Big parties' rivalry poses reform headache

It’s interesting how Thailand’s “reform” will accommodate the two biggest political parties, whose fierce rivalry has been more or less blamed for the ongoing divide. The Democrat and Pheu Thai parties have been all but hibernating since the May 22 coup, but sooner or later those tasked with mapping out Thailand’s new political system will have to take them into consideration. How the two parties will fit into the system will be decisive for the future course of the country.

The rivalry features key elements of Thailand’s political troubles. Thailand’s oldest political outfit, the Democrat Party, was losing rural support to Pheu Thai in the North and Northeast and was criticised for not working hard enough for the poor. Pheu Thai, while popular among the grassroots thanks to big-money welfare policies, often ventured into legal minefields, sometimes unknowingly but sometimes arrogantly. Pheu Thai’s close association with Thaksin Shinawatra is also a major factor that will cause headaches to those contemplating new political rules.

As we can see, Pheu Thai has been popular for good reasons, but the party also got what was coming after pushing through its “amnesty” bill in the most dubious manner and ignoring repeated, vocal warnings against its controversial rice-pledging scheme. The Democrats, meanwhile, played a respectable role in Parliament when it came to scrutinising questionable policies but took the rivalry a step too far by mobilising street rallies against the Pheu Thai government. It also has to be noted that mobilising street protests featuring encamped people, some of whom might have been armed, was a strategy advocated by Pheu Thai back in 2010.

How can we make both parties take a couple of steps back? Right now, everybody is afraid that reform that “favours” the Democrats will not be accepted by those who support Pheu Thai, and vice versa. Reform elements that touch on their rivalry include electoral measures, anti-graft methods and who will be covered by future “amnesty” laws. These are key issues that have contributed to the country’s political deadlock. But these are also the issues that need to be tackled head-on if the reform promised by interim Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is to bring back justice and peace.

Both the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties are required to work on their own internal reforms. They will need to do a lot of soul-searching while Thai democracy is taking a break. But their internal reforms are a different issue. And both parties are unlikely to do anything without first seeing what national reform looks like. 

The task is daunting for those responsible for laying down new rules for the political parties. But Thailand is a comatose patient in urgent need of surgery – a situation in which something has got to give. The new Thai political system must still enshrine democratic values, but election winners must be made to respect the rule of law, checks and balances and be made aware of lines that are not to be crossed. Corruption, big or small, must be dealt with severely and according to a new standard that is never biased.

In fact, the reforms are all about saving democracy by making its key players more accountable, responsible and respectable. They have been anything but over the past few years, opening the door for outside intervention. They will need to be re-integrated into the system, though, because democracy remains the only viable path and democracy will need them. The question is “How?” And according to Prayut’s own schedule, the people concerned have about a year to figure out the answer.