ABOUT Politics

General News - Thursday December 20, 2007

Spotlight

ABOUT Politics

Oak Shinawatra stands in for Dad on the campaign trail FPeople Power party's leader puts off voters in the Northeast -Chalerm and Samak campaigning double in Thon Buri draws attention away from the Democrats' Ong-art

Earning his keep

The recent appearance of Panthongtae "Oak" Shinawatra, son of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, on the election rounds of People Power party (PPP) candidates came as a surprise to political observers.

The only son of the deposed leader, known for his playboy image, has tried to help the PPP and its election candidates. Most of the party's hopefuls are, after all, former politicians of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party that his father founded.

By representing his father, who remains overseas in self-imposed exile, Mr Panthongtae hopes he can help the party win some vital extra votes.

As Sunday's election draws near, all parties are intensifying their campaigning. However, with such high stakes riding on the election outcome, some politicians have "gone underground," resorting to illegal means to win over voters, breaching the Election Commission's tough rules.

Many have used their connections with bureaucrats to ask them to turn a blind eye to their improprieties.

However, poll officials have kept a close watch on contests in provinces known to be the political bastions of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai party, namely Ayutthaya, Chachoengsao, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai.

"The use of cash in poll campaigns is under close watch. Even money used for helping candidates during their campaign rallies is also strictly checked [by officials]," said a leading member of the PPP.

The disappearance of an ex-kamnan with solid connections to Yongyuth Tiyapairat, a key figure of the PPP, in a recent boat accident has also been linked to politics.

The man was said to have been carrying a large amount of money intended for the PPP election campaign when his boat collided with a tourist boat. However, nobody has yet seen the cash.

Attempts were also being made to link to politics a recent trip by leading PPP members to Burma's Tachilek.

Rumours spread that they had crossed the border to smuggle money for the PPP's final campaign push.

While the objective of their trip remains a mystery, it is known that tough state operations, including pressure from security forces, in the border province have made it difficult for certain politicians to use their usual tricks.

For instance, kamnans and village heads close to Mr Yongyuth have been "blocked" from campaigning for PPP candidates. Local police with close ties to the PPP deputy leader were also transferred from the area.

Mr Panthongtae's recent appearance in several provinces received considerable media attention. He met his father's supporters, including the owner of a noodle shop in Chiang Rai who was in the news after once burning a copy of the draft constitution.

The shop owner has made T-shirts saying "We Miss Thaksin" to help campaign for votes for the PPP.

Mr Panthongtae joined several campaign rallies held by PPP candidates. He met Mr Yongyuth in Chiang Rai, before travelling to Ayutthaya, the province which Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa predicted would see rampant vote-buying, as a "certain party" planned to spend 70 million baht to win the contest in the central province.

Mr Panthongtae then headed to Chachoengsao to help campaign for members of the Chaisaeng family.

"The arrival of Mr Panthongtae is to remind voters not to forget his father. It is obvious that he represents Mr Thaksin. This is an excellent marketing gimmick," said a political observer.

Mr Panthongtae is one of Mr Thaksin's children who has been dragged into fraud allegations relating to the tax-free sale of Shin Corp, which is being investigated by the Assets Scrutiny Committee.

Today, "Oak" Panthongtae is a bridge between Mr Thaksin and those loyal to his powerful father.

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The dog still barks

The Democrat party has always been seen as an underdog in any general election in the Northeast, a stronghold of the now-dissolved Thai Rak Thai party (TRT).

Even its former leader Chuan Leekpai once admitted the party's underdog status, saying it would take a long time for the Democrats to build a strong political base in the region.

Most northeastern voters regard the Democrats as a party for southerners and simply turn their back on the country's oldest party. Several local politicians have given up hope of winning under the Democrats after making a number of unsuccessful bids for House seats under the party's banner.

Political analysts contribute this lack of support to the Democrats' own shortage of enthusiasm and failure to mobilise and concentrate its efforts in the region.

However, the election on Sunday may reshape politics in the Northeast.

Despite an absence of popular support, the Democrat party does have some fans in the region. These supporters, who include government officials and middle-class people, are concentrated in downtown areas. It is said that there are about 5,000 Democrat supporters in every urban community.

However, on the up-side, the leadership of the People Power party (PPP) could work in the Democrats' favour.

PPP leader Samak Sundaravej is known for being provocative and is unlikely to charm northeastern voters, even though he has promised to continue populist policies championed by the Thaksin government.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, on the other hand, is soft-spoken, and is offering soft populist projects, such as curbing the spread of mega-stores, which may appeal to poorer northeastern voters.

However, many voters are more concerned about what lies ahead on the political landscape after the polls.

Further political turmoil seems likely if Mr Samak, who has pledged to give amnesties to 111 former executives of TRT who were barred from politics for five years by a military-appointed tribunal, is elected prime minister.

"If we vote for the PPP, we do not get Thaksin [Shinawatra] as prime minister anyway. What we will get is Mr Samak, whose policy of bringing back Mr Thaksin is not right for voters," said one observer in the Northeast.

Efforts by the coup-makers to curtail the PPP and stop it from rising to power are also intensifying. Their attempts could influence the decisions of many "silent" voters who do not support the PPP's political agenda.

The Democrat party is likely to capitalise on the PPP's weak points and tip the political scale in its favour.

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Lieutenant rallies troops

Ong-art Klampaiboon isn't called a Democrat party "lieutenant of Thon Buri constituency" for nothing.

Mr Ong-art was the only Democrat elected in the Thon Buri area in the 2001 general election in which Thai Rak Thai won a landslide victory.

The Democrat party won nine Bangkok seats while Thai Rak Thai swept 28 seats in the capital.

In the 2005 general election, Thai Rak Thai did even better, gaining 32 seats in Bangkok, leaving just four seats for the Democrats.

Bangkok Noi district, in particular, had never been a stronghold of the Democrats. For 20 years, its voters had chosen the Prachakorn Thai and the Palang Dharma parties to represent them in parliament, rather than the Democrats.

Offering approachability as his selling point, Mr Ong-art managed to woo voters away from the parties which previously held away over the constituency.

Mr Ong-art heightened his profile and forged close ties with residents by making it a point to attend weddings, funerals and merit-making rites.

In the Dec 23 election, however, he will need to venture further afield to rake in votes as the constituency he is contesting covers a broader area than the previous election.

Bang Phlad, Taling Chan, and Thawi Watthana districts are now grouped together under constituency 12 where he is running.

He is hoping for a last-moment surge in support for the Democrats which could ensure a clean sweep for him and his team mates - Chanin Rungsaeng and Ratchada Tanadirek.

As for the People Power party (PPP), it is relying on the popularity of former MPs such as Pitipong Temcharoen, former MP in Thawi Watthana and Taling Chan districts, and Arisman Pongruangrong.

In Prachakorn Thai's heyday, PPP leader Samak Sundaravej was another favourite MP in this constituency. He was leader of that party for many years.

In constituency 12, Mr Samak is campaigning together with Chalerm Yubamrung, who is placed second after Mr Samak on the PPP list of candidates in party list zone 6.

Observers say they are stealing the limelight from Mr Ong-art.

An opinion survey by Ramkhamhaeng University last week predicted Mr Ong-art would fail to get elected.

However, even a PPP source did not necessarily agree with that prediction.

Mr Ong-art looked to be a "sure bet" in the election as the PPP was now concentrating on preventing popular Democrats in other constituencies from winning.

Big names which the PPP is targetting in Bangkok include Kowit Tharana, a candidate for constituency 11 in Bang Kae district, Wilas Chantornpitak in constituency 9 of Thon Buri and Klong San districts, and Thawin Paison in constituency 10 of Bang Bon and Rat Burana districts.

Some suggested Mr Ong-art might like to enlist the help of "Hyde Park-calibre" public speakers from the Democrats, to counter the PPP.

But Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva rejected that idea, telling candidates to stick to substance over style in addressing voters.

Bangkok Post