Thaksin RESIGNS!!

[Just a Guy]

More Details

 

 

Thailand's Prime Minister to Resign

By RUNGRAWEE C. PINYORAT

Associated Press Writer

686 words

4 April 2006

04:46 pm GMT

Associated Press Newswires

English

© 2006. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

 

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Embattled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra abruptly announced Tuesday he will step down from office, bowing to a mounting opposition campaign seeking his ouster over allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

 

His announcement came after Thaksin met with Thailand's revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at his southern seaside palace.

 

"I am sorry that I will not accept the premier post," Thaksin said in a televised speech.

 

The 56-year-old leader said he would remain in a caretaker role until a successor is chosen, adding that his replacement would be elected once parliament resumes within the next 30 days.

 

"We have no time to quarrel," he said. "I want to see Thai people unite and forget what has happened."

 

Results from Sunday's election showed Thaksin's popularity had plummeted, and opposition forces had been gearing up to resume their anti-government protests.

 

It is unclear what role the king played in his decision, although Thaksin said in his speech that scores of world leaders would be arriving two months for the 60th anniversary of the monarch's accession to the throne.

 

Thaksin insisted he had helped the country since being first elected in a landslide in 2001. He was returned to office in 2005 and called Sunday's election to defuse the political crisis.

 

"As for many things that I have been accused of, this prime minister has never thought of doing anything wrong or evil to the country," he said. "I think I have done my best. If there is an opportunity in the future to explain my actions, people may have a clearer understanding."

 

The leadership change under popular pressure was the second in the past decade and a half, but this one came without bloodshed. In 1992, people protesting the rule of a military strongman were gunned down before Bhumibol stepped in to end the bloodshed, and usher in a period of stable democracy.

 

"I think it shows good intentions on the part of the prime minister to resolve the conflict right," said Sanan Kachornprasat, whose Mahachon party was one of the three that boycotted the election. "Apart from making his announcement, he has to show that he is willing to work with everyone right away."

 

Thaksin's party won 57 percent of Sunday's parliamentary election, but scores of voters abstained, according to preliminary results. There was a record high number of abstentions on the ballots in Bangkok, where the anti-Thaksin movement is strongest, and in southern Thailand, a traditional stronghold of the opposition Democrat Party.

 

Before a new Parliament can convene to form a new government and choose Thaksin's successor, new elections must be held April 23 in at least 39 constituencies where there was a failure to meet minimum turnout figures in Sunday's balloting.

 

Thaksin's announcement late Tuesday was particularly surprising, given that he said on national television a day earlier that his party had won 16 million votes -- meeting his threshold of staying in office if he won more than half of the vote.

 

In his remarks Monday, he acknowledged a strong protest vote against him and said he would set up a neutral committee to decide his political future. He said the committee would comprise three former prime ministers, three former Supreme Court chiefs and three former heads of Parliament to judge whether he should resign.

 

"If that committee tells me to quit, then I will quit," Thaksin said.

 

But Thaksin's critics, who for two months have been staging rallies drawing as many as 100,000 people, rejected the idea of a reconciliation committee as insincere and called for new protests this week.

 

The rallies grew in size after Thaksin's family in January said it had sold its controlling stake in telecommunications company Shin Corp. to Singapore's state-owned Temasek Holdings for a tax-free $1.9 billion. Critics alleged the sale involved insider trading and complained that a key national asset was now in a foreign government's hands.

[samak]

guess you are a bit misleaded, whosyourdaddy

Thaksin said: "I will remain as caretaker prime minister until there is new parliament and government". so he is not stepping down and TRT is certainly not giving up its governmental power.

Thaksin realized that the results of this election do not legitimate him to run as PM for another 4 years; nearly 50 candidates did not get over the 20% hurdle and many other candidates in central and southern thailand made only 20-40% of the votes.

i guess there are 3 scenarios

1. the new parliament elects Thaksin as PM of a interim government until new elections can be held and some constitutional reforms passed. this will take several months.

In a new election TRT will have difficulties to win as there is no other strong leader within the party.

2. PAD and opposition parties continue protests against Thaksin as an Interim PM. He let another TRT member act as the Interim PM, who could gain popularity as a skillful "caretaker" during a interim period when political tension is calming down. This new TRT leader could enter the next election as a strong candidate to establish TRT as the winner for the next 4 years.

3. Thaksin acts as a Interim PM pretending to step down and sacrifice himself for the country, calming down protests and political tension and implementing constitutional changes. He slightly changes the profile of TRT from Thaksin Rules Totally to a party where several fraction leaders can gain profile and a party who serves the country by providing political refoms and pretending to listen to those who did not vote on sunday. in a new election Opposition parties are still not very strong with relatively weak leaders (Banharn and Sanan too old and Aphisit too young) and TRT will win again electing Thaksin as new PM for the next 4 years!

[bibblies]

I think you're overestimating him. Thaksin's dead in the water. He could maybe come back in a few years, like a Mandelson, but as of now, he's lost it and the new guys do not have to listen to him. He was on to a loser as soon as he called the election.

 

The only important question left now is:

 

Will the new guy let us go back to seeing tits in the gogos?

[limbo]

Samak has a point,

 

He's actually not really stepping down for the moment being.

[whosyourdaddy]

guess you are a bit misleaded, whosyourdaddy. I dont think I have been mislead, just thinking what the hell is going to happen in the next few weeks. As I said things are going to get ugly.

 

 

Well It is obvious that he has a plan to try and save his ass, but we will see if the constitution and HRH allows it. I think most people have seen through his speech, but probably he will not be allowed to 1/2 quit.

 

His party will definately be divided into factions if a new election is called and the members have time to make their own party.

 

But once again he is playing with the constitution and fucking everyone else

[MadStockBroker]

Not meaning to be pedantic but technically he did not "resign" since he was not the Prime Minister.

 

He has been caretaker PM since he called the election.

 

He will not accept the post of PM which is his right as leader of the "winner" in the last election.

[..]

Today per an SMS from The Nation, Thaksin named Dep PM Chidchai Wananasatid a interim PM.

 

Bibblies: I venture to say that Cowboy today is as good as it was in 2000, save for the 0130-0200 closing times. I certainly have no problem seeing snatch in at least half a dozen bars there!

 

Cheers,

SD

[whosyourdaddy]

" but technically he did not "resign""

 

Of course he did not resign. It is not like in the west where the richest man in the country can say I screwed up and resign.. The man has to save face. He says he will let someone take over. Somkid or the "Fai-Check" minister and then he will make a deal and go out the back door, making some excuse that he is needed elsewhere. The Democrates, Chart Thai and Phak Mahachon all know this and are not making a stink about it. They will let him go quietly on his own terms and then get down with business.

 

Now if Somkid takes over there wiill be a few foreign economic ministers ( like in Canada) that will be shitting since years ago they laughed at his economic policies and they actually worked. Hopefully he does not hold a grudge!!!!!

 

BUT WONT THAKSINS REVENGE BE SWEET. IT WILL BE THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN. As much as I love and admire Aphisit, he will probably wish he was back living in Newcastle

[Khunhunter]

Do any of you, this is most generally directed to the expats who are residing in Thailand, have any idea who will likely be the new PM? If you do know or have an educated guess what are your collective thoughts as to what that person's actions may mean to those of us visiting or living in Thailand. I am especially interested in what he or she may do to the nightlife/Thai gir/farang situation. Will they make our life miserable etc.

Also, what do you think the future will hold regarding farang investment in land, business, etc.

 

Cordially,

 

Khun Hunter

[whosyourdaddy]

Who knows. He will want to try and keep all the factions together so the party does not split. Could be Sanoh , Sudarat , Somkid or anyone else in his party. Probably find out after he comes back from England for Songkran.

 

Suadum: I hope that SMS was wrong. That is all we need some police General . Can you say " state of emergency"

 

I would doubt if any social order parties would change unless, god forbid Chulit gets back into politics. They have been nervous that Foreign investors would pull out but when I locked at the SET today in was up quite abit with foreign investers leading the way. Regardless Thailand is open for business with farangs and looking at expanding so Things should open up more in the future.