2 replies to this topic

[B.I.G.]

"The newly-established Matubhumi Party has vowed to crush the Democrat and Puea Pandin parties in the far South in the next general election. Speaking at the launch of the party in Narathiwat yesterday, secretary-general Mun Patanotai said he was confident the party would win about 80% of the House seats in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces.

It would certainly win over voters once the name of the party leader is revealed, he added.
However, he said the party could not reveal his name for the time being. Former army chief and leader of the 2006 coup Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the strongest candidate for the job, also appeared at the party's launch.

Gen Sonthi said a lack of unity among coalition parties in the far South was to blame for past failures to free the region of bloodshed and militant brutality. Key members of the Wadah group of southern politicians who had defected to the new party also attended yesterday's event.

Meanwhile, PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said the state had already spent about 2 billion baht in the form of compensation for victims of the southern unrest over the past five years. About 400 million baht alone was given to victims this year and another 900 million baht would be required next year, he said during a meeting with civil groups working to rehabilitate families and individuals affected by the separatist bombings and attacks.

Naree Charoenpolviriya, a leading peace advocate, urged the government to issue a separate regulation on compensation and rehabilitation for people suffering from the mistakes of the state's security forces in the deep South."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2212...ll-crush-rivals

[Hedda]

Former army chief and leader of the 2006 coup Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the strongest candidate for the job, also appeared at the party's launch.

It is perhaps symptomatic of what is seriously wrong with this country when the leading candidate for the leadership of a new political party is none other than the man who led the trashing of the 1997 Constitution and overthrow of the elected government in the 2006 coup.

General Sondhi is eligible to lead a new political party when Thaksin, the only man ever to lead a party which won an absolute majority in Parliament through elections, and who became prime minister with the royal warrant, is now barred from political office because of an alleged "criminal" conflict of interest in having his wife's bid on a piece of real estate owned by the BOT. Not only Thaksin, but his party's successor, PM Samak, got disqualified for cooking on TV. Both these guys are barred from holding political office, but the guy who staged a coup is now set to launch a political career. There's something cockeyed about this situation, no matter your politics. Some might even call it The Thai National Theatre of the Absurd.

[Taxi driver]

If you want to get a quick flavor of what this new party is all about, try this:

"The Matabhum party is backed by former leaders of the Rassadorn party, Man Pattanotai and Vatana Asavahame. . . Man served as the ICT minister in the PPP government, while Vatana contributed behind the scenes.

Man and Vatana are longtime associates. Vatana, also known as the Godfather of Paknam, kept Man as a close aide when he served as a cabinet minister in a number of governments. At the moment, Vatana is on the run from the law, while Man works to establish the new party. Vatana was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail in July 2008 for corruption in the Klong Dan wastewater treatment project." http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/

I think a former coup leader is just the kind of guy this party may be looking for.