Election in full swing

Thailand News - Perspective - Sunday December 09, 2007

COMMENTARY

Election in full swing

THONGBAI THONGPAO

With only a couple of weeks to the election, parties big and small are running their campaigns in high gear. All party leaders and candidates are visiting voters in all constituencies, showing no signs of boredom or fatigue, although some have long passed their retirement age. No one seems to budge.

In one incident, the leader of the Chartthai Party led his candidates to ask for votes in Bangkok, walking all sois gingerly without stopping to think he is now in his 70s. Unfortunately, he fell into a klong, along with several of his followers. But bad luck brought unbelievable gains, as his pictures splashed the front pages of all newspapers the next day, particularly the one in which when he was gently wiping the face of a young female candidate.

But luck seems to delude the leader of the Matchimathipataya party. Prachai Leophairatana was sentenced to an unsuspended three years' jail term and a fine of 6.9 billion baht. On the judgement day, he announced his resignation from the party leadership with tears in his eyes. But after three days he decided to continue leading the party upon the request of its members. Asked about his arch-rival, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he announced loud and clear that: "I'm not afraid of him. I have fought him all along, even when he was in power."

Meanwhile, the leader of the new Thai Ramruai Party was detained and faced investigations from the Department of Special Investigations, the Consumer Protection Board and the Anti-Money Laundering Commission on possible charges of public fraud. The court did not allow him bail even during the height of the election campaign. The party fielded 386 candidates, second only to the People Power Party (PPP) and the Democrats. Matichon reported on Dec 7 that the party members in Chanthaburi are concerned that their payments would stop now that their leader had been arrested. A candidate in the eastern province said she was a member of the multi-level marketing company that founded the party and was asked to run by the company's chairman. He promised her that she would get at least 10% of the vote, from voters who are members of the company, and she would get the 5,000-baht application fee back. She has put up no billboards or posters, or made any effort to campaign.

At first, she said she thought the Election Commission would not allow her to run since she has only a secondary school education, but she later learned that the rule had been changed.

She said she had bought 10 shares in the company for 1,450 baht and the gains she had received so far more than covered the investment. She is planning to buy another 10 shares and keep the profits to send her child to university in the next six months.

In Bangkok, billboards and posters of the new Silapin (artist) Party, led by Wasant Sitthiket, stand out from the crowd. Instead of urging voters to elect its candidates by stating its policies, the party seems to use the visuals mainly to attack other politicians and promote democracy. One says: "Elections are not all there is to democracy. Only the crooked have won. No wonder the country collapses as it does today." Another urges politicians to stop being corrupt and ruin the country.

The party put up only a few billboards and posters. According to news reports, it is financed by the mother of a businessman who donated 100,000 baht to the cause.

But at the Hi-Thaksin website, campaigns are running in high gear, aiming largely to attack the opponents of the PPP. "Choose Abhisit (Vejjajiva of the Democrats) and you'll get Sonthi Limthongkul. Choose Banharn and you'll get P. Si Sao (refers to Gen Prem Tinsulanonda). Choose Suvit Khunkitti and you'll get Surakiart Sithirathai. Choose Prachai (Leophairatana of the Matchimathipataya) and you'll get Somsak Thepsuthin. Choose Ruam Jai Thai and you'll get Somkid Jatisripitak. But if you choose Samak Soondaravej, you'll get Thaksin Shinwawatra."

The PPP has high hopes in the Northeast, which has always been the stronghold of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party. But when the Puea Pandin party emerged with the leader that is really a northeasterner and attracted quite a few veteran politicians, the PPP seems to be shaken and has begun campaigning hard in the region.

And forget about the statement that the PPP is not the nominee of anyone. Today, it makes no secret of being linked to Mr Thaksin and his name has been cited in every campaign.

Bangkok Post