Struggle between elites

Struggle between elites

The royal dimension to this crisis is that it is a struggle between two elite groups. One side have been much more successful in claiming royal legitimacy. But ironically this claim by the anti-Thaksin lot is causing a crisis for the monarchy because it associates the PAD violence and law-breaking with the monarchy, and the actions by the military have created an image that the monarchy is against the majority of the population. The support shown by Thailand's queen for the PAD has also angered or disappointed many Thais.
The new government will be made up of a coalition of some of the most corrupt and unprincipled politicians. This shows that the elites' opposition to Thaksin was never really about preventing corruption or vote buying, despite the fact that many ordinary middle-class people might have felt that it was. Even the Democrat Party has a history of vote buying and corruption. The Democrat governor of Bangkok had to resign recently under a corruption cloud. Yet the party was not dissolved by the courts. So far, Thaksin and his fellow politicians have only been found guilty of technicalities. No serious corruption charges have been proven. No evidence of real election fraud has ever been unearthed. In fact, Thaksin's party was reducing the importance of vote buying through pro-poor policies. This is what angered the Old Order. It meant that they could only overthrow his government by promising more to the poor or by using various means to organise coups.
There are a number of questions which need to be put to the new government:
1. Will the government punish PAD leaders for breaking the law, including the Democrat MP who took over the airport? Will the PAD be made to answer for the damage at Government House? Will the Democrats expel its MP who lead the airport occupation?
2. Will the military chiefs be sacked for breaking the law and intervening in politics. Will they be sacked for giving the green light to the takeover of the airports and thus compromising airport security?
3. Will the government defend the undemocratic constitution or will it amend the constitution to increase democracy?
4. Will elections be held as soon as possible to allow the Thai population to have a say?
5. What serious measures will the government take in order to protect the poor from the economic crisis. What job-creating policies does it have? How can it stop workers being sacked from factories. Will it increase wages and cut the value-added tax in order to stimulate the economy? Will the government increase taxation on the rich in order to help the poor?
6. Will the government punish state officials who murdered unarmed demonstrators in southern Thailand, at Takbai, during the Thaksin government? Will it withdraw troops and police so that a peaceful political solution can be achieved?
7. Will the government ensure a balanced media by allowing significant space for [pro-democracy supporters of the sacked government] Red Shirt critics? Or will the government increase censorship and media bias? Will it repeal the lèse majesté law and allow public scrutiny and criticism of the courts?
Many of us can guess what the answers will be ...