Regime had time, but they blew it

Regime had time, but they blew it

Thaksin and fellow fugitive sister Yingluck Shinawatra take a selfie as they enjoy the cherry blossoms in Japan, their second tour of the region in a month. (FB/IngShinawatra)
Thaksin and fellow fugitive sister Yingluck Shinawatra take a selfie as they enjoy the cherry blossoms in Japan, their second tour of the region in a month. (FB/IngShinawatra)

Former prime minister siblings Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra seem to have hit a nerve once again with their visit to Japan this week, where the former premier said he expects the Pheu Thai Party to sweep the polls -- if and when they are held.

The ex-premiers, who fled the country over various charges, have been living in exile and made their second trip to Asia after having created a storm in a teacup in February when they visited China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

This time around the duo made an appearance in Japan on Thursday and Friday and were expected to head to China and South Korea over the following few days.

Umesh Pandey is Editor, Bangkok Post.

Thaksin, who has usually been shy about talking to the media, made remarks in Japan that the party he backed and founded would most likely clinch a landslide victory if and when the next election is held.

Such a prediction prompted the Shinawatra family's arch nemesis, deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, to come out to lambast the claims as being baseless and untrue.

"If you want to believe, feel free to. But I don't," Gen Prawit said, responding to media reports about the fugitive former premier's prediction.

Thaksin had predicted bright prospects for Pheu Thai in the next election in a brief interview on the sidelines of a function held at the New Otani Hotel.

"I'm not involved with the party [Pheu Thai]. They really don't want me to get involved," he said. "But I believe they have a lot of good people and they should be able to lead the party to another landslide victory," Thaksin said when asked about Pheu Thai's strategy for the election, expected in February.

This prediction does not come as a surprise to those of us who have witnessed how things have panned out over the past nearly four years. Every indication is that the Thai public is sick and tired of this regime and its inability to get things done.

Since Gen Prayut seized power, the various issues that prompted the coup have seen little, if any, progress.

Issues such as corruption, reform of various agencies, reducing disparity in society and the revival of the economy have seen very little progress. The battle cry of the street protesters of "reform before election" seems to have gone nowhere as none of the planned reforms have yet materialised.

The key failure, though, has been the lack of economic stimulus. Today, if one looks at the economy, it is only the export and tourism sectors that have been driving the gross domestic product (GDP), while the grassroots people continue to suffer.

The measures put in place, with the midyear stimulus package among them, have pumped money into the system, but all this comes too late. Nearly four years too late. The grassroots have been suffering for the past four years are the people who will vote with their feet to kick out the military regime when the elections are held.

Although many businessmen feel that the regime is good for them, most are in the few areas that are benefiting. The majority of people in the country continue to suffer, and this is evident from the latest talks with Saha Pathanapibul Plc, the country's largest consumer product conglomerate, which last week came out to stress that consumption has not yet picked up.

To top this off, the corruption scandals, including "watchgate" featuring Gen Prawit, have left a black mark against the prospects of the military being able to turn the tide. Gen Prawit's 22 undeclared watches, worth close to 30 million baht, and the continued delays in investigating the case by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, have left a sour taste in the mouths of even the staunchest supporter of the regime.

With all these issues in play, it is therefore no surprise that Thaksin came out to predict that the Pheu Thai Party will get an absolute majority if and when a poll is held. The military regime has had more time than an elected government to make a difference, but, alas, like all other military regimes, this junta opted to procrastinate and give the advantage to the very people that it actually hoped to bring down. This time around it is likely that the price the junta will pay will echo the aftermaths of the 2007 and 2011 elections.

Umesh Pandey

Bangkok Post Editor

Umesh Pandey is Editor, Bangkok Post.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (38)