A TV debate between Prayut, Yingluck and Abhisit ?

They wouldn’t even need a TV anchor. Instead, each could take turns posing questions to the other two.

 In fact, General Prayut has indicated that he might be interested in a job as a reporter once he steps down from the “tiger’s back”.

He was, perhaps, teasing. But then, he could also have been serious when he taunted reporters last week in one of his daily sparring sessions with the Government House beat. He was discussing the government’s project to invite politicians to air their views on Channels 11 and 5, when he exclaimed:

“You reporters don’t really get it. The people invited onto the programmes include former government figures, National Reform Council members and non-government personalities. You may or may not watch [this programme, but] these people will be in the government in the future. You should listen to them so that you can determine whether they are saying the right things or not ... whether what they say can be implemented or not … whether they were involved in causing damage or not. But if you post big headlines without watching, then I can do a better job as a reporter than you people. I might quit as prime minister to become a reporter. I will beat you all. I can write much more interesting stuff. Mind you, I am not insulting you guys…”

The premier’s threat to switch careers is, perhaps, even more frightening for the country’s media professionals than the pressure on editors and columnists, or veiled censorship.

Much more serious, though, is the possibility that the reporters might have missed a really big scoop. 

Who knows, Prayut may have been quietly making another major surprise political move (the first one took place on May 22 last year) by getting the little-known Centre for Reconciliation and Reform to put opposing politicians and commentators together on TV to exchange views. And the ever-watchful media people haven’t even taken note of that significant event.

Keen observers have every reason to speculate that the premier might be up to something highly significant. For the first time since the coup, Prayut was opening up public space for the two former premiers.

“I don’t know whether they [Yingluck and Abhisit] will come or not. Do they have the courage to come? Please, go and ask them. You can write stories asking them that question. You guys are ready to write critical things about me, but you don’t have the guts to touch the others,” Prayut said. 

Clearly, he was challenging both the press and the key political figures on both sides of the fence to come forward and make their views known.

After this new and interesting twist, no one should be shocked if the political arena is awash again with rumours that the premier might be moving towards promoting a “national reconciliation government” that will comprise politicians of all shades and colours.

In fact, there have been suggestions from certain quarters that the concept of a national unity government might be incorporated in a comprehensive package that forms the backbone of a revised road map.

What if the new constitution contains a “provisional clause” spelling out the formation of a national reconciliation government to take over from the current interim administration under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) before the next general election is held?

What if a compromise can be struck among all the political groups and civil society for a to return to parliamentary democracy with an agenda and timetable that is acceptable to most of the parties concerned?

There is nothing concrete about this proposition so far. But there is also a general belief that if no “common understanding” is reached among all the political groups in advance, the post-election scenario will be just a return to more chaos. As things stand today, there seems to be sufficient evidence to compel all sides to consider a solution that is based on reconciliation rather than the resumption of an all-out political free-for-all.

In the unlikely event that Prayut, Yingluck and Abhisit do agree to go on TV together, that should be one of the main questions raised.