Listen to this story |
It is both amusing and ironic to witness Senators, Pheu Thai, and Ruam Thai Sang Chart all ganging up on the Move Forward Party (MFP) for playing a political game to secure both the leader of the opposition and the first deputy house speaker positions on the opposition side.
It is amusing because they have done worse things in the past.
What is not amusing is that the MFP might be heading down a slippery slope if they are not careful. The next time they want to criticize the Senators or the government for engaging in outdated political games, fingers will be pointed back at them for this.
The Senators are the worst culprits in this saga since they came into power through a junta-drafted charter and committee. Because of them, the people’s mandate from the previous election was thrown down the gutter.
The comments from the junta-backed party Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party are also rich since they had no problem when, as members of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), they stole the 2019 election from the Pheu Thai Party with the help of the three tyrants. Not to mention that most of their members were part of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee who sabotaged the 2014 election.
Then comes the Pheu Thai Party, claiming that they had to form a government with Ruam Thai Sang Chart and the PPRP because “the country needs a government to address its issues,” not because they wanted to be in the government.
However, if the MFP does not want to be in the same mix, they should not play with dirt because they will end up soiled, as they have done.
It is understandable that they had no choice but to remove Padipat Suntiphada from the party due to the limitations imposed by the most undemocratic charter ever written. Even House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said that there is no problem if the person assuming the first deputy house speaker role comes from an opposition party because the role requires neutrality, regardless of the party affiliation.
This means that in a normal world, Padipat would still be able to remain with the MFP while retaining his position as the first deputy speaker, but this is not a normal world.
Where we are now is in the Thai political world, controlled by a corrupt supreme law crafted by individuals who used guns and tanks to seize power. Yet, they possess the audacity to lecture people that they should adhere to the new law they have written, threatening imprisonment if not complied with. It is a world where parties that won the election are not managing the country, its PM candidate did not become PM, and they did not secure the house speaker seat.
Still, the MFP should have made a different choice and opted to keep Padipat in their party because he was elected by the people from his constituency in Phitsanulok.
However, the choice has already been made based on short-term gains, and now they will have to live with the long-term consequences of it.
As anti-coup activist Sombat Boonngamanong has already warned, but to no avail, “what you will gain will not be as significant as what you will lose. Straightforward political practices are what the people prefer.”
