Thailand's pro-democracy opposition has won a tight election, likely shutting the door on military rule under incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. With tallies of all votes cast counted, state television said the main opposition Pheu Thai party won the popular vote with 8.4 million votes, while the pro-army Palang Pracha Rath won 7.9 million votes. The results of the poll for the 500-seat parliament were expected to be a close call meaning weeks of negotiation and uncertainty of the formation of a workable coalition government are expected. The prime minister oversees a sharp decline in exports and rising public debt. The army had ruled the Southeast Asian country since 2014, when they ousted the civilian government.
Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat says he will ‘demilitarize’ Thailand
CNN
23-05-17 04:46
Pita Limjaroenrat’s Move Forward Party is likely to win the largest share of seats in Thailand’s election. Limjaroenrat revealed that his three-pronged policy priorities are to demilitarise, demonopolise and decentralise Thailand over the next four years. These proposed changes will reduce the military’s budget, number of generals, and transparency but will also work to democratise and globalise Thailand. The party’s success in this year’s election has demonstrated Thailand’s demand for change and policies resonate across society, especially among young Thais. Limjaroenrat hopes to form a coalition with opposition parties including Puea Thai.
Millennial and Gen Z voters have been instrumental in putting Thailand's opposition parties in the lead in their general elections, helping the progressive Move Forward Party gain 152 seats, with the main opposition party, Pheu Thai, gaining 141 seats. Both secured far greater vote shares than the 36 seats projected to be won by the party of Prime Minister and former military leader, Prayuth Chan-ocha. An alliance between the opposing parties and a number of smaller parties could command up to 60% of Thailand’s lower house, but this may not be enough to oust the ruling party. The country's upper and lower houses have different responsibilities in appointing a prime minister, and under rules established by the military-backed government, the prime minister must have 376 members backing him, combining both the lower and unelected upper house. Analysts suggest it may prove complex for the new factions to fulfil their ambitions for political reform with the establishment opposing them, and call on the upper house to respect the wishes of the voters.
More than 120 Latin American cities, including Barranquilla in Colombia, are participating in an initiative by the World Economic Forum called BiodiverCities by 2030. It is aimed at encouraging development that promotes the natural world and outside activity, and has emerged as the Colombian city undergoes a transition away from an industrialised past. Mayor Jaime Pumarejo, who filed a lawsuit against the Colombian government demanding greater protection for the Magdalena river, is continuing to develop sustainable projects – including the Magdalena riverfront known as the Gran Malecón, the north-west wetlands, and parks through the Todos Al Parque programme. Of Barranquilleros, 93% now live within an eight-minute walk of a park. Investment in nature-based projects for developing infrastructure could create more than 59 million jobs globally by 2030. Pumarejo has also signed an agreement with the Danish firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to develop a 350MW offshore wind project.
Thailand's private sector is worried about a political void after Sunday's elections left progressive party Move Forward with the most seats, but not enough for an easy ruling coalition. The sector wants the party to form a government quickly, maintain economic projects and pass a budget bill to inspire confidence in foreign investors.
Thailand's election-winning parties are seeking to overcome the military-backed bloc's built-in advantage in forming a government that reflects the popular desire for an end to military control of politics. The current prospect is a coalition led by the amazing result winners Move Forward party and including several pro-democracy parties who, together, hold 311 of the 500 lower house seats. However, the situation is complicated by Thailand's powerful military, which toppled the last elected government in 2014 and, along with other parties, participates in a combined vote for a prime minister. A coalition requires 376 votes.
The pro-reform Move Forward Party has claimed a shock victory in Thailand's elections, with over 14 million votes and is now seeking to form a coalition with fellow pro-democrats Pheu Thai and five other parties. However, this does not mean Move Forward will now run the government in Thailand's democracy and the party faces several challenges in trying to take power. Winning support of the senate, courts, military, and the establishment, which are deeply conservative and traditional, will be some of the key hurdles for Move Forward as it seeks to reform Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code: the law protecting the monarchy which shield the ultra-rich monarchy. This will involve demilitarisation, protecting personal and political freedoms, and hacking back monopoly businesses. Furthermore, the party's promise to increase wages, strengthen skills and tackle Thailand's monopoly culture, and to shift to a more balanced foreign policy will also be challenging.
Thai police arrest 2nd teenager for defaming monarchy amid renewed debate over rigorous law
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 11:43
A 16-year-old girl in Thailand has been charged with defaming the monarchy for allegedly posting two messages on Facebook two years ago. She is believed to be the youngest person to face the charge, with 19 minors accused under the charge in the last eight months. Devotion to the monarchy is a pillar of Thai society, but the lese majeste law is heavily criticised. The two top opposition parties in Sunday’s general election both acknowledged the need for law reform. Conservative groups, which have ruled since a 2014 coup, are strong supporters of the legislation.
Travel Weekly has produced a list of the best romantic hotels in London. The choices include The Rookery, a hotel whose buildings date back to 1764 that offers Rococo cherubs, antique furniture and open fires. All 33 rooms are named after historical figures who lived or worked in the area. Shangri-La The Shard is a hotel offering spectacular views on the 52nd floor, while The Standard is a brutalist building with a 1970s homage and complimentary trainer cleaning, and Hotel 41 offers stargazing and an “old London” experience.
Thailand's opposition parties, led by the liberal Move Forward Party, have begun coalition talks after trouncing their military-allied rivals in Sunday's election. Move Forward, which won the most votes, topped another opposition party, the political heavyweight Pheu Thai, in a vote that dealt a significant blow to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's establishment. However, with a military-crafted constitution requiring more than half of votes in a bicameral legislature, analysts expect weeks to months of talks before a new government is formed. During coalition talks, some Thais questioned the necessity for an unelected 250-member Senate, who have supported Prayuth and conservatives in the past.
Thailand is seeing a battle over the formation of a ruling coalition to install a pro-democracy prime minister after the country’s two main opposition parties won big in the election, beating parties backed by the military. A vote in parliament is expected to take place by August, with the coalition needing 376 votes to elect a prime minister. The progressive Move Forward party has the most seats in the house of reps with 152, however, its progressive platform on the law punishing criticism of Thailand’s king by up to 15 years in prison makes it an anathema to potential partners.
Thai football officials have promised punishments and apologised for violence during the Southeast Asian Games football final on 29 August. Indonesia won the under-23 match 5-2 after four red cards and two brawls led to both teams being reduced in number of players. The Thailand Football Association condemned the incidents and highlighted the involvement of its staff for particular criticism. Indonesia coach, Indra Sjafri, refused to hold grudges against the Thai team, stating: “The tension of the match was high…let there not be blame on one another. This was a marvellous final.”
Thailand's progressive Move Forward Party has announced that it has held its first face-to-face discussions with five other parties in an attempt to form a coalition government, following its stunning national election victory last week. The group will have to convince at least some members of the Senate to achieve the necessary 376 votes, however, all of the senators were appointed by the junta which Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha led after staging the 2014 coup and share the military’s conservative royalist bent. The election victory by the two main opposition parties, which together captured a majority of the House seats, was a major blow to the conservative establishment that has been in power since 2014.
Thailand's progressive opposition leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, has announced that eight parties have agreed to form a coalition government with him as prime minister, following Move Forward's victory in the national election last Sunday. Although the proposed coalition will have a majority in the House of Representatives, it must also obtain the support of the unelected Senate to select a new prime minister. All senators were appointed by the 2014 military junta, which constitutionally requires the Senate to vote alongside the lower house. Some senators have already stated that they will refuse to support Limjaroenrat as prime minister because of his stance on the lese-majeste law.
Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party, which won a surprise victory in Sunday’s elections, has called for a coalition government including pre-poll favourite Pheu Thai and six smaller pro-democracy parties with a total of 313 seats in the 500-seat lower house of parliament. The party wants to reform, rather than abolish, the law against insulting the monarchy and has made cutting the military’s political grip the centrepiece of its campaign. However, the country’s Senate is appointed and could block Pita as prime minister. Thailand has averaged one coup every seven years since 1932.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward party, has attempted to reassure Thai voters and investors that his coalition will be able to form a government. With Peu Thai Rumphalang and Plung Sungkom Mai joining the coalition, Pita's coalition has 313 seats in the 500-member lower house, which is 63 less than what is needed to win the prime ministerial election as 250 military-approved senators also vote.
Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Thailand's Move Forward party is confident in being able to form a coalition government, following its victory in the election. Despite 36% of Thais voting for the party, there is a risk that the military-appointed Senate could block the administration. Nevertheless, Pita Limjaroenrat has presented the party's path to government as a democratic inevitability to counter conservative opposition from the Senate. The party has managed to form alliances with other parties to secure 313 of the 376 votes needed, and this outcome has been interpreted as Thailand's rejection of the military-backed rule.
Move Forward, a pro-democracy party in Thailand led by 42-year-old former tech executive Pita Limjaroenrat, won big in the country's recent elections to become the large force in Thai politics, marking a rebuke not only to army rule but also the regime’s ineptitude. Thailand’s vulnerability to coups has long seemed anomalous. Its success is a rebuke not only to the principle of army rule but also to the regime’s ineptitude. Thailand's economy is creating fewer opportunities and attracting less foreign direct investment than its regional rivals. Its post-pandemic recovery is the slowest of any major economy in South-East Asia. Thailand would benefit hugely were Move Forward to fulfil its pledge to break up the monopolies gumming up industries such as agriculture and telecommunications where the operators have made fortunes. New battle-lines have been drawn; Thailand’s halfway-house democracy no longer looks like an option.
The Myanmar military has imported over $1bn worth of weapons largely from China and Russia since the February 2021 coup, according to a report by the UN. While the military has been increasingly turning to airstrikes and heavy weapons against internal opposition, Tom Andrews, the UN independent investigator on human rights in Myanmar, notes the weapons shipments continue to flow despite overwhelming evidence of atrocities and war crimes committed by the military. Andrews warns that if Singapore exits the arms trade, the Myanmar military will be significantly impacted.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of Thailand's Move Forward Party, has expressed confidence that he will gain enough support to form a coalition government, following a shock election victory over the weekend. The opposition party holds the largest share of the vote, however, the proposed eight-party coalition would not have enough seats to form a government. Under Thai law, a prime minister would still need to be voted in under a bicameral vote, requiring support from the 250 unelected military-appointed senators or military-backed parties in the lower house.
