The election campaign began rolling in earnest last week. Now if only the government had kept its promise and actually had an election. Minor detail, perhaps, but memories are so short when they operate on political bias that it's good to do history.
On Jan 3, 2017, Minister of Truth and three-star general Sansern Kaewkamnerd held a combination press conference/New Year's party for the press corps he loves and detests so dearly. Let's quote him: "The government will stick to its roadmap of holding a general election late this year."
Crashing the party in an attempt to delight the vultures came Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, arguably the world leader in coup tactics and known to be the eyes and ears of the general prime minister. Let's quote him, too, because he was adamant to the point of being shirty with election deniers.
"A general election will be held this year. We can't move it. It has its time frame," Gen Prawit said. He actually went "pffft" when a reporter asked about naysayers of the National Legislative Assembly, who predicted no election in 2017 and maybe not in 2018 either.
"Pffft! What they say is their problem."
Of course there isn't an election this year, and maybe not in 2018 either. The history is interesting not just because three- and four-star generals in charge of security and truth should be accountable, although they never are, even for their words. It's interesting because someone did not promise an election in 2017.
- Uncertain date: Scant hope for 2018 polls
The general prime minister has an innate ability never to answer a question, never to make a promise, never to put himself in a position where he might be held accountable. He has said for exactly three years, four months and two days there will be elections when the journey on his roadmap is completed. Repeat, his roadmap. No one else gets a look at it.
It's impossible to know what the prime minister is thinking about an election date after he failed to keep the promise there would be a vote in 2017. (Photo Twitter/@wassanananuam)
When The Leader had no choice and absolutely had to seize power -- as he says in the official telling -- he had a single goal. It was to stop the killing and unify the country with one great explosion of reunification fever. Well, here's the up-to-date update on that.
At this Sunday-morning moment, the red shirts are fully focused on pursuing yellow shirts over what occurred from 2008 to 2010, culminating in the violent military-led crackdown on red-shirt protests that left 92 known dead. They have demanded another investigation and the arrests, trials and guilty verdicts for both yellow shirts and members of the Abhisit Vejjajiva/Suthep Thaugsuban government.
Also at this very moment, the yellow shirts are entirely focused on pursuit of the members and all supporters of the red-shirt regimes from 2001 to 2008. They have demonstrated equal respect for the Supreme Court's decision to acquit and free Voldemort's brother-in-law over their 2007 riots that turned deadly at parliament, and the court's decision their leaders pay 522 million baht for damage to the airports. They have started a donation campaign that is, in the risible phrase of the day, "not politically motivated". As a top regime member puts it: "Pffft!"
The amount of peace on the streets achieved appears inverse to the amount of reconciliation and unity.
So last Monday-Tuesday, there were political rallies billed 100% plus hundreds of per diems to the taxpayer as a two-day cabinet meeting. Here's how we know they were political rallies and not a cabinet meeting.
On Monday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was greeted in Suphan Buri by local politicians, meaning Chartthaipattana, previously known as Chart Thai but always known as slippery "eels". They may have changed their name but never have stopped doing what they do.
They laid it on thick. The exquisitely accurate media headlines: Chartthaipattana would be thrilled if Gen Prayut stays as prime minister for another decade, by election or otherwise.
After his boots were well licked, the general prime minister announced the availability of 87 billion absolutely non-populist baht for farmers -- loans and subsidies from the Rice Management Committee, whose chairman is Gen Prayut.
The next day in Ayutthaya's often-flooded Bang Sai district: Here's 17.6 billion baht, go and build yourselves a new drainage klong. Don't even think of voting for us military people, this is straight unadulterated love of our fellow Thais, no politics at all.
By his actions, but not yet his words, The Leader shows he's thinking about an election. And after all, it's not the gift, it's the thought that counts.