By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DE FACTO PHEU THAI BOSS Thaksin Shinawatra has been repeatedly suggested to stop practically overpowering Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and masterminding the rank and file of his ruling party in behind-the-scenes fashion once and for all.
The National Institute of Development Administration’s Political & Strategic Development Project Director Pichai Ratanadilok na Phuket today (Aug 1) called on the de facto Pheu Thai boss to stop playing his pivotal roles as “Mr. Fix It” who allegedly virtually pulls the Pheu Thai-attached prime minister around as a puppet and constantly takes control of the designing and steering of partisan policies since, the academic pointed out, the Pheu Thai popularity as a whole has reportedly dwindled by the day.
The Pheu Thai popularity has not only considerably declined among grassroots constituents but ultra-conservative, ruling elements since the de facto party boss has covertly taken hands-on approaches to plans and schemes for which Srettha and Thaksin’s partisan proteges may be dutifully responsible, Pichai commented.
“The prime minister’s economic performances have been evaluated as poor and dissatisfactory as far as the de facto party boss is virtually pulling strings around behind the scenes.
Thaksin, currently a criminal suspect released on bail under a lese majeste lawsuit with his request for a private trip to Dubai having been recently denied by court, has quietly pushed for populist campaigns under the name of his ruling party such as the much-heralded, yet-delayed 10,000-baht digital wallet project in effort to boost the ebbing partisan popularity among the people largely affected by economic woes.
Meanwhile, Pichai forecast that Srettha would likely be acquitted by the Constitutional Court of an impeachment lawsuit on Aug. 14 because, he said, the besieged prime minister had by no means violated the laws in deliberate fashion, pertaining to the contentious naming of Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer previously hired by the de facto Pheu Thai boss, who had performed in lack of professional integrity and had a lasting stigma of proven dishonesty.
Though Pichit, a former convict who had evidently acted in contempt of the Supreme Court and been consequently sentenced to a six-month jail term, had earlier resigned under pressure but Srettha has been allegedly held accountable for inappropriately naming him the portfolioless minister in a cabinet lineup earlier this year.
But the NIDA academic concluded that judges of the Constitutional Court will finally determine whether the prime minister’s contentious act may be tantamount to a breach of the constitution and code of political ethics as accused by plaintiffs.
If finally found guilty as charged, Srettha could possibly be immediately deprived of his prime-ministerial status, suddenly rendering a crisis for lack of head of government.
However, Pichai said, Thaksin would undoubtedly manipulate to keep the elected premiership with his camp at all costs and never leave it to either the second largest coalition partner Bhumjaithai or the third largest coalition partner Palang Pracharath.
The naming of Pheu Thai MP Chaikasem Nitisiri as replacement for an impeached Srettha would probably be the de facto Pheu Thai boss’s penultimate choice whilst that of his own daughter/Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra would ultimately be the last choice, according to the NIDA academic.
The whims of naming Paetongtarn head of government has been ultimately opposed by her mother/Thaksin’s ex-spouse Potjaman na Pombejra. Both Chaikasem and Paetongtarn were Srettha’s running mates as fellow partisan candidates for prime minister in last year’s election.
The previously “critically ill” Thaksin had allegedly played a pivotal part in power play literally from his private ward at Police Hospital by clandestinely manipulating the setup of the Pheu Thai-led government and allocation of cabinet portfolios among coalition partners with his hush-hush orders given to his right-hand man/Pheu Thai wheeler/dealer Phumtham Wechayachai.
CAPTION:
Top: De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, right, and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, left. Photo: Thai Rath
Insert: Academic Pichai Ratanadilok na Phuket. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, left, and de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, right. Photo: Naewna
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