Thread: Yingluck Cabinet - 'No reds in new Cabinet'

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

voiced opposition

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

they agree

who writes this shit

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, but here is one of several that seems appropriate.....

Bangkok Post : Suthep makes grim prediction

Suthep makes grim prediction

• Published: 6/07/2011 at 12:58 PM
• Online news: Politics

Once the red-shirts have control of more than half of the country the form of administration will be changed, outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban warned on Wednesday.

Mr Suthep made this comment when asked what the Democrat Party would do to win the hearts of the people in the Northeast, because without support from this region the party would always face a problem intryingto form a government.

He said said the party would have to look for outstanding people from a new generation, people who share the same ideology as the Democrat Party, to build up a support base in the region.

Asked how long this would likely take tobuild a support base to equal Pheu Thai's backing, Mr Suthep said it would take many years to achieve that objective.


Democrat secretary-general and outgoing Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban

"In fact, the work (to gain support) began when the Centre for National Security (CNS) came to power. The work was carried out with full effort, and the result we can see now.

"But if they (the red-shirts) are able to take control of more than one half of the country, the form of administration will be changed.

"Let's wait and see what the lives of our children will be like," the Democrat secretary-general said.

Asked what he meant by "a change of administration" and whether he was afraid of being sued for making a false accusation, Mr Suthep said:

"I am not afraid of that. We will eventually see what I have said. Remember what we have talked about. This is a reminder to the people who own this country, to know what will happen in the future.

"But it would be all right if the people accept it voluntarily."

On a report that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra might be made the country's special trade envoy, he said if this was true it would not look good, since Thaksin is still a fugitive on the run abroad.

He expected Thai-Cambodian relations to improve because Pheu Thai and the Hun Sen government were friends, but whether the Thai people would benefit from this remained to be seen, Mr Suthep added.

Mr Suthep declined to comment on media speculation about who might be on the next cabinet.

He said the Democrat Party would be in the opposition, but it would act within the scope of the law, unlike the Pheu Thai Party which had set up armed elements and organised people to harass the govoernment, Mr Suthep said.

Mr Suthep said Abhisit Vejjajiva is still the most suitable person to lead the Democrat Party, but he was determined not to take the post of party secretary-general again.

After the war, begins battle for the spoils

BURNING ISSUE

After the war, begins battle for the spoils

By Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation
Published on July 7, 2011

A cabinet portfolio is something like a piece of cake. Many people fighting for power want to have their slice. The situation in the Pheu Thai Party is not an exception as all politicians who claimed to have fought for this victory want to get their share of the rewards.

Many people have their eyes on grade A ministries such as Interior, Finance, Justice, Transportation, Commerce and Agriculture. Some also hope to get the top job in Parliament as House speaker.The struggle to regain power over the past years has been tough and hard for Pheu Thai and former prime minister Thaksin Shinwatra, the de-facto leader of the party, owes many people a lot for their assistance. In the days of struggle, he promised to reward them, and now the time has come to honour his word. Pheu Thai's candidates on the party list and in the constituencies reflected his willingness to consider them. He promised to give a position in the Cabinet to those who could not be fielded as MP candidates.

Many key men who are in the lower party list and have no chance to be an MP such as Sumet Phomanee, Pichai Naripthaphan, Wallop Suriyasin, Pallop Pinmanee and Torphong Chaiyasan are persons for whom Thaksin has to find something.

However, those people have a problem among themselves: Pallop claimed his share by seeking the defence minister's job while Thaksin reportedly prefers his former classmate Sumet or former supreme commander Mongkon Ampornpisit.

The red-shirt leaders also want some reward for their labours in the bloody struggle against the Abhisit Vejjajiva government. The group has demanded positions in the Cabinet for its heroes such as Natthawut Saikua and Jatuporn Promphan. At least one of them should take the position as a minister at the Prime Minister's Office, they said.

However, many in the red group disagreed with the idea, saying none of them should take up any positions. Freedom-fighters should never be the same persons as those who run the country, they said.

Many people are eyeing the position of House speaker. Among contenders are former deputy House speakers Apiwan Wiriyachai and Somsak Kiatsuranond. Former Opposition whip Witthaya Buranasiri also hoped to get the position but some floated the news that Thaksin wants outspoken Chalerm Yoobamrung to take the job. But it is unlikely Chalerm would want to be the House speaker as he prefers the position of Justice minister.

Sudarat Keyuraphan, a leader of the Bangkok group in Pheu Thai and former deputy leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, also wants her camp to have some position in the Cabinet. Like many others, Sudarat is serving out a ban from politics but retains her support to many politicians in the party. She wants Anudit Nakhontap to take a position in the Ministry of Social Security, Public Health or at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Interior Ministry is also a favourite choice for many politicians. Many people in the party have the potential to take the position such as former police chief Pracha Promnok, former central investigative commander Chat Kunnadilok, as well as former permanent secretary of the ministry Yongyut Wichaidit, who is also the leader of Pheu Thai.

Snoh Thienthong wants the Agriculture Ministry for his group although the position was supposed to be allocated to a coalition partner such as Chart Thai Pattana, while the names of Sakda Kongpet, and Suphon Phong-ngam from the Northeastern region have also been floated.

As far as the economic ministries are concerned, prominent economists Olarn Chaiprawat and Supawut Saichua are tipped as deputy prime minister and finance minister respectively.

Deputy leader of the Pheu Thai Prodprasob Surassawadee might take the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Thaksin's close associate Niwatthamrong Boonshongpaisarn is widely tipped to be the Prime Minister's Secretary or minister at the PM's Office.

At the end of the day, it is only Thaksin who will have the final say on who should get what.

Critics of red shirts targeting Pheu Thai : Thida

Critics of red shirts targeting Pheu Thai : Thida

By PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK,
OHARN LERTRATTANADAMRONGKUL
The Nation
Published on July 7, 2011

Those criticising the elected red-shirt leaders and insisting that they are not supposed to hold Cabinet seats are actually out to subvert the Pheu Thai Party, Thida Tavornset Tojirakarn, acting chairwoman of the red-shirt Demcratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, said yesterday.

However, that comment was her personal view and not made in her capacity as chairwoman of the movement, which takes no position on the matter and would allow Pheu Thai to decide the issue, she told The NationThida, whose husband Weng is a Pheu Thai party-list MP-elect, warned that those doubting the suitability of elected red-shirt leaders harboured ill intentions towards the ruling Pheu Thai Party, as the red-shirt movement is one of the two "legs" of the party.

"I must say that [those critics] are very afraid of the red shirts and have concluded that Pheu Thai won due to red-shirt support. So they want to destroy Pheu Thai by undermining the red shirts. Some [red shirts] have already been jailed without evidence. If the Pheu Thai Party people listen [to such criticism], then it's up to their intelligence. The way to undermine Pheu Thai is to undermine the reds," she said on the phone.

Thida also warned that if none of the red-shirt leaders is awarded a Cabinet post, it might sow discontent among the red shirts and their rural leaders.

Such anti-red views look like those of the Democrat Party's acting secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban and reflect unwillingness of these people to accept defeat at the polls, she said.

"They find words to accuse us, like saying we want to change the [political] system."

Incoming MP Snoh Thienthong opposed a move to award the red-shirt leaders with Cabinet seats.

"I have talked to senior figures in the red-shirt movement and they agree not push for ministerial appointments," he said.

Thida's formal announcement as head of the movement was cryptic and could be construed as a warning to the politicians inside Pheu Thai who are jockeying for positions.

However, Thida said the movement "does not support any particular political party" and would scrutinise the next government.

The DAAD also urged Pheu Thai to quickly form the new government and urgently address the needs and plight of the people. The movement also wants to see the junta-sponsored Constitution amended. They called for proper healing and support of all victims of the political violence and military crackdown on red-shirt protesters.

Thida said the red-shirt movement has matured and that led to many extra people exercising their voting right in the July 3 election.

The movement wanted laws to be applied equally on all people charged, whether red shirts, yellow shirts or those in the government camp, regarding last year's protest which turned deadly, as well as other conflicts.

It will also push for the removal of Tharit Pengdit as director-general of the Department of Special Investigation for his alleged bias in his work.

The red-shirt movement will stage a "Concert for Democracy" on July 17 at Lumpini Park and vows to further advance democracy in Thailand. This will be followed by more such concerts throughout the country.

^ Looks like the Reds could turn against PT, like the PAD turned against the Dems?

Thai PM-elect must keep Red Shirt base happy - The Globe and Mail



Thai PM-elect must keep Red Shirt base happy

mark mackinnon

BANGKOK— From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Published Wednesday, Jul. 06, 2011 6:00AM EDT
Last updated Wednesday, Jul. 06, 2011 7:27AM EDT

Days after Thailand voted for wholesale change in the form of a government led by the country’s first female leader, Yingluck Shinawatra, cracks are showing in the coalition that swept her to office – and the country’s powerful army has not formally recognized her party’s win.

In her first Western newspaper interview since Sunday’s vote, Ms. Yingluck told The Globe and Mail that General Prayuth Chan-Ocha, the head of the Thai army, has yet to call and congratulate her on Sunday’s landslide victory.

“No. No, not yet. I haven’t heard anything from him,” she said. “I have only heard from [Thai media] interviews that he will accept the people’s vote.”

While Ms. Yingluck’s Pheu Thai party and its coalition allies secured nearly 60 per cent of the seats in the lower house of parliament, it remains to be seen whether the 44-year-old businesswoman and political neophyte can appease the demands of her allies, the hard-line Red Shirts, without angering the country’s conservative military and its supporters in the monarchy and elsewhere.

The army has staged 18 coups in the past seven decades – most recently in 2006, when a coup ousted her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra – but Ms. Yingluck dismissed the prospect of another “because I don’t think it will happen again.”

Diplomats based in Bangkok believe the army will stay in its barracks for now. But no one is certain how it will react if Pheu Thai pushes ahead with provocative proposals such as reopening the constitution or pushing for an amnesty that would allow Mr. Thaksin to return to Thailand.

The leader of the leftist Red Shirt movement, which entered into an electoral alliance with the Pheu Thai party and ran candidates under its banner, said in an interview that the support of the Red Shirts was conditional on the new government sticking to an agreed platform. The agreements include rewriting of the 2007 constitution that was drafted while the country was under military rule, as well as a promise to seek “justice” for those who ordered a deadly crackdown on Red Shirt protests in the centre of Bangkok last year.

“The expectations, of course, are so high. We have to tell people what is the plan,” Ms. Yingluck said shortly after leaving a belated July 4 celebration hosted by the U.S. ambassador to Bangkok, to which Gen. Prayuth sent a basket of flowers. “I believe the people are patient … and the people [will] at least give me a chance to prove my ability to help the Thai people.”

In his only public remarks since the vote, Gen. Prayuth said Monday that the army's duty is to protect the nation, its Buddhist religion and the monarchy, but made no mention of the election results. Mr. Thaksin – as well as senior Red Shirt leaders – have been accused of seeking to overthrow the monarchy and to turn Thailand into a presidential republic, a charge Mr. Thaksin vehemently denies.

Ms. Yingluck sought to dispel the notion that she is little more than a proxy for her brother, Mr. Thaksin, who is at once the country’s most loved and loathed person. The first and only Thai prime minister to serve an entire term in office, he was re-elected in a 2005 landslide only to be ousted a year later by the military. He was later charged and convicted in absentia of corruption and abuse of power.

Ms. Yingluck said that while she has “learned” from her brother, she intended to be her own Prime Minister. “I am capable enough to make my own decisions,” she said.

She said she would open public hearings on the constitution, hoping to measure its public support. The 2007 document gives additional powers to the judiciary – which shares the army leadership’s traditionalist, pro-monarchy bent – and made it easier to impeach a sitting prime minister. In addition, nearly half the seats in the country’s Senate are now appointed, rather than elected.

“The constitution, we will ask which version the people want. We have to do public hearings for this issue,” she said. “[But] we don’t need to discuss this at the beginning. The first priority for me is solving economic problems.”

The first issue she needed to deal with is fast-rising food prices, Ms. Yingluck said. Her party has prepared a stimulus package that will see the minimum wage boosted, minimum prices guaranteed to rice farmers, and the corporate-tax rate cut to 23 per cent from 30 per cent.

The most pressing concern after that may be keeping her Red Shirt base happy. The movement’s leader, Thida Thavornseth, expressed frustration that neither reopening the constitution, nor a promise to prosecute those responsible for last year’s military crackdown on the Red Shirt protests, were included in a seven-point priority list released by Ms. Yingluck after her party’s win.

Ms. Thida said the Red Shirts – who brought massive crowds into the streets of Bangkok last year in an ill-fated effort to topple the outgoing government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva – “will not protect Pheu Thai” unless the pre-election agreement was honoured.

“We refuse to have a network of aristocrats. The most important thing is the equality of the people,” Ms. Thida, who fought as a communist guerrilla in the 1970s, said.

The Nation, a Bangkok-based English-language newspaper, also reported that no Red Shirts would be named to Ms. Yingluck’s new cabinet.

The Red Shirt leadership – who held a heated meeting Tuesday at their headquarters in a working-class neighbourhood of Bangkok – indicated they were not interested in a rumoured amnesty deal that would allow Mr. Thaksin to return home from exile. They worry that it may be part of a pact that would clear Mr. Abhisit and military leaders of responsibility for last year’s crackdown, which left 91 people dead, the majority of them Red Shirts.

“Thaksin, or Abhisit Vejjajiva, or the army, they should go before the courts. I would not accept amnesty,” Ms. Thida said. “Without justice, you cannot find reconciliation. What does justice mean? Everyone should have the same standard.”

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

The Red Shirt leadership – who held a heated meeting Tuesday at their headquarters in a working-class neighbourhood of Bangkok – indicated they were not interested in a rumoured amnesty deal that would allow Mr. Thaksin to return home from exile. They worry that it may be part of a pact that would clear Mr. Abhisit and military leaders of responsibility for last year’s crackdown, which left 91 people dead, the majority of them Red Shirts. “Thaksin, or Abhisit Vejjajiva, or the army, they should go before the courts. I would not accept amnesty,” Ms. Thida said. “Without justice, you cannot find reconciliation. What does justice mean? Everyone should have the same standard.”

Way to go. Keep on pushing for that.

Rift erupts in the red-shirt movement

Rift erupts in the red-shirt movement

Published on July 7, 2011

The red-shrit movement appears split following the general election and a hardline faction has demanded for chairwoman Thida Thaworseth to step down, Thai Rath online reported on Thursday.

The rift came to light at a meeting on Wednesday when Thida scheduled to talk to key figures before holding a press conference on the movement's post-election stand.

Hardline figures, such as Prasaeng Mongkolsiri, Suporn Atthawong, Wisa Kanthap and Wipoj Apornrat, refused to meet Thida. Instead they designated Chinnawat Haboonpad as their representative.

The Nation

Cabinet doors still open: Yingluck

Cabinet doors still open: Yingluck

Published on July 7, 2011

Designate Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra reaffirmed on Thursday she would pick her ministers based on their track records and professional qualifications.

Yingluck was reacting to remarks made by Pheu Thai's Snoh Thienthong who opposed the allocation of Cabinet seats to the red shirts.

The Nation

-----
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/poli...n-be-ministers

Yingluck: Reds can be ministers

• Published: 7/07/2011 at 11:16 AM
• Online news:

The selection of cabinet members will be based on their knowledge and competence and is not closed to leaders of the red-shirt movement if they are qualified, prime minister-in-waiting Yingluck Shinawatra said on Thursday.

Ms Yingluck was responding to comments by Sanoh Thienthong, a Pheu Thai Party list MP-elect, that the appointment of co-leaders of the United front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to the cabinet could aggravate social divisions.

“Pheu Thai will consider people who have ability to do the job and implemen the party’s plans and policies,” she said.

<snipped. goes off topic>

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

“Thaksin, or Abhisit Vejjajiva, or the army, they should go before the courts. I would not accept amnesty,” Ms. Thida said. “Without justice, you cannot find reconciliation. What does justice mean? Everyone should have the same standard.”

good call, the truth needs to be known

Originally Posted by Gerbil

^ Looks like the Reds could turn against PT, like the PAD turned against the Dems?

it's the beginning of the marginalization process I was referring to earlier,

with PT strong support, it's going to be hard for the red extremists to justify their presence, eventually they will have to make a hard choice, disappear and become irrelevant like PAD, or sell out and become the new order

^^^ Everything is looking a bit more complicated today than it did yesterday....tomorrow should be interesting....and then there's next week....!

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, but here is one of several that seems appropriate.....

Bangkok Post : Suthep makes grim prediction

Suthep makes grim prediction

...


"I am not afraid of that. We will eventually see what I have said. Remember what we have talked about. This is a reminder to the people who own this country, to know what will happen in the future.

...

He really said that? Am I misunderstanding something here?

Bangkok Post : Thida's shaky reign at the UDD

Thida's shaky reign at the UDD

• Published: 7/07/2011 at 11:06 AM
• Online news: Opinion

The hard-core faction in the UDD has made full use of Thida Thavornseth and is now demanding she step aside so they can take full control of the movement.

“After finishing the ploughing of the rice field, kill the cow. After the war, kill the knights.”

So goes the Thai proverb. And it can be fittingly applied to the awkward situation now confronting Thida Thavornseth, the reluctant chairwoman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) - the red-shirt movement.

A group of hard-core key members of the movement are now demanding her removal from the UDD chair. They claim she's narrow-minded, power hungry, temperamental ... the list goes on.


United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship chairwoman Thida Thavornseth

This rebellion against Ms Thida’s leadership is believed to havwe been simmering for some time but exploded Wednesday at the UDD head office in the Imperial Lard Prao shopping mall, where a press conference was scheduled by Ms Thida.

But instead of hearing from Ms Thida, reporters were surprisingly treated to a heated verbal exchange between the UDD chair and Chinnawat Haboonpat, who was assigned to attend the event on behalf of the hard-core faction.

The faction members - who include Prasaeng Mongkolsiri, Pol Lt-Col Waipote Arpornrat, Suporn Atthawong aka Rambo, Paichit Arksornnarong and Visa Kamthap - had boycotted the UDD leadership meeting before the press conference.

Mr Chinnawat, a leader of the red taxi-drivers’ group, reportedly demanded that Ms Thida step aside in order to allow red-shirt followers to elect a new leader - who he thought should be political scientist and former charter writer Kanin Boonsuwan.

He also suggested that the UDD’s name be changed, to do away with its past image of being associated with violence.

It was reported that Mr Chinnawat had engaged in a heated argument with Ms Thida and, at one point in the emotional exchange, he slammed his clenched fist on the table.

Ms Thida was reportedly defiant and hit back at Mr Chinnawat, claiming that it was only because of the UDD pressure that several imprisoned red-shirt co-leaders, detained for their involvement in April-May violent protest last year, were released on bail.

Mr Chinnawat was later asked by his colleagues to leave the meeting room and to calm down. He reportedly said that he had no personal grudge against Ms Thida, but simply wanted the red-shirt supporters to have a say in choosing their leader.

Ms Thida was named the UDD chair after almost all the movement’s co-leaders were either detained in custody or fled abroad in the aftermath of the violent protest last year. She reportedly said that she personally didn’t want the job from the beginning, but was compelled to accept it because, at the time, everyone else was either in jail or hiding abroad.

But why the rebellion at this time by the hard-core faction? One possible explanation is that the move may have something to do with the political ambition of UDD co-leaders. In simple words, these people want a piece of the cabinet cake and one effective way to make their voice heard, and probably heeded, by the Pheu Thai Party’s leadership is through the UDD.

While the jockeying for cabinet seats has become more intense, Ms Thida has, so far, not expressed any opinion on whether red-shirt leaders should be included in the cabinet lineup.

However, this demand for a piece of the cabinet action was clearly spelled out by Mr Chinnawat, who said on Wednesday that his group was not happy with the repeated statements from the Pheu Thai party that red-shirt co-leaders would not be given places in the cabinet.

“Without the support of red-shirt followers, would the Pheu Thai Party have won the election?” he said.

Among the red-shirt co-leaders who aspire for a first shot in Ms Yingluck Shinawatra’s cabinet are Natthawut Saikua and Jatuporn Prompan (who is still in prison).

As for Ms Thida, her days as the UDD chair may now clearly be numbered. Like the cow and the knights in the old saying, she should - from their point of view - realise that she is expendable. Her use-by date has come and gone.

Thai-ASEAN News Network

Red-shirt Leader Admits Internal Rift

UPDATE : 7 July 2011

Red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikua has admitted a rift among the group's leadership. Meanwhile, another red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan is seeking the verification of his MP candidacy from the Election Commission for his bail request.

Jatuporn Prompan, a red shirt-leader currently held in prison, has attended a hearing for the defamation suit he filed against MP-elect Watchara Petchthong of the Democrat Party. Jatuporn appeared to be in a cheery mood and thanked those who voted for the Pheu Thai Party.

Winyat Chartmontri, legal adviser to the red-shirt group, said that later today, he will send a letter to the Election Commission, asking for certification of Jatuporn's MP candidacy, which will be included in his bail release request.

About the report that Arisman Pongruengrong, another fugitive red-shirt leader, is planning to turn himself in to authorities, Winyat said that Arisman has no such plan because he is still concerned about fairness in the judicial system.

Meanwhile, red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikua admitted that there is a rift among the group's leadership, particularly between Thida Thavornset and Chinawatra Haboonpad.

However, Nattawut believes this is common for any large organization and said the disagreement between the two has already been mediated.

Nattawut also urged outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to accept the poll results and start focusing on his new duty in the Opposition in order to ensure the government's good performance.

The red-shirt leader said that Suthep should stop making negative comments about the Pheu Thai Party because despite being in power for more than two years, the Democrat Party still lost the election.

At the same time, red-shirt leader Thida said she did not expect any problem during the formation of the new government because the process is being closely watched by the public.

She said that the new government must be set up soon so that it can start solving the country's problems instead of having the Cabinet appointment delayed by an internal power struggle.

Thida also asked the Democrat Party to accept its defeat. She said it was abandoned by voters because the Democrat-led government has completely failed on economic, social and political issues.

The acting red-shirt president advised the Democrat Party to start evaluating itself rather than passing the blame on others.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

She said it was abandoned by voters because the Democrat-led government has completely failed on economic, social and political issues.

let's see if they could do better, would be interesting to see

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

A group of hard-core key members of the movement are now demanding her removal from the UDD chair. They claim she's narrow-minded, power hungry, temperamental ... the list goes on.

interesting, she sold out, so in political logic, she is now a liability for the hard core members

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

But why the rebellion at this time by the hard-core faction? One possible explanation is that the move may have something to do with the political ambition of UDD co-leaders. In simple words, these people want a piece of the cabinet cake and one effective way to make their voice heard, and probably heeded, by the Pheu Thai Party’s leadership is through the UDD.

like cute little monkeys, give them peanuts, and they will all jump on it

I am not familiar with the internal workings of the Red Shirt group.

This series of articles is interesting. I assume there is some truth in the claims.

It indicates again, that it is not a paid pressure group for Thaksin. It is a force for democratic change in its early stages. Differences come natural at this stage and are a positive sign of democratic diversity.

Seeing the source of all the articles this is however intended basically as a fresh barrage of anti Red Shirt propaganda. Also naturally the Anti Red Shirts on this forum seize upon it.

Originally Posted by Takeovers

Seeing the source of all the articles this is however intended basically as a fresh barrage of anti Red Shirt propaganda. Also naturally the Anti Red Shirts on this forum seize upon it.

Correct - they snipe at it coming and going. First, the red-shirts are all just one mass doing the bidding of one man. Second, oooh look..... there are divisions - so it's all going to cause big trouble because they're not united and/or they don't matter because they don't speak with one voice.

Originally Posted by Takeovers

Differences come natural at this stage and are a positive sign of democratic diversity.

Absolutely - have a green.

^ no contradiction, it's well known that the udd is an umbrella groups with many factions. Now the common enemy is out of th picture the internal power struggle begins.

ThIda ready to step down as caretaker chairperson of DAAD

Thida ready to step down as caretaker chairperson of DAAD

By THE NATION
Published on July 8, 2011


Natthawut says differences have been sorted out

Red-shirt chairperson Thida Thawornseth said yesterday she was ready to step down from the position, but any move must be the committee's decision and changing the top post is not an easy process.

Thida conceded that a group of red shirts had called for her to step down while, at the same time, another group asked her to stay. Reports of any change in her position are considered baseless and intended to instigate rifts among the red shirts, she said.

Kanin Boonsuwan, an independent political science academic close to the red shirts, yesterday denied reports that he would be appointed to replace Thida. Although he knows all the red-shirt leaders, none had contacted him for the post.

"If they ask me, I won't accept [the post]. I'm fine here," he said, adding that he hosts a five-minute programme on Asia Update, the red-shirts' TV station. He said he had hosted the programme when it was on PTV before that channel was shut down.

On whether red-shirt leaders should be appointed Cabinet ministers, Kanin said, "It should not be [a condition] that a red-shirt leader should not be a minister. If one is appointed, it would be a practical demonstration of moral support for the red shirts. They would be able to discuss their problems with representatives directly, on matters like the deaths from the demonstration or the bail set for the detained red shirts."

Chinnawat Haboonpad, a leader of the Hard Core Red-Shirts said his group, including Suporn Atthawong and Waipoj Apornrat, had asked Thida to quit. The group saw Thida as too dictatorial, sticking to her own opinion and refusing to listen to others. Chinnawat said Thida at times had behaved inappropriately, such as grabbing the microphone at meetings and hitting the table.

Thida was taking over the red shirts although it is comprised of many factions (groups) that can think differently, he said. She should not have taken over the chair position, claiming her husband's name as a red-shirt leader and a Pheu Thai MP-elect, he said.

"The red shirts appointed Thida as caretaker chairwoman to replace Veera Musigapong to prevent the vacuum while many leaders were detained. But if Thida does not improve her behaviour, red-shirt leaders in the North and the Northeast will move independently. We won't consult with Thida as a measure to pressure her," he said.

MP-elect Natthawut Saikua yesterday admitted there was a rift in the red-shirt movement and insisted it had already been patched up.

"The conflict between red-shirt chairwoman Thida Thawornseth and core leader Chinnawat Haboonpad is considered normal when working with a large number of people," he said.

In the wake of the Thaida-Chinnawat spat on Wednesday, Natthawut yesterday made separate telephone calls to the two to reconcile their differences. He said they now understood one another.

Before Natthawut's intervention, Chinnawat questioned Thida's leadership and demanded her resignation.

'Progressive' reds call for restructuring of DAAD

'Progressive' reds call for restructuring of DAAD

By PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK
THE NATION
Published on July 8, 2011

With a reported power struggle brewing among red-shirt leaders since Tuesday, some so-called "progressive" reds are calling for the movement to be restructured so it can be more accountable, responsive and legitimate in the future.

Former union leader and avid red-shirt supporter, Jitra Kotchadej, said the movement's leaders should be voted in, and their key job should be to monitor the workings of the new Pheu Thai-led government and future administrations. "We don't know how long this government will last. There could be a coup or some other reversal of fortunes," Jitra said. She added that this government might alienate many red shirts if it failed to punish those responsible for the 91 deaths last year and reform the controversial lese majeste law. She warned that many reds might then "seek to develop democracy further" by themselves.

However, leader of the Red Sunday group, Sombat Boon-ngam-anong, sounded a little more compromising when he said the new government needed time to deal with these issues because it had to address economic matters first. "I'm willing to give them time to prove themselves," he said.

Sombat believed the core leaders should not be allowed to decide the movement's direction on their own. "They should listen to the peoples' voice," he advised.

The Red Sunday group leader also said that a seminar or conference should to be held to discuss how the red-shirt Democratic Alliance Against Democracy (DAAD) should be reformed, and suggested it distance itself from Pheu Thai politicians.

Chatchawan Rakchat, a Pathum Thani-based active red-shirt supporter, agreed that the DAAD should pull away from Pheu Thai, adding it should concentrate on political activism and education in democracy instead.

"Our goal should be to change the face of Thai politics," he said, adding that DAAD's chairperson Thida Tavornsaet Tojirakarn should also step down because she has been in the caretaker's position for far too long. He said the members should be given a chance to decide whether she should be nominated for the position again.

Chatchawan added that a number of "progressive" red shirts would be meeting tomorrow to discuss DAAD's future.

"The movement needs to be restructured in order to make it stronger. We may end up being a thorn in the government's side if it fails to seek the truth behind last year's military crackdown and reform the lese majeste law," he said.

He proposed that a public hearing be held on the controversial law and followed by a national referendum, so all sides can freely assess the merits and demerits of the decree.

This is all sounding positive. Get rid of the Thaksin proxies and let the real movement for reform and democracy emerge. It needs to stand on its own and be seen to be. No more of the fake leadership, who are being handsomely paid off for their efforts....

Time for some real leadership from people who can't be bought out. Now, Sombat, time for you to do your thing. I agree with you about giving the new government time, but not too much, okay? Or the manipulation and lies will pollute the cause. Again.