By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DE FACTO PHEU THAI BOSS-CUM-CONVICT at large Thaksin Shinawatra would prefer to leave the next premiership to Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul rather than give it to his own daughter/Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra so that his party could continue to join ranks with the conservative camps, forecast a noted political scientist yesterday (Jan.15).
Given behind-the-scenes rounds of compromise between the de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict, who has been questionably staying for secrecy-shrouded “illnesses” at Police Hospital, and conservative parties such as the Palang Pracharath and Ruam Thai Sang Chart, the current leader of the Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob could probably be the best choice available to the country’s elite class, said Pornchai Theppanya, a former dean of Ramkhamhaeng University’s Faculty of Political Science.
“Given the fact that Thaksin has finally joined ranks with the conservative camps, he would rather avoid clashing with them anymore by otherwise arranging for his daughter to rise to power at any time during the current term of the coalition government,” the now-independent political scientist said.
The conservative parties, apparently represented by the Palang Pracharath under leadership of former deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan and the Ruam Thai Sang Chart under de facto party boss/coup leader-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, will most certainly not allow the Pheu Thai to head the multi-party, coalition government throughout the current term of the executive branch, he said.
Largely viewed as a previous supporter of the de facto Pheu Thai boss, Newin had allegedly adopted more amenable attitude toward the deposed prime minister whilst Anutin will allegedly remain under guidance of the de facto Bhumjaithai boss. The leadership of those conservative camps would rather take for granted that the Bhumjaithai leader would perform in more satisfactory, reliable fashion than Thaksin’s daughter, taking into account Anutin’s years of political experience, he said.
All those conservative camps, currently being partners of the Pheu Thai-led coalition, may offer to share the bandwagon since they all simply have one common enemy – the Move Forward – but they would hardly rely on the Pheu Thai as core of the current coalition government throughout the current four-year term of the executive branch.
Amidst sustained allegations that former real estate tycoon Srettha Thavision’s rise to elected premiership following last year’s general election had been quietly promoted by deposed prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and approved by her brother/the billionaire, powerful Thaksin, the current prime minister could possibly be told by the de facto Pheu Thai boss himself to call it quits and be replaced by the Bhumjaithai leader, the political scientist said.
Thaksin would prefer to keep his daughter from rising to power for fear of vehement opposition from those camps which represent the country’s elite-ruled conservatism, Pornchai said.
“Though Thaksin could be ultimately pivotal to the naming of the next prime minister just like when he did to the current one, those conservative parties would not always trust him to steer the coalition government in the following years,” the political scientist put it.
Literally from his private ward at Police Hospital and armed with a cellphone, Thaksin had allegedly taken part in the hush-hush power play over the setup of the Pheu Thai-led government and allocation of cabinet portfolios among coalition partners.
The outspoken political scientist’s comments apparently dampened speculation that Paetongtarn would be named the next prime minister with the help from her billionaire, politically powerful father to succeed Srettha who has been quietly endorsed by her aunt.
Meanwhile, Pornchai said, street activists will never succeed in pressing the authorities to return the de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict to jail or doing anything tantamount to a political threat to the Pheu Thai-led government.
That referred to little-known leaders of the Students’ and People’s Network for Democracy who plan to resume their peaceful street protest among a handful of elderly demonstrators outside Government House on Feb.2 without a schedule to end.
Anti-Thaksin critics have accused the deposed prime minister of flouting the country’s judicial process by feigning his “illnesses” to keep himself from literally spending a single day behind bars at Bangkok Remand Prison since he returned from self-exile abroad last August whilst his eight-year jail sentence had been curtailed by royal pardon to one year with the probability of being released on parole next month.
Given the fact that the Pheu Thai has joined ranks with those conservative camps, tens of thousands of demonstrators, previously known as Yellow Shirts and Whistle Blowers, who may have taken to Bangkok streets in protest of Thaksin and Yingluck over the past years will almost certainly not repeat it during the time of the current government, he said.
CAPTIONS:
Bhumjaithai Party boss Anutin Charnvirakul, left in above photo and right in Front Page photo, and de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Matichon
Insert: Thaksin Shinawatra with his daughter/Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Photo: Thai Rath
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