If there are enough red jerseys left, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will work hard to regain aid from them.
Thaksin, now on parole, has been touring former red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship ( UDD ) strongholds in Chiang Mai, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Pathum Thani.
His trips included meetings with political royal “big houses” who were dark shirts’ power brokers, as well as speeches and gatherings.
Although the settings may have been casual, Thaksin’s main motivation was in fact significant.
After being defeated by the Move Forward Party as the country’s major power and largest party in the general election next year, the decision Pheu Thai Party is determined to regain its hold on power in politics.
Although Thaksin denies having any affiliation with Pheu Thai and is not a member, his provincial journeys were clearly planned to shore up the party’s growing support, which Thakin founded before the Constitutional Court disbanded for political fraud in May 2007.
The tours are primarily used as a way to communicate with the red jerseys responsible for Pheu Thai’s resounding defeat in the party’s 265 out of 500 seat success in the July 2011 common election.
The Abhisit Vejjajiva administration’s red shirts, however, were mistaken for “revenge” for using the military to put an end to their long street protests in Bangkok’s professional heart.
Mr Abhisit led the Democrat Party, which came next in the 2011 surveys with 159 Members, six less than in the previous election.
The red tops were again hardcore followers of Pheu Thai, which endured a long absence from state during the nine-year principle of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s management.
Observers concur that the UDD’s help center was long enough for any political party to decline, as it did with the UDD.
Tida: ‘ When bitten, double shy’
During the Prayut government, which was led by the National Council for Peace and Order, the UDD was in danger of disintegrating as a powerful political power.
Pheu Thai was deprived of the opportunity to regroup and re-establish relationships with the red shirts because the Prayut management had a significant influence over the state’s internal operations.
A quick paradigm shift was occurring at the same time as the anti-junta pro-democracy action, which directly challenged the status quo. The Rassadorn group’s initiative, which was spearheaded by youth-led demonstrations, quickly spread to college students and marginalized groups of the population who had previously been unaware of the politicians and government’s operations.
According to a source, the movement found a close ally, the Future Forward Party, which was later disbanded due to an illegal loan before changing to the Move Forward Party ( MFP ) as a result.
Even though several UDD luminaries were spotted at numerous Rassadorn-organized protests against the Prayut leadership, the red jerseys had by that time struggled without significant help from Pheu Thai.
Additionally, the source claimed that despite key UDD members supporting the youth-led action, they were viewed as bare “auxiliaries” to the Rassadorn trigger and no waging a campaign to advance their own political agenda, which would have acted as a precursor for the UDD to regain its influence.
The source claimed that the UDD was becoming less important as Rassadorn and the MFP’s recognition increased, as a bad situation was becoming more and more prevalent.
Thaksin is now in full swing to revitalize his UDD strategy. But, reviving the red shirts may prove a fruitless training, according to UDD director Tida Tawornseth.
There is little chance, according to Ms. Tida, who recently spoke on a political talk show that Thaksin would resurrect the UDD as fierce power as it once was.
She claimed that some UDD members switched from wearing orange, the MFP’s color, after hanging up their crimson shirts.
Ms Tida said it was a circumstance of again bitten and half shy, and it was all Thaksin’s doing. While serving in self-imposed exile, the former premier announced that if a military coup were to be held, he would soon flee to direct red-shirt protesters against the revolution leaders, which disenchanted some UDD supporters.
His announcement was made known to UDD demonstrators at a large rally held in Bangkok to support the Yingluck Shinawatra state, which faced intense opposition in 2013 and 2014 due to a pushed-for total asylum in parliament. This reportedly helped Thaksin and ensure his profit without having to go on trial.
Ms. Tida added that Pheu Thai’s decision to abandon the Measurement and form a coalition government with the traditional parties that once made up the Prayut administration appeared to be the final straw for the crimson shirts.
According to Ms. Tida, this was seen as breaking a promise made to the MFP, Pheu Thai’s closest pro-democracy ally, for which many red shirts who share the same pro-democracy ideology as the MFP and its supporters could n’t be forgiven.
Legislators are they qualified to serve?
The three-week approach saw the senators chosen in three rounds of election by their own candidates who had entered 20 profession categories. It was a Senate election unlike any other that had taken place earlier.
The candidates had at least 10 years of experience in their respective fields, had ties to the city they applied to work, and they were never required to hold a degree.
Kittisak: Riled by a senator-elect
The natural laws governing the method could be in violation of the charter, and the rules left candidates unsure about whether they could strategy for votes.
There were also numerous allegations of attempts to fix the ballot, and the caregiver Senate earlier this year authorized the creation of a particular 23-member panel to investigate election irregularities.
The election commission (EC ) had a polarized opinion regarding whether to support the outcome while conducting an investigation or to support only those who did n’t face complaints.
Some senators-elect, including Nantana Nantavaropas, who represents the press professional team, could hardly wait to see the rear of the junta-appointed legislators who had assumed a caretaker position for two weeks.
According to her,” the outgoing Senate had better refrain from playing any significant role while the nation was waiting for a new Senate.”
Her remark was thought to have prompted a retort from one of her soon-to-be predecessors, Kittisak Rattanawaraha, who spoke in parliament on Monday, two days before the Senate poll results were certified by the EC.
Senators are not formally recognized as having taken office until their election is approved by the EC and then royally endorsed and published in the Royal Gazette, according to Mr. Kittisak, without naming names.
” Could a certain new senator who riled others please learn to hold their tongue this instant” asks a question. he said.
The current senators ‘ term ended on May 10, but the law mandates that they continue serving until the new senators take office.
The EC was caught in the middle of it, and it took the EC two full weeks to complete the process before Wednesday’s election results were announced.
The polling place must wait five days before releasing results, the law only requires that they be certified. On July 2, the new senators were scheduled to be elected.
Ittiporn Boonpracong, the EC chairman, said a deferral was necessary to make sure the agency addressed all the issues so that the election was fair, clean, and legal.
Thanaporn Sriyakul, director of the Political and Public Policy Analysis Institute, was eager to see the EC’s decision to support all the winners and the substitutes this week because the majority of the complaints concerned candidates ‘ qualifications.
Less than 10 % of the applicants ‘ backgrounds were allegedly the subject of alleged election fraud, while the other half were the subject of 80 %. Moreover, all the fraud-related complaints filed in court were thrown out due to lack of evidence.
He said that election fraud, particularly those claiming collusion to fix the vote, was difficult to prove, and that complainants frequently had to disprove the allegations.
Following the general election last year, the EC disqualified only two MPs, despite numerous complaints.
” It is no different from allegations]of vote buying ] in the general election. It is hard to find evidence to back the charges and hold the cheaters accountable”, he said.
The best course of action for the EC was to first endorse the winners when the majority of complaints concerned a candidate’s eligibility. According to the analyst, this is because the law permits the EC to do so when there is compelling evidence and the action does not render the election process invalid.
Regarding the question of whether some of the new senators are adequately equipped to carry out their duties, Mr. Thanaporn said the public should n’t be overly concerned about a senator’s education, despite the fact that some have only a basic education.
He added that it is unfair to doubt someone’s ability or judgment based on their educational background. He made the point that a number of MPs in the past did not have a formal education but nevertheless demonstrated their aptitude for the job.
” There’s no need to get all worked up about the education of farmers, drivers or vendors.
” If you ca n’t prove they cheated their way in, what can you do? At this point, it’s anybody’s guess if they can do better or worse than their predecessors, “he said.
Earlier, Somsak Prissananantakul, a Bhumjaithai Party member, also urged the public not to berate the senators-elect over their educational background. He claimed that the law was intended to give candidates from ordinary backgrounds the same opportunity as candidates from less fortunate candidates to win the presidency.