After refusing to fix a date for a meeting with political parties, the Prayut Chan-o-cha government has finally made a decision.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon confirmed that a meeting will take place this Sunday at the Army Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. The much-awaited meeting comes earlier than the previous plan which Gen Prawit, who is also a top figure in the coup-making body, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), aimed for early next week. He said the pre-poll discussion, which is to focus on a relaxation of the political ban, will include Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam and the Election Commission.
Gen Prawit said there will be two rounds of pre-poll talks, with him chairing the Sunday meeting, while the second round, with date and venue unknown, will be chaired by Gen Prayut who is to return from his trip to Europe on Monday. It's understood Gen Prayut will have the final say over how the government responds to politicians' demands.
Gen Prawit said he expected "to hear the wants and needs of the political parties" as they embark on preparations for the election, which may take place in February next year.
The Democrat Party has assigned veteran politician and deputy party leader Jurin Laksanavisit to the meeting, while Chartthaipattana will be represented by party director Nikorn Chamnong and Varawut Silpa-archa, a core member. It's a given that military-backed parties will have no hesitation in taking part.
However, the Pheu Thai Party, which has bitterly experienced defections by some of its heavyweights, announced it will not play along with the game. Some of the party members are upset with the regime's stance on the partial lifting of the ban on political activities. Also boycotting the meeting is the newly formed Future Forward Party led by new-face politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
Gen Prawit has shrugged off the boycott. It's expected that the politicians will press hard for the revocation of orders that obstruct political activities. Such orders are problematic given that the country is heading toward democratisation.
However, Gen Prawit, by refusing to commit to the outcome of the meeting, appears to have affirmed his old stance that the ban will be partially lifted. This is an upset. Even the Election Commission is worried about a continuation of the ban.
Charungwit Pumma, secretary-general of the Election Commission, said the Sunday discussion is to focus on ways to sort out obstacles and move forward under the assumption that the election will be held in February next year. To make that possible, he urged the NCPO to consider freeing political parties from the ban order to enable them to have enough time for poll preparations and not get trapped by technicalities that would make them ineligible for the contest.
According to media reports, Gen Prawit's excuse for keeping part of political ban is that he fears the country may revert to political turmoil. In other words, after running the country with iron-fist tactics, the regime still has no confidence about peace and order, once the ban is entirely lifted, and still cites a need to keep control, not just on political parties but pro-democracy movements. Doesn't this mean the four years of rule under the regime which promised to return the country to normalcy, with peace and order, have been a total waste? This does not bode well for democracy and the deputy prime minister and the regime should realise such an excuse casts them in a bad light.
The regime is obliged to make the Sunday dialogue meaningful, not just a ceremonial event. To begin with, it's necessary that Gen Prawit, the prime minister and the regime, show their sincerity about dialogue and listen intently to the politicians' concerns.