City voters left in the dark
As the Bangkok gubernatorial election on February 17 draws closer, it is time that both main parties fielded their candidates. The waiting game and conflicts within each party should be truly over by now. But it hasn't happened.
On the Democrat front, they are still considering other candidates besides Sukhumbhand Paribatra. But with Sukhumbhand already kicking off his campaign for re-election and threatening to run as an independent if the party doesn’t back him, the Democrats’ hands are tied.
On the Pheu Thai front, it looks like Police General Pongsapat will be contesting the governorship – to the frustration of Sudarat Keyuraphan’s backers within the party. Either the Shinawatra clan doesn’t approve of Sudarat or Sudarat has decided not to run, knowing she might be defeated.
All of these intra-party conflicts are creating “dead-weight loss” for Bangkokians. In other words, we are worse off for not receiving the best and most competitive candidate each party could furnish. What we have instead is another police officer subservient to Pheu Thai leaders, and the incumbent Governor Sukhumbhand with a poor track record during his term. The delay in the Bangkok Futsal Arena construction, resulting in Fifa’s rejection of the stadium, is an embarrassing case in point.
There is an enormous difference between wanting their respective parties to win and wanting Bangkokians to win. The fact that Pheu Thai and the Democrats didn’t field Sudarat and Korn Chatikavanij, respectively, shows that neither house is in order. Too much politicking is involved. One solution is to have more independents contesting – assuming the main parties wouldn’t eventually gobble them up.
Edward Kitlertsirivatana
Bangkok
