Fair Party's public walk rally on May 8 to highlight democratic agenda
Fair Party, a relatively new political outfit, will hold a walk rally on Sunday, May 8, at Lumpini Park in central Bangkok, calling for transparency and fairness in the upcoming Bangkok governor election.
“Dearn, Lao, Kao, Sib”, or “walking and learning about democracy”, will begin at 7am and is free for public participation, as part of the party’s mission to establish itself and make a difference in the country’s political discourse.
Since its inception four years ago, Fair Party has been committed to the principles of a fair democracy, pursuing equal possibilities in politics, economics, society, education, and quality of life, with the hope that those who care about justice will support them.
The party expects the walk rally to provide an opportunity to explain its position and political beliefs to a broader audience.
“The majority of political parties organise events for their registered members. We, in comparison, are completely accessible to the public. You are welcome to join our party without making any commitments,” said party leader Pitipong Temcharoen, 53, in an interview with The Nation.
The walk rally is expected to attract 500 participants. Ten stations along the way will provide the participants with thought-provoking facts and knowledge. The topics covered include corruption in the Thai government, Thailand’s education system, air pollution, economic development, promotion of tourism, green space in Bangkok, and LGBT marriage rights.
Apart from organising the rally and putting up exhibition boards highlighting society’s issues, the party intends to bring Bangkok governor candidates to the event to meet rally participants.
The title of the walk rally is partly derived from a critique of Thailand's growth and democracy, which will celebrate its centennial in the next decade. In 1932, during the reign of King Rama VII, the Kingdom transitioned from a monarchy to a democracy.
“Over the last 90 years, we have seen ‘democratic’ administrations go through ups and downs. However, the focus has never been on popular power. If Thailand is not ruled by a military dictatorship, it is ruled by capitalist forces. We are trying to highlight that the people are the bosses of politicians, not the other way around," Pitipong stated.
The party has not fielded a candidate for Bangkok governor, but it has declared that it will run in next year's general election.
Chotipoom Luangpraset, a young officer with the Royal Patronage Mae Fah Luang Foundation, expressed interest in joining the walk rally to hear the candidates’ views directly from them. He also wishes to conduct his own interviews with the governor contenders.
He said that he would love to see the successful candidate respect the people's voice by allowing Bangkok to serve as a forum for independent views and that the new administration should establish a “civil society”.
“Bangkok should have professional organisations as an element of its civil society, such as groups of bus drivers, taxi drivers, and others. They must be robust and act as a check on the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's operations,” Chotipoom explained.
The 11th election for the governor of Bangkok will be held on May 22. It will take place nine years after the last election in 2013. The delay was due to the 2014 coup d’état.
"Dearn, Lao, Kao, Sib" is currently accepting registrations by QR Code scanning. The first 500 persons to register will receive complimentary items, including a mask, a T-shirt, and a medal. Alternatively, go to https://fairpartyofficial.com/.