APSN | Thai opposition party divided over election

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Thai opposition party divided over election

Reuters - December 17, 2013

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Thailand's main opposition party has failed to agree over whether to run in the country's early election, which was called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra following weeks of anti-government street demonstrations.

The Democrat Party reappointed former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as its leader in a meeting on Tuesday.

But its members remain divided over whether the democratic process should be respected, with the party taking part in the February 2 snap election, or if they should continue with street protesters, who are calling for political reforms to be implemented before another election can be held.

Democrat politicians resigned from parliament this month to join the street protests, which have been led by Suthep Thaugsuban, who was a deputy prime minister under Mr Abhisit until 2011.

"There will be no conclusion today as to whether the Democrat Party will run," Mr Abhisit said. The Democrats must decide by December 27 if they want to register for the vote.

Political analyst Kan Yuenyong from the Siam Intelligence Unit think-tank says it is clear a power struggle is going on within a deeply-divided Democrat Party.

"Abhisit's dilemma is he could be in big trouble with the protesters if he does go ahead with elections as most protesters are from his constituency," Mr Kan said.

"Abhisit is in a tough position because his inclination would be to boycott no matter what, as his party is bound to lose the election. Others in his party want to restructure the Democrats and feel duty-bound to run on February 2".

"There is a power struggle going on and Abhisit, who has been the party's poster boy for so long, is trying to exert control over a fractured Democrat Party."

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban's reform programme remains vague, with promises of an unelected "people's council" in charge of implementing any reforms.

He wants to wipe out vote-buying and electoral fraud and has also promised "forceful laws to eradicate corruption", decentralisation, the end of "superficial populist policies that enable corruption" and the reform of "certain state agencies such as the police force".

His agenda gained impetus and the support of tens of thousands of protesters in early November, after Prime Minister Yingluck's government tried to push through a political amnesty bill that would have allowed her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to return home a free man.

Mr Thaksin remains in self-imposed in exile in Dubai because he faces a jail sentence for abuse of power handed down in 2008.