Democrats lack 'big thinkers'

Democrat Party deputy party chief Alongkorn Polaboot noted that his party has not won a national election in 20 years and that “serious reform” is needed to beat the new politics of Pheu Thai.

This is going to be hard to do because a major part of the problem is with the Democrats’ people. The Democrats who were popular national figures (Prem Tinsulanonda and Chuan Leekpai) were known for their honesty and good governance. However, this party does not have many “big thinkers”. The party is very bureaucratic and does not reward people with big ideas.

There are a few exceptions such as Korn Chatikavanij, Kalaya Sophonpanich, and actually MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra himself, the Bangkok governor mentioned by Alongkorn in the article. Alongkorn himself is an interesting figure as a former newspaper reporter.

The Chatchai Choonhavan government (Chart Thai) introduced many beneficial economic policies including the Eastern Seaboard and the Indochina “marketplace”. General Suchinda Kraprayoon signed the 3 million telephone lines and BTS Skytrain projects. Anand Panyarachun passed 300 laws during his short term, including creating the Public Companies Act and Securities and Exchange Commission. What about the Democrats? They are most noted for the financial sector reform after the 1997 economic crisis, including the liquidation of 56 finance companies and their assets. But even this is more of a “damage control” or reactive policy.

How can the Democrats solve this problem? By bringing in prominent thinkers from the outside such as top bankers and entrepreneurs.

Regarding Alongkorn’s comment that after the Thai Rak Thai Party won in 2001 they “kept their campaign promises”, they were able to do this because it was/is a one-man show. It always takes longer to accomplish anything when you operate on the principle of consensus. What other figures in the government party does Alongkorn think are coming up with policies and implementing them?

Also, the Democrats’ problem is due to demographics. Of Thailand’s five regions, the current government won only two regions – the North and Northeast – but lost to the Democrats in Central, the East, and especially the South. Pheu Thai did not win one seat in any of the 14 southern provinces.

The problem is that more than two-thirds of the population is in the Northeast and, to a lesser extent, the North. The Democrats have no “ground game” in either of these regions. There is no reason that they could not be popular, but as former US House speaker Tip O’Neill once said, “All politics is local.” If you travel around the Northeast, you will see posters all over the place for Pheu Thai, even during non-election cycles, touting the government’s programmes, but try to find one for the Democrats. It is almost like the Democrats are not even trying there.

As for Alongkorn’s comment, “Don’t put it down to vote-buying, electoral fraud or populism,” this is very doubtful. The Democrats have very little financial support from big business, which is hurting them.

The Knowledge

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