refers to Thaksin being in Brunei May 11-14. You can also see that some of the exact some quotes* from the Matichon daily article on May 23 and the Matichon Weekly article on May 20.

BP: The odd thing is you have some of the same quotes in the Matichon Daily and the Matichon Weekly, the focus is different. If one reads the Daily version one comes across with the impression that Thaksin is thinking about someone else other than Yingluck, but if you read the Weekly version, you won’t have those doubts. So will Matichon respond to Thaksin’s tweet that the interview was conducted May 14?

Now, on the separate question on whether Thaksin is having doubts, BP thinks we need to see how Yingluck performs on the campaign. Yingluck is currently the headline news – both major weeklies Nation Weekly and Matichon Weekly – featured her on the cover and her campaign speeches often lead the evening news. BP also thinks she is gaining from low expectations and she has some momentum. Puea Thai haven’t kept her away from the press either and so the various interviews that she has done have created interest.

Then, you have the buzz and energy and with crowds of 10,000+ in different venues together with the newness factor means she is still a hot news story. It, of course, helped that she started campaigning in her home town Chiang Mai, speaking the Northern dialect, and tearing up. It is still hard to say how well she would go throughout the campaign, but then again what else is the media going to cover? Bhum Jai Thai leader Chaovarat speaking?** It is mainly Yingluck and Abhisit. As time goes on, Yingluck will be pressed more and more on policy questions and we will see how she deals with the demands of daily campaigning and interacting with crowds for speeches, but if Yingluck performs well and her popularity rises it will make the choice easier…

*Actually, the Matichon Daily does not appear to be direct quotes. It is not in quotation marks whereas the Matichon Weekly is. There are some minor differences with a few words taken out in Matichon Daily’s version.

**They will cover Chuwit for sure too as he makes for good news…

Bangkok Post : Yingluck confident of winning

Yingluck confident of winning

• Published: 24/05/2011 at 12:05 PM
• Online news: Local News

The Pheu Thai Party is certain to sweep more than one half of the total number of MPs in the House of Representatives in the July 3 election, Yingluck Shinawatra said on Tuesday.

Ms Yingluck, the No 1 candidate on the Pheu Thai party list, said this after leading party candidates to apply to run in all 33 constituencies of Bangkok at the Thailand-Japan Youth Centre at Din Daeng.

The youngest sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said she believed Pheu Thai would clinch more than one half of the total of 500 seats in the House of Representatives, judging from the popular support she saw while visiting many localities in the North, her home region.

Ms Yingluck, however, said she was not sure of Pheu Thai would be able to form a one-party government.

As for Bangkok which was in the past dominated by the Democrat Party, Pheu Thai's arch rival, Ms Yingluck said the party would have to work harder to present its policies to the people.

She said she would try to travel to all regions to help the party campaign, including the South which is known to be the Democrat Party's traditional stronghold.

Asked about the possibility for her to have a debate with Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrat Party leader, Ms Yingluck said she would first try to meet as many people as possible as time for campaigning is running out. She said she would think about the debate later.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Pheu Thai Party's number one party-list MP candidate Yingluck Shinawatra said she could not confirm whether she will be nominated as the prime ministerial candidate if her party wins the election and added the matter should become clear after the poll.

is she resigning already ? unfuckingbelievable, is that even legal ?

This is the way the system works Butters. You know that. The Assembly selects a new PM when the new assembly is seated in Parliament.

I don't think she has any ambition to become PM, she is being the cover girl for the campaign, the real PM has yet to be designated, I suspect Chalerm since he has been strangely onboard over this

as usual, Thaksin is playing twisted and dangerous games and when it blows in his face, he denies everything

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

The Chiang Mai governor said he is not daunted by the threat to sack him that was made by a Pheu Thai party-list MP candidate, insisting he has acted neutrally.

..He did however react with a terrified look when the Party suggested they would move his office to a guest room at the Downtown Inn.

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

This is the way the system works Butters. You know that. The Assembly selects a new PM when the new assembly is seated in Parliament.

you mean like they did with Ahbisit ? I thought he wasn't legitimate

Originally Posted by Butterfly

I don't think she has any ambition to become PM, she is being the cover girl for the campaign, the real PM has yet to be designated, I suspect Chalerm since he has been strangely onboard over this

as usual, Thaksin is playing twisted and dangerous games and when it blows in his face, he denies everything

He certainly likes flying too close to the sun. Taking on the Amart system of corrupt bureaucrats burned his wings last time. Let's see what happens this time.

Originally Posted by Calgary

I understand the crowds at Yingluck events are massive. As usual, severely downplayed by the State Media. If the Oxford Educated and specially anointed personage had a similar response, it would be crowed about by all the media.

Speaking of crowds, check out the media scrum around Yingluck in this pic:




Lockerz.com .:. ThaiElection2011's Photos - Reporters swarm around, Yingluck Shinawatra, Pheu Thai Party's main candidate for prime minister.

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Originally Posted by Calgary

I understand the crowds at Yingluck events are massive. As usual, severely downplayed by the State Media. If the Oxford Educated and specially anointed personage had a similar response, it would be crowed about by all the media.

Speaking of crowds, check out the media scrum around Yingluck in this pic:




Lockerz.com .:. ThaiElection2011's Photos - Reporters swarm around, Yingluck Shinawatra, Pheu Thai Party's main candidate for prime minister.

You can start to sense the worry of the amart-establishment, can't you?

what about having a proxy PM to follow secretly your orders ? surely, that's illegal and at par with an illegal coup ?

I can see the army start to let off a few bombs some time soon... Standard tactic for them over the last 6 or 7 years (60 or 70???)...

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

You can start to sense the worry of the amart-establishment, can't you?

no, but do you also hear voices in your head ? or bells ?

Originally Posted by Butterfly

what about having a proxy PM to follow secretly your orders ? surely, that's illegal and at par with an illegal coup ?

Thailand already has one - his name of Abhisit. Do try to keep up Butters.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Other Bangkok Post updates this morning.

PM says city voters will determine poll
24/05/2011 : The vote in Bangkok will determine the winner of the general election, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva believes.

Bangkok Post : Survey: Yingluck popular in Bangkok

Survey: Yingluck popular in Bangkok

• Published: 24/05/2011 at 11:56 AM
• Online news: Local News

The Pheu Thai Party and their candidate for prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, are the favourites in Bangkok right now, according to the latest poll - but half the city's residents have yet to decide one way or another.

Bangkok Poll surveyed 1,178 respondents in the capital from May 20 to 22.


Pheu Thai Party's candidate for the prime ministership Yingluck Shinawatra

Pheu Thai scored the best in the party-list popularity stakes with 25.8 per cent approval, followed by the Democrat Party with 14.7 per cent and Rak Prathet Thai of former massage parlour tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit trailing at 2.0 per cent.

But just over half of the respondents (52 per cent) said they had yet to make up their mind.

Pheu Thai also had the biggest outright support for candidates running for election in the single-seat constituencies, with 26.3 per cent, followed by the Democrats (15.2 per cent) and Rak Prathet Thai (1.7 per cent). But again, 51.9 per cent were undecided.

Asked who they would like to see as the next prime minister, 26.9 per cent of them said deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's youngest sister Yingluck Shinawatra. 17.4 per cent said Democrat leader and caretaker prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should return as premier, while 3.6 per cent chose Mr Chuwit.

Again, 49.2 per cent were still unsure.

Asked what is the first thing they look for in deciding whether to vote for a candidate, 31.7 per cent said a candidate's was their past achievements, followed by campaign policies (31.2 per cent) and then the party they work for (16.6 per cent).

The pollsters said 66.1 per cent were not convinced that the Election Commission could effectively oversee the July 3 general election and ensure its transparency, but 33.9 per cent had confidence in the EC.

And 92.3 per cent of the polled Bangkokians said they planned to vote, while 3.1 per cent said they would not bother exercise their voting rights and 4.6 per cent said they had yet to decide.


Democrat leader and caretaker prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva

Bangkok Post : Let there be debate so voters can decide for themselves

REFLECTIONS

Let there be debate so voters can decide for themselves

• Published: 24/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

In politics, especially in an election year, timing is crucial. And you have to hand it to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, his timing is perfect. From the time he started giving newspaper interviews two weeks ago until the announcement that his sister, Yingluck, is Pheu Thai's number one candidate on the party list and the party's prime ministerial candidate - the popularity pendulum has swung in favour of the main opposition party.


From clan to tribe: Yingluck Shinawatra, left, sister of fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra, shakes hands with hilltribe villagers during an election campaign at a university in Chiang Rai province on Sunday.

The former PM threw out his reconciliation card urging all, including the red shirts, that despite the hurt and pain suffered in the past, it is time Thais faced one another to move the country forward.

More importantly, Khun Thaksin said there would be "no revenge" against his opponents and political enemies. Clearly, this is an attempt to woo many Thais who have become utterly sick and tired of the coloured politics of red and yellow that has dominated the political landscape for the past 5 years.

At the same time, Khun Thaksin unveiled his trump card - the appointing of his sister Yingluck as Pheu Thai's number one candidate on the party list and prime ministerial candidate. And Khun Yingluck was quick to stress the key message that a key priority of a Pheu Thai-led government would be to let bygones be bygones, with amnesty for all.

Khun Yingluck has probably paid her dues as a businesswoman and has many positive qualities which would assist her in politics. But she is a political novice who, by Khun Thaksin's own admission, is his "clone", although in an interview yesterday she insisted she is not her brother's proxy and can make decisions by herself.

Whether clone, puppet or whatever, this opening gambit is perfect. Khun Yingluck is not just a fresh new face but a woman to boot. The prospect of Thailand getting its first-ever woman prime minister is endearing to many, including Bangkok voters who like things new and whose mood swings are often difficult to predict. For voters upcountry, especially in the North and Northeast, it is the closest they will get to having Khun Thaksin on stage talking to them - apart from the video link chats, of course.

The Democrats were quick to learn that personal attacks would get them nowhere fast and were quick to challenge her to a debate, stressing that the people had a choice - to select a way forward or remain embroiled in the political turmoil that continues to sap the country's potential.

Khun Yingluck and Pheu Thai have said they will not take up this challenge. They know full well that their number one candidate is no match in a head-to-head debate with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is considered, even among the ranks of Pheu Thai leaders, as the best debater in parliament.

So at this stage the party will continue to ride the popularity pendulum that has swung in its favour by stage managing, for a long as possible, what Khun Yingluck says, how she says it and when she says it.

They will, over time, provide more details - as they must. And, judging by the way they managed a series of interviews Khun Yingluck gave to various newspapers yesterday at the party headquarters on New Phetchaburi Road, this is exactly what is happening.

For example, on reconciliation, Khun Yingluck explained that under a Pheu Thai-led government a panel would be set up to help move the country forward in which all stakeholders - yellows, reds and all political parties - will be invited to join. This panel will review events after the coup of Sept 19, 2006 to determine whether regulations and circumstances after the coup were based on the rule of law. If it finds any regulations not in compliance with the rule of law, the panel will find a solution.

What is interesting is that she now says that reconciliation and amnesty are not her priorities. "Household economic problems are a priority for me," she said, adding that Pheu Thai would increase the minimum wage to 300 baht a day; guarantee starting salaries for new graduates with bachelor's degrees at 15,000 baht a month and compensate companies which help adopt Pheu Thai policies by reducing corporate tax to 23% from 30% in the first year and to 20% in the second year.

If politics is not the priority and the economy and household issues are key as far as Khun Yingluck is concerned, then the people of this country deserve to listen to the details directly from those who propose themselves to lead this country. I don't buy the argument that a public debate is not the norm in Thai politics or that debates would provoke or result in mud-slinging. Public debates can be managed as long as the rules of engagement are agreed upon and made known to the public.

All parties must agree, for instance, to which individual or individuals, would act as moderators. Agreements must be made that those involved would refrain from personal attacks, otherwise they would simply be cut off by the moderator. An agreement can be reached for the debate to focus on economic policies or other issues and that a specific amount of time be allotted for presentation and rebuttal.

It is about time that the Thai political system adopted the process of the US presidential debates as the norm during a general election. These debates will allow the public to to hear and compare for themselves the views of those who propose to lead them ,so they can make a better and more informed decision come election day.

Even though Khun Yingluck is at a disadvantage in a debate against Khun Abhisit as far as experience is concerned, I am not sure it will be that easy for the prime minister as well. He cannot be too aggressive or arrogant. And certainly as far as experience in business is concerned, I dare say that she has a distinct advantage as she probably has a better understanding of how businessmen think and work.It may be wishful thinking on my part and Khun Yingluck's political advisers may have many reasons why she should not agree to take up such a challenge. But I say why not?

Why not break the mould or political taboo and have a debate, and let the people decide?

Originally Posted by Calgary

I understand the crowds at Yingluck events are massive.

Taken on Sunday (therefore presumably Chiang Mai or vicinity) - so no great surprise at the welcome and numbers here.


These pics and many more at PT's Facebook Album pages Facebook

those peasants are really desperate for a leader, quite sad

Originally Posted by Butterfly

what about having a proxy PM to follow secretly your orders ? surely, that's illegal and at par with an illegal coup ?

The last time Thailand had a proper Prime Minister was 2006. The rest have been puppets.

Bangkok Post : B10bn 'disappears' ahead of the polls

B10bn 'disappears' ahead of the polls

• Published: 24/05/2011 at 01:37 PM
• Online news:

About 10 billion baht in cash has disappeared from circulation ahead of the July 3 general election, Sorasit Suntornkes, an assistant governor at the Bank of Thailand, said on Tuesday afternoon.

“About 10 billion baht cash in total was withdrawn from various banks in nearly all regions of the country, but it was not spent in the system.

"The cause of the money's disappearance is being checked,” Mr Sorasit said.

He added that it was suspected the money was being held to buy illegal drugs by drug rings or, possibly, for vote buying by politicians in the coming election.