Pheu Thai dissolution petition: Who’s mad at Thaksin?
While it is not known who is behind the petition to seek the dissolution of Pheu Thai, analysts say it all boils to dissatisfaction with the former PM
Political analysts believe that an anonymous petition seeking the dissolution of the ruling Pheu Thai Party is a sign of growing dissatisfaction with its patriarch, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, father of new PM Paetongtarn.
The petition reportedly urged the Election Commission (EC) to file a case with the Constitutional Court, seeking the dissolution of Pheu Thai. The complainant alleged the coalition leader had allowed itself to be dominated by Thaksin, who was not a party member.
Thaksin was present at the party’s meeting at its headquarters on August 13, just one day before the Constitutional Court handed out the verdict to remove Srettha Thavisin as PM for a lack of integrity.
Srettha was ousted for appointing Pichit Chuenban as PM’s Office Minister, despite knowing that Pichit was not qualified as he was once jailed for trying to bribe court officials. The move was believed by political critics to have been orchestrated to make Thaksin’s daughter the premier.
The former PM reportedly attended meetings with state officials and business leaders to discuss the government's policy and fiscal budget. Some of these meetings were not even attended by the new PM, although Thaksin claimed to be no more than a close advisor.
Analysts said the complainant might use other evidence to support the claim that Thaksin is influencing Pheu Thai, both secretly and publicly. They referred to recent occasions where the former premier suggested how the government’s flagship campaigns should be adjusted to increase efficiency, including the 10,000-baht handout to boost domestic spending and the 20-baht fare cap on electric trains.
It is still not clear who drew up the anonymous petition, but analysts say it could be anyone in either the conservative or liberal camps.
Although in the almost three decades of his political career, Thaksin has been considered a conservative, there are several diverse branches of conservatives in Thailand, and not all of them are happy with his latest actions, analysts pointed out.
Head of Pheu Thai Party MPs Wisuth Chainarun said on Monday that the allegation mentioned in the petition is ill-informed and wrong.
