#move forward party

[waitmyturtles]

Our favorite Thai simps are tweeting right now on the latest developments regarding parliamentary/Prime Ministerial elections. Here are two articles that break down what’s happening, and if @telomeke is tracking anything and wants to share it, please do (dear friend — tag, you’re it!).

It looks like the Move Forward candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, did not muster enough Senate votes to confirm his Prime Ministership, and will have to face another Senate vote in a few days:

And in that context, he has been accused of potential breaking election ethics laws:

Remember that the Move Forward party is the favorite of a younger Thai electorate — Move Forward is the party that says it will legalize same-sex marriage in Thailand in its first 100 days of leadership.

Everyone has been tweeting about this — P’Aof, Tay, Mix, Nanon, etc. Remember that Our Skyy 2 x The Eclipse also made reference to these styles of elections. If shit goes down, it WILL be referenced in our beloved dramas!

[southeastasianists]

In May of this year, the Move Forward Party achieved a remarkable victory in the Thai elections; increasing the party’s parliamentary seat count from 81 in the 2019 election to 151 in 2023. However, their seat count fell short of the 276 needed to independently form a government. Following unsuccessful attempts at forging a coalition, the political landscape underwent a significant transformation on Tuesday, August 22nd when Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, reappeared in Thailand after a 15-year self-imposed exile and, just a few hours later, the Thai parliament finally elected a new prime minister.

Notably, the parliament’s decision marked the appointment of Srettha Thavisin, a real estate magnate and political novice affiliated with the once populist Pheu Thai party which is the 3rd incarnation of Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party.

The selection Srettha as PM, which concluded three months of political deadlock, necessitated that the Pheu Thai party form a governing coalition with its historical adversaries, the Thai military, defectors of Pheu Thai, members of the Democrat party now in the dual parties of Thai Raksa Chart and Palang Pracharat. This is essentially a Frankenstein government.

The outcome prompts questions about how this scenario unfolded—how did the Move Forward Party lose prominence, and how did the traditional conservative elite manage to maintain their control of the legislature? How did Thaksin manage to return home and negotiate a member of his own party to become the PM?

To understand this sequence of events, it’s crucial to recognize that Thailand is not a democracy and that Thailand has a history of being governed by a small yet influential group closely linked to the military, royal household, and business conglomerates, resulting in a susceptibility to coups.

Recently, this powerful group encountered an unprecedented challenge from the younger generation of Thais advocating for comprehensive socioeconomic reforms and from many middle-class voters who have simply had enough of the rampant corruption and the constant undermining of norms of decency in Thai society.

These reformist ideals were most prominently championed by the Move Forward Party (MFP) which found fertile ground in the previously mentioned demographics. Yet, the MFP agenda is also a direct threat to the entrenched interests of the Thai establishment.

A cursory review of the Move Forward Party’s platform elucidates the reasons behind the establishment’s resistance to granting them governance. The MFP policies, while necessary for any true democratization or social reform, are best summarized as the 3Ds- demilitarization, demonopolization and decentralization.

This likely sounds great for the majority of Thais and would work wonders for creating a more financially stable middle class but just consider how the conservative military elite and business networks would be impacted.

The most significant resistance to MFP came from the royalist elites which opposed any amendment to Thailand’s draconian lese majeste laws.  MFP, a staunch critic of the use of the royal defamation laws which can carry a 15-year prison term, emphatically refused to reconsider its’ stance on the issue and thus cemented significant opposition to MFP leadership.

But there were also other concerns among the military and business establishment. To be specific, here are a few of MFP’s policies on how to effectively complete their 3D model:

Diminish military involvement in political affairs by disbanding the SBPAC which has spread to all 77 provinces during military rule

Transition from mandatory military service to a voluntary force

Bring military businesses such as TV stations, radio stations, kickboxing businesses and other military business establishments into the Ministry of Finance

Draft and enact a fresh democratic constitution (eliminating the 250 junta appointed senators)

Challenge large business monopolies and enhance economic competitiveness

Champion the right of laborers to join trade unions and engage in collective negotiations

Introduce a 40-hour workweek with required overtime for additional hours

Declassify adult entertainment and related products

Legitimize marriages between individuals of the same sex

Advance gender parity and curtail domestic abuse

Advocate for the rights of the LGBT+ community

Institute a contemporary modern welfare state

For the average Thai, many of these policies sound reasonable and would likely result in improvements to their quality of life.  To the conservative establishment, these policies represent a direct challenge to their base of wealth, prestige, privilege and power. Therefore, MFP had to be blocked from assuming power by any and all means necessary.

The MFP policy platform was a frontal assault on the oft commented upon military-monarchy relationship. It was seen as an assault on the grey military businesses that generate billions in revenue for the generals to distribute to their patrons. The loss of such revenue is tantamount to breaking the link of military leaders and potential constituents, jeopardizing the military leaderships’ position in the Thai social hierarchy through the removal of entrenched business interests that derive massive revenue due to government largesse and recalibrating the labor/business relationship. This was epitomized in the massive drop in energy stocks seen on May 15 and their subsequent rebound as MFP was shunted aside.

MFP’s platform, while ambitious, also betrayed a lack of pragmatism and foresight and is rooted in ideological rigidity. The idea that the ruling elite would allow such social change is indicative of sophomoric political hubris.

The MFP policy platform is also a byproduct of the nature of Move Forward’s bottom up and non-traditional approach to politics. It seems reasonable to conclude that there are two primary forces at play with Move Forward; 1) an idealism of politics as the arena to achieve the greater good and 2) a political party that is at times led by its voter base rather that the traditional party first approach which is common in Thai politics.

The return of former PM Thaksin and the endorsement of a Pheu Thai prime minister signals a significant agreement between the Thai elites and their former bitter rivals. While Thaksin may temporarily be in custody, his party is once again at the helm of the Thai government and the MFP is left to wait for another election in the opposition seat.

While some may argue that this time may best be used by MFP to develop a more pragmatic approach to dealing with the ruling elites in parliament, it is also a time for MFP to expose the corruption and incompetence of the new coalition government, to coalesce the young, the liberal, the disenfranchised and the antiestablishment actors into a movement capable of opposing the current institutional intransigence. Without such mobilization, MFP’s 3Ds and much of its policy platform will only exist on paper and Thailand will likely see more Frankenstein governments in the future.

William J. Jones Mahidol University International College, Thailand

Douglas L. Rhein Mahidol University International College, Thailand

[originfurtkm]

I made MFP’s mascot today, not their official one but i still love this and turn him into a keychain. 🧡🍊

*just for fun not for sale!*

[saotome-michi]

Just a few years ago, talking publicly about the status or role of Thailand’s monarchy was taboo. But on Sunday night, a political party that had campaigned for reform of strict laws that shield the royal family from criticism came out on top in a general election, winning the most votes and seats, according to an unofficial count.

Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, said it was an “extremely significant” moment. “They have the popular mandate – 14 million people voted for this party. And, of course, the party will proclaim this as a sign that Thailand has some readiness for more extensive structural reforms, no matter the institution.��

[cannabisbusinessexecutive]

Thai cannabis sector spooked as election winner mulls reversing legalisation

A proposal by Thailand’s election-winning Move Forward party to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic a year after it was made legal is sowing panic in an industry that is projected to be worth up to $1.2 billion over the next few years. Thousands of businesses have sprung up since the legalisation of the consumption and growing of the drug, with numerous shops in Bangkok and other tourist areas…

[newsbites]

News from Laos and Thailand, week ending 20 May

The Thai opposition party that won the country's recent election has announced a widely-based coalition which is currently making plans to take power.

2. Lao researchers are optimistic about the growth of the Lao economy, which is projected to expand by 4.5 per cent this year amid global economic challenges.

And see print article here.

3. Cargo transport along the Laos-China Railway has grown robustly. 

Link to article here.

4. Posters and videos with information on sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and psychosocial support helplines will be displayed at train stations in Laos and disseminated to passengers.

5. The European Union in Laos has encouraged farmers and agricultural companies in the country to export more rice to European countries.

6. Thailand is expecting a drier-than-average rainy season.

[waitmyturtles]

This is heartbreaking. I’m seeing a lot of “what was the point of holding an election” chatter.

My money is on seeing some of this in Only Friends, of all places. I don’t think Jojo Tichakorn lets this go without commenting on it.

The latest twist in the ongoing saga. 👀

The party that won the most votes in Thailand's General Election, the Move Forward Party, has been dumped by its alliance partner Peu Thai Party, that was founded by wily ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. So MFP is now in the opposition, and no longer part of the coalition forming the next government...

This will not be popular with the younger demographic and you can be sure we will be seeing more of this (including commentary in Thai dramas).

Tagging @waitmyturtles though you may already have seen this!

[waitmyturtles]

From The New York Times: [Thai] Lawmakers Block Prime Minister Candidate From New Vote, Drawing Protests

[July 19, 2023: Pasting here to bypass the NYT paywall. I thought this was an excellent overview of the recent history of Thai elections, and how the Senate confirmation process works. Again, remember: references to what’s happening politically will likely make it into the dramas we watch later this year and next. By Mike Ives and Muktita Suhartoto.] 

Protests erupted in Bangkok on Wednesday, hours after Thailand’s conservative establishment suspended a progressive leader and lawmakers denied him the chance to stand for a second parliamentary vote for prime minister.

The candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, leads a party that won the most votes in a May election after campaigning on an ambitious reform platform that challenged the country’s powerful conservative establishment. He lost an initial parliamentary vote for prime minister last week.

Late Wednesday, lawmakers voted to deny Mr. Pita, 42, the chance to stand for a second vote on the grounds that Parliament’s rules do not permit a “repeat motion.” Mr. Pita’s supporters see that as a not-so-subtle move to keep him out of power.

The mood in Bangkok, Thailand’s muggy capital, was anxious as protesters hit the streets on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Pita’s supporters have been expressing outrage online toward an establishment that often pushes back against Thailand’s democratic process.

“In my heart, I knew this would happen, so it didn’t come as a shock,” said Wichuda Rotphai, 41, one of hundreds of people who gathered outside Parliament on Wednesday to support Mr. Pita’s doomed bid for premier. “But I’m still disappointed, and I can’t accept it.”

Here’s what to know.

What does Pita Limjaroenrat stand for?

Mr. Pita’s party, Move Forward, has proposed ambitious policies for challenging Thailand’s powerful institutions like the military and the monarchy. The party won 151 seats in Parliament, the most of any party, and 10 more than Pheu Thai, the party founded by the exiled populist Thaksin Shinawatra, whose influence still towers over Thai politics.

Mr. Pita’s party has formed an eight-party coalition, which nominated him for prime minister last week. He came up short in the first vote because the Senate is controlled by military-appointed lawmakers who oppose his candidacy and the Move Forward platform.

I’m confused. Why are senators so tied to the military?

Becoming prime minister requires a simple majority of the 500-seat House of Representatives and the 250-seat Senate.

But the rules governing Senate appointments were drafted by the military junta that seized power from a democratically elected government in a 2014 coup. They effectively give senators veto power over prime ministerial candidates.

Last week, Mr. Pita won only 13 votes from the 249 senators who voted for prime minister. Mr. Pita acknowledged in an Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon that he was unlikely to become prime minister.

“It’s clear now that in the current system, winning the people’s trust isn’t enough to run the country,” he wrote.

Why was it such an uphill battle?

Mr. Pita had faced a slew of challenges even before Parliament denied him a chance to stand for a second vote.

The Constitutional Court said on Wednesday morning, for example, that it was suspending Mr. Pita from Parliament until a ruling is made in a case involving his shares of a media company. Investigators are trying to determine whether Mr. Pita properly disclosed owning the shares before running for office, as required by Thai law.

The court’s ruling forced Mr. Pita to leave the chamber. It would not necessarily have prevented his coalition from nominating for a second time. But Parliament saw to that on its own.

Mr. Pita’s supporters have said the investigation is one of many ways that the establishment has been trying to unfairly derail his candidacy.

So who will be prime minister?

Before the drama on Wednesday, Mr. Pita had said if it became clear that he could not win, his party would allow its coalition partner, Pheu Thai, to nominate its own candidate.

Pheu Thai probably will do just that, but is also likely to form a brand-new coalition, one that is more palatable to conservative lawmakers who cannot stomach Mr. Pita and Move Forward.

Pheu Thai’s candidate would likely be Srettha Thavisin, 60, a property mogul with little political experience. If a new coalition materializes, he could be voted in as prime minister as early as this week.

Mr. Srettha would immediately present a sharp contrast to the current prime minister, former Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led the 2014 military coup.

A more remote, but not impossible, scenario is that Pheu Thai allows a party from the conservative establishment to nominate a candidate as a condition for joining a new coalition. That candidate could be Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, 77, the deputy prime minister in the current government.

What would a Srettha victory represent?

Many would see it as a triumph for the democratic process in Thailand, a country with a long history of mass protests and military coups. Some foreign investors would also see a potential boost for a sluggish, coronavirus-battered economy.

But many of Move Forward’s progressive supporters would be angry about the establishment blocking their party from forming a government. On Wednesday evening, a demonstration reflecting that anger was taking shape at the city’s Democracy Monument.

The size of the protests over the next days or weeks will likely depend on who becomes prime minister. If it’s Mr. Srettha, demonstrations could be sporadic and modest. If it’s General Prawit or another military figure, they could be sustained and intense.

Ms. Wichuda, the protester, was one of hundreds who gathered outside Parliament on Wednesday afternoon, peering through its gates at police officers in riot gear. She said that while she did not agree with Mr. Pita’s contentious pledge to revise a law that criminalizes criticism of the monarchy, she still felt he had been “robbed” by politicians who were afraid to give a younger generation the chance to improve the country.

“If they can do such things to people with money and power,” she said, “what will be left for us, the common people, who have no position and no title?”

[akkivee]

SASARAS SOLO IS CALLED LAUGHIN HOPE

ROSHOS SOLO IS CALLED ON MY WAY

REIS SOLO IS CALLED THE WORLD IS YOURS

AND THEIR DRAMA TRACK IS CALLED THE TRIO

[terryfuckingturniptruck]

Alright, here we go again. I'm sorry that you all want to feel righteous and just but not voting or voting third party is only going to make everything worse. Of course the dems are fucked up politicians too but if you are going to just not vote for anyone bc of the genocide, then you are voting indirectly for that orange fucker to be back in office. And not only is he for the genocide in Palestine, he is for various other types of genocide and other egregious behaviors as we've seen.

[perenlop]

can you imagine how strange siffrin must feel during his first birthday after the timeloop

[zvaigzdelasas]

*liberal voice* are you saying that "the working group to consider creating a working group which would consider writing a formal report considering the efficacies of X, Y & Z ways of addressing the problem" isn't actually a way of addressing the problem?

*dramatic self-important huff*

well at least one of us is doing something about it

[nottoonedin]

Drunk & Party and Love & Peace lyrics ENG translations!