Temperamental challenges ahead for ‘good guy’ PM
PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha told Government House reporters late last year that he would attempt not to get angry with them due to their questions. And it would be his New Year resolution to become a “good guy” for the media.
But just one month into the New Year and it appears General Prayut is likely to have broken this resolution.
As pressure mounts on him, his government and the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which Prayut also heads, it is incumbent upon him to remain calm throughout the almost daily interviews with the media.
The first constitutional draft has been completed by the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC), and it has attracted a lot of criticism from mainly politicians and academics. They have described the draft as undemocratic.
Reporters often fired provocative questions at the PM and NCPO head, based on those harsh words and attacks against the draft. Also, there were allegations the new charter draft was aimed at extending the Prayut team’s time in power.
The CDC chairman, Meechai Ruchupan, recently fuelled the speculation by saying it was likely the next general election would be held late next year – and not around mid-2017 as had been stated by Prayut. He said the constitution drafters needed more time to complete their work drafting the organic laws required by the constitution. These included the laws on elections and political parties.
Thanks to the many hot political issues at this time, the media cannot be blamed for having come up with questions that could anger General Prayut.
Given his blunt and belligerent personality, the government leader has often lectured or reacted angrily in response to tough questions from reporters. There was a brief respite during the New Year period, before and after Prayut made the “good-guy resolution”. But when the new constitutional draft became a popular topic of public debate, the PM again could not restrain himself when Government House reporters repeatedly confronted him with anger-inducing queries.
Such fiery reactions sometimes lessened the significance of the message he wanted to convey to the public. General Prayut seems to be well aware of that problem, hence his “good-guy resolution” and his attempt to correct his moods before the media.
Prayut and his team have faced pressure both inside and outside the country since he staged the coup in May 2014 while serving as the Army commander-in-chief. He drew up a three-stage road map to return democracy to Thailand. Drafting the new constitution was part of the second phase – with the last phase the holding of an election to allow a democratically-elected government take over from his junta. That was a big promise that Prayut made to all Thais and the international community.
He has remained firm with his plan to have the election held in July next year. He reiterated that again on Tuesday. Prayut said that at least the process of holding the next election should start at that time.
“I still maintain that the election process must start in July 2017. Certainly, it takes a month or two [after the election] before you actually get a new government. I don’t change my words. I am still firm with July 2017,” he said.
We just hope that General Prayut will be able to keep cool for the rest of his time in office, which is numbered now by the leader himself.
