Thailand skal jo langt om længe til valg. Valget vil finde sted den 24. februar 2019.
Læs nærmere om valget her: Thailand skal til valg den 24. februar 2019
Phalang Pracharat Party er det parti som juntaen mere eller mindre direkte støtter, ligesom partiet støtter kupmageren Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Men om der nogensinde skal blive fred eller i det mindste en vis samhørighed mellem thaierne er svært at forstille sig. Phalang Pracharat Party holder sig i hvert fald ikke tilbage som det ses i denne video:
Link: เกียรติบุรุษ พันธ์เลิศ (Facebook)
Dagens karikaturtegning i The Nation.
Militæret giver sku ikke magten fra sig. Så kan de kalde det valg, alt det de vil.
UPDATE—In the feverish atmosphere in Thailand following the bombshell events of Friday, coup rumours are swirling around Bangkok, fuelled by sightings of armoured convoys on the move around the city. The military says the troop movements are just for training, and evening put signs on vehicles saying "For Training" to try to dampen speculation.
It is, of course, extraordinary that a country's army should have to put reassuring signs on their armoured vehicles. It's another sign of the damage that decades of military meddling in politics has done to public confidence in the armed forces.
Thais know from bitter experience that when the military starts publicly insisting that no coup is coming, this is often a sign that they are about to seize power again.
The top army leadership, including army commander-in-chief Apirat Konsompong, have been in Munich after being summoned for talks by King Vajiralongkorn.
The talks do not involve dictator Prayut Chan-ocha and the other junta leaders, who have retired from military duties. But the top active duty generals went to Germany.
In a sign that the authorities are worried about an angry backlash after Friday's dramatic events, Matichon reported that police in Pichit province were told to be on standby in case of mass unrest. Sources said they had received intelligence that disturbances were possible in the province.
Unrest could also be sparked if, as widely expected, Thaksin’s Pheu Thai and/or Thai Raksa Chart parties are dissolved by the authorities ahead of the election.
There will be no coup in Thailand unless Vajiralongkorn wants one.
As explained by Paul Chambers of Naresuan University, Vajiralongkorn has firm control of the military. [ https://www.newmandala.org/a-rebuke-against-a-sister-and-t…/ ]
After a decade during which the Eastern Tigers Queen's Guard military faction — led by Prawit Wongsuwan and Prayut — was in the ascendancy, the traditionally more powerful Wongthewan King's Guard faction is dominant once again.
Chambers notes that reshuffles of top military positions overseen by Vajiralongkorn "guarantee his personalised influence across the armed forces for years to come".
The king also has his personal Royal Guard to count on. As Chambers says: "Rachawallop Infantry Unit 904, under the Army’s First Division and First Army Regiment, has evolved since the 1980s to become a praetorian guard for the current sovereign with a force of almost 5000 soldiers. In December 2018, Army Chief Apirat’s son Peerapong was appointed to this unit."
It may seem perplexing that coup rumours are circulating when the country is already ruled by a military junta. But Thailand's generals love coups so much they sometimes stage coups against their own administrations.
As U.S. ambassador Ralph "Skip" Boyce wrote in leaked cable 07BANGKOK311 in January 2007 when bumbling generals were also considering a "re-coup" against the military-installed government:
"Although a coup against one's own government sounds ridiculous, this has happened here before: elected prime minister Thanom launched a coup against his own government in 1971. Thanom dissolved Parliament, banned political parties and strengthened military rule until he was forced to flee the country two years later in the wake of violent protests." [ https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07BANGKOK311_a.html ]
If a coup were to be launched, it would likely be aimed at abrogating the 2017 constitution and recent election laws, and cancelling the elections due to be held on March 24.
Vajiralongkorn may feel that recent events have thrown the election process into chaos, and he does not want political disarray to overshadow his coronation in early May.
The king may also have lost confidence in Prayut and the junta, and want the King's Guard faction to take charge.
Despite the speculation, there is no indication yet that a coup is imminent in coming days. But there is a widespread sense of fear in Thailand and the kingdom stumbles into uncharted political territory.
Postet på nettet i dag (link).
Det er snart værre end Mellemøsten.
Mere af samme skuffe her:
By Sunday night, rumors were spreading on social media of a possible military coup. The last coup in May 2014 was led by current junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is also prime minister.
The timing of any such action would be awkward, with the military set to begin joint exercises with the US armed forces and partner nations this week as part of an annual event known as Cobra Gold.
“Stop the vicious cycle! Stop coups! Enough! We want elections!” wrote Facebook user Waaddao Chumaporn shortly before 10pm Sunday.
“I hope the rumor about a coup isn’t true. I believe the electoral process can solve all problems. Only if we believe in the people,” Future Forward Party candidate Rangsiman Rome wrote on Facebook at 10:20pm on Sunday night.
Link: Khaosod English
Man kan også følge med her:
A press release of the EC’s office said that the commission reached the resolution to recommend the party’s dissolution to the Constitutional Court late Tuesday night after finding the party’s nomination of Princess Ubolratana as its sole prime ministerial candidate detrimental to democratic rule with the King as the head of state.
EC secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma who personally handed over the EC’s resolution to the Constitutional Court told the media that the commission arrived at the resolution on late Tuesday night.
Regarding the Thai Raksa Chart party’s defence evidence, he said that they would be sent to the EC chairman for consideration in the next meeting.
The party’s legal team submitted its evidence to defend its role in the controversial nomination of its prime ministerial candidate to the EC this morning which was already too late as the commission had already made its decision.
Måske sikrest hvis folk tager deres egen kuglepen med i morgen.
Der er alligevel kun 1 vinder af valget. Det er militæret.