New Thai party paves way for military to extend role

By Max Constant

BANGKOK (AA) - Days after a junta-enabled draft constitution was approved by a wide margin, a pro-military political party is being set-up ahead of November 2017 elections, opening the possibility for an ex junta member to become prime minister.

The establishing of a such a party is reminiscent of the events of 1992, when a pro-military was formed allowing 1991 coup leader Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon to become prime minister.

On Wednesday, Paiboon Nititawan, a bureaucrat close to the military and former member of the National Reconciliation Council (NRC) -- a junta-appointed assembly in charge of reviewing a previous draft charter -- was reported as announcing he will set up a political party under the name People’s Reform Party.

“Retired officers will become ordinary citizens and can join my party,” the Bangkok Post quoted him as saying.

“My party will have three intentions: reform parties and improve Thai politics, reform Buddhism and set up people’s councils in every province to serve as monitoring agencies."

As a member of the NRC, Nititawan was actively involved in endeavors to clean up the Thai monastic community from monks who had breached tight rules on discipline.

On Tuesday, junta chief-cum-Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha appeared to avoid answering a question asking if he would accept a request to be prime minister after the November 2017 elections.

Academics, media and party leaders on both sides of the political spectrum had criticized the draft as it allows for a military-appointed 250-member senate and for an un-elected “outsider” prime minister.

“This has nothing to do with me. It is about politics,” he responded. “Political parties will bring in an outsider only if they have trouble. But do you think they won’t be able to name a prime minister?”.

Chan-ocha, who came to power in a May 2014 coup which overthrew the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra -- has previously stated that he did not want to “hang on to power”, but never formally discussed if he would refuse to become prime minister asked.

In 1992, newly installed Prime Minister Kraprayoon's rule was relatively short-lived.

In a matter of weeks, hundreds of thousands of protestors took to the streets, only to be severely repressed by the military resulting in 52 confirmed deaths and many disappearances.

On May 20 that year, King Bhumbol Adulyadej summoned both Kraprayoon and former Bangkok governor Chamlong Srimuang, who had led the demonstrators, and asked them to solve the conflict peacefully.

Kraprayoon resigned as prime minister May 24.

Following Sunday’s approval of the draft charter, a clause is to be included in the new constitution giving power to a junta-appointed senate to vote jointly with the lower house on the choice of prime minister.

The suggestion was the second question in Sunday’s referendum, and was approved by 58 percent of those who voted.

A committee is expected to take four months to implement the constitution into law, and then there will be a five months period to prepare the elections.

Chan-ocha said Tuesday that political parties, banned since the 2014 coup from any political activities, would only be free to hold political meetings after the constitution is implemented.