Leaders' resignations echo PAD's decline

Leaders' resignations echo PAD's decline

The anti-Thaksin group People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has been anything but a potent political force that could pose a real threat to the government since it made the cardinal mistake of calling on voters to "Vote No" in the general election in 2011, which saw the Pheu Thai Party romp to victory with 265 House seats over the Democrat Party's 159.

About two million voters cast "Vote No" ballots and several critics said that many of these should have gone to the Democrats, which would have won more House seats for the opposition, although it would still be short of defeating Pheu Thai.

PAD's decision regarding the "Vote No" issue disappointed a substantial number of its supporters to the extent that they have abandoned the movement. PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul was also held in deep suspicion as the "Vote No" campaign actually helped the Pheu Thai Party.

Internal conflict also led to the departure from the movement of some core leaders, among them Suriyasai Katasila and Somsak Kosaisook.

"Spent force" seems to be the term used by critics to describe the PAD these days, and a few other anti-Thaksin groups have emerged to replace the movement, such as the People's Army, white masks and Pitak Siam.

Hence, last week's announcement by PAD core leaders to suspend political activities for now was not totally surprising as most _ if not all _ of them have been politically inactive for several months because of a bail condition which bars them from undertaking any activities amounting to incitement or provocation that cause chaos or public disorder.

If they do not, their bail could be withdrawn and they would go back to jail.

The PAD leader's pullout from active politics came after they called on the Democrats to quit parliament en masse and join the movement in street politics against the government. The call was spurned by the opposition party.

Like the Democrats, the PAD is against the Worachai Hema amnesty bill.

But the PAD has refused to join the Democrats in protesting against the bill. Mr Sondhi gave an assurance their suspension of political activities was just a tactical retreat and that they would stage a comeback for another fight "providing the fight is worth it" _ that is, it must lead to real political reform.

Mr Sondhi said political change these days was not taking place in parliament but on the streets with people being the key players to bring about reform. Then he blamed politicians from all camps for being the real problem in Thailand's political impasse.

He insisted that overthrowing the Thaksin regime would not lead to real political reform in Thailand.

In a statement issued by the PAD last Friday, the movement blamed the Democrats for not being prepared to make sacrifices by abandoning the parliamentary system, and for being content with discrediting the government in the hope they would be able to replace it.

The Democrats are not without good reason for not bowing to the PAD's call to quit parliamentary politics.

Outnumbered and out-voted though they may be, they still can make use of parliament to air their views and their frustrations and to get heard by the public. Quitting the House would amount to an act unbecoming of an MP because they were elected to the parliament by their constituents to work on their behalf.

The Democrats have more to lose than to gain if they quit en masse as demanded by the PAD. Those PAD co-leaders, who are all veteran political activists, would no doubt have anticipated that their call would be rejected.

Which makes me wonder why they even made such a demand.

And why did they need to issue an announcement given that the co-leaders had been politically inactive for months?

I couldn't agree more that this parliament, including the Senate, is just a nominee of someone from afar _ and also hopeless.

So what is the alternative? It seems the PAD does not have a clear answer yet, besides their wish for real political reform through street politics. An "Arab Spring" political upheaval in Thailand, perhaps?


Veera Prateepchaikul is a former editor, Bangkok Post.

Veera Prateepchaikul

Former Editor

Former Bangkok Post Editor, political commentator and a regular columnist at Post Publishing.

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