Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha might have made headlines by formally joining the United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chart) Party on Monday, but he has offered little in terms of his political vision, according to political analysts.
Prayut formally registered as a member of the newly-formed political party amid much fanfare at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, potentially paving the way for him to be nominated as its prime ministerial candidate in the next general election.
“I don’t aspire to continue in power, but Thailand needs to move forward,” Prayut said in a speech to hundreds of party faithful.
The event on Monday ended months of speculation about Prayut’s political plans. What specific role he will play in the party is, however, an open question.
Political experts observed that, besides dwelling mostly on his past, Prayut’s speech was short of political ideas.
“He simply squandered a good opportunity to tell the Thai people what he will do for the country,” said Dr. Pichai Rattanadilok Na Phuket of the National Institute of Development Administration.
Pichai told Thai PBS that Prayut should have taken the opportunity to lay out his vision for the country, if he returns to power after the next general election. “Instead, he bragged about his honesty – the same old thing he has been talking about for the past eight years,” said Pichai, referring to Prayut’s often-repeated claims that he does not tolerate corruption.
Pichai’s view is shared by Dr. Jade Donavanik, a former advisor to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), who believes that Prayut was selling himself short.
“He said nothing about the future,” said Jade, who noted that it was apparent that Prayut was not well-prepared for his address, which should have been designed to reflect his vision for the future. “Thailand needs to move forward, were his key words, but he didn’t say a thing about how he would help contribute to that,” said Jade.
Both Pichai and Jade also cast doubt on the political party’s chances of winning a substantial number of seats in the next general election. Though the United Thai Nation Party has attracted a number of defectors from other political parties, its political viability is also an open question.
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Party leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, himself a former key member of the Democrat Party, insisted that Prayut is the best choice for the country, despite the fact that, if he were to be re-elected as prime minister, he would only serve for two years, as decided by the Constitutional Court.
Prayut is expected to face a tough battle in the general election, as his popularity has plummeted and the party he has just joined does not yet have a strong political base.
A political party needs to win a minimum of 25 House seats in the general election to qualify to nominate a prime ministerial candidate.
By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk
