Top Democrat Party Candidate Kiat Sittheeamorn Faces the Press
Thailand Trade Representative and top Democrat Party candidate, Kiat Sittheeamorn, answers a reporter's question at the FCCT
FCCT. Bangkok, Thailand. June 2, 2011. A month or so ago, Prime Minister Abhisit addressed the FCCT and answered questions. His major opponent, Puea Thai party candidate Yingluck Shinawatra, has been invited, but is unlikely to attend, because her handlers have not yet permitted her to do anything other than appear in public and smile; for now, saying anything is out of the question because, quite frankly, she has nothing to say, and no one is interested anyway, rightly so, because she’s a stand-in for her brother, convicted felon Thaksin Shinawatra, who sits in Dubai directing the campaign and paying for it all. Her job is to avoid mistakes, look pretty. If she wins, her government will grant her brother amnesty, he will return to Thailand, and take over the government, to the cheers of his many supporters. Amnesty for Thaksin is the key election platform of the Puea Thai and their related Red Shirts. The Puea Thai’s slogan is “Thaksin thinks—the party acts.” Public opinion polls indicate that Thaksin is on track to win the election.
Under these circumstances, you would think that the Democratic Party would have something important to say, but if its spokesman for the evening, Thailand Trade Representative and top Democrat Party candidate, Kiat Sittheeamorn, is any indication, it has no platform other than to be “for the rule of law,” which means Thaksin has to serve his two-year prison sentence. Like the Puea Thai party, the Democrats are promising a large array of government handouts to various groups, farmers, the rural poor, school children, etc., but there are so many indiscriminate promises on both sides that no one keeps track of them, nor believes them. The one I like best is the Puea Thai pledge to give every school boy or girl a tablet computer. Now that’s something that could get my vote, but I’d want my iPad2 in advance, before voting. Kh. Kiat did say that the election is about principles, policy, and personalities, but the principles and policy aspects were subsumed under the one personality issue---Thaksin.
In all fairness to Kh. Kiat, however, he is an articulate advocate for his party and he can hardly be blamed for not having a lot to say beyond anodyne campaign rhetoric. Everyone knows that the only issue in the election is Thaksin comes back triumphant and a free man, or he stays in exile, where he will continue to remain the main force in Thai politics.
Under these circumstances, you would think that the Democratic Party would have something important to say, but if its spokesman for the evening, Thailand Trade Representative and top Democrat Party candidate, Kiat Sittheeamorn, is any indication, it has no platform other than to be “for the rule of law,” which means Thaksin has to serve his two-year prison sentence. Like the Puea Thai party, the Democrats are promising a large array of government handouts to various groups, farmers, the rural poor, school children, etc., but there are so many indiscriminate promises on both sides that no one keeps track of them, nor believes them. The one I like best is the Puea Thai pledge to give every school boy or girl a tablet computer. Now that’s something that could get my vote, but I’d want my iPad2 in advance, before voting. Kh. Kiat did say that the election is about principles, policy, and personalities, but the principles and policy aspects were subsumed under the one personality issue---Thaksin.
In all fairness to Kh. Kiat, however, he is an articulate advocate for his party and he can hardly be blamed for not having a lot to say beyond anodyne campaign rhetoric. Everyone knows that the only issue in the election is Thaksin comes back triumphant and a free man, or he stays in exile, where he will continue to remain the main force in Thai politics.
posted by Buzz at 2:54 PM
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