Most people don’t believe in Pheu Thai design to melt polarisation: NIDA Poll

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

MOST PEOPLE SAY THEY DO NOT believe the Pheu Thai-led coalition government could effectively melt the country’s decades-old political polarisation, according to the latest NIDA Poll released today (Aug.27).

The opinion poll, recently conducted among a total of 1,310 constituents from all walks of life in all regions of the country, has found 57% of the respondents say they do not believe the newly-formed coalition government could ever manage in any way to melt the chronic polarisation as earlier heralded by Pheu Thai wheeler-dealer Bhumtham Wechayachai.

Bhumtham, speculated to be named deputy prime minister-cum-commerce minister, is known as a right-hand man of de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra who has allegedly taken part in allocating varied cabinet seats among coalition partners literally from his hospital bed after he had been transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to Police Hospital for reported “illnesses”.

Nevertheless, the NIDA Poll has found 40% of the respondents say they believe the Pheu Thai-pledged design to melt the polarisation could somehow bear fruit sooner or later.

Meanwhile, the respondent constituents are equally divided over whether the return of the de facto Pheu Thai boss from 17 years of self-exile could practically help with the Pheu Thai-pledged effort to melt the polarisation.

The NIDA Poll has found 49% of the respondents say they believe Thaksin could not practically be of help whilst another 49% says otherwise.

The polarisation has evidently seen division of people nationwide into Yellow Shirt and multi-coloured shirt movements in antagonism with Thaksin and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra as head of an elected government who were both separately deposed in coups at one end and Red Shirt movement in support of both former leaders at the other end.

Ideological and partisan conflicts among politicians, political activists and others have prevailed as well as prompted street protests and forceful suppression by police and army troops which resulted in deaths, injuries and detentions over the last two decades.

Following the May 14 election, a coalition government has been set up in surprise fashion under the premiership of real estate mogul-turned-prime minister Srettha Thavisin, known as personally associated with Yingluck, with the Pheu Thai as the country’s second largest elected party and core of the coalition but without the Move Forward, the country’s largest elected camp.

The Pheu Thai-led coalition government consists of the Bhumjaithai as the third largest elected party under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, the Palang Pracharath led by Prawit “Uncle Pom” Wongsuwan and the Ruam Thai Sang Chart under de facto party boss Prayut “Uncle Tu” Chan-o-cha.

“Uncle Tu” staged the 2014 coup as army chief to oust the Yingluck government with alleged support from “Uncle Pom”, both of whom had run in vain for prime minister in last May’s nationwide election.

CAPTIONS:

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, right above and left on Front Page, and Pheu Thai de facto boss Thaksin Shinawatra. Both photos: Thai Rath

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