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Thai political party (1998–2007) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; Thai: พรรคไทยรักไทย, RTGS: Phak Thai Rak Thai, IPA: [pʰák tʰaj rák tʰaj]; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. During its brief existence, Thai Rak Thai won the three general elections it contested. Eight months after a military coup forced Thaksin to remain in exile, the party was dissolved on 30 May 2007 by the Constitutional Tribunal for violation of electoral laws, with 111 former party members banned from participating in politics for five years.[12]
Thai Rak Thai Party พรรคไทยรักไทย Thais Love Thais Party | |
|---|---|
| |
| Abbreviation | TRT |
| Leader | Thaksin Shinawatra (1998-2006) Chaturon Chaisang (2006-2007) |
| Spokesperson | Sita Tiwaree |
| Founder | Thaksin Shinawatra |
| Founded | 14 July 1998 |
| Banned | 30 May 2007 |
| Succeeded by | People's Power Party (de facto) |
| Ideology | Neo-nationalism[1] Populism[2][3] Reformism[4][5] Neoliberalism[6][7][8] |
| Political position | Centre-right to right-wing[9][10][11] |
| Colors | Red, Dark blue |
Thai Rak Thai was registered on 15 July 1998, by telecommunications entrepreneur Thaksin Shinawatra and 22 other founding members, including Somkid Jatusripitak, Thanong Bidaya, Sudarat Keyuraphan, Purachai Piumsombun, Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya, and Prommin Lertsuridej.
The Thai Rak Thai party had a populist platform, appealing to indebted farmers, who had become indebted as a result of the Asian financial crisis of 1997, with promises of a strong economic recovery.[citation needed] The party also reached out to rural villages, and struggling businesses. Thai Rak Thai's policies included a 30 baht per hospital visit scheme, an extended debt moratorium for farmers, one million baht microcredit development funds for all rural districts, and the One Tambon One Product project.
Thai Rak Thai won the legislative election of 2001 by a landslide over the ruling Democrat Party led by Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai. Forty percent of elected MPs were freshmen. Thai Rak Thai was able to negotiate a merger with the New Aspiration Party and a coalition with the Thai Nation Party, resulting in a majority of 325 of 500 seats for the coalition government of Thaksin Shinawatra.[13]
The Thai Rak Thai Party was the first political party in Thailand to have been represented by more than half of the members of the House of Representatives. In the 2005 legislative election, the party's candidates were elected to occupy 376 seats of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives, defeating the largest opposition party, the Democrat Party which won 96 seats. After the election, Thailand's first single party government was successfully formed.
In the invalid elections of April 2006, TRT won 61.6 percent of the vote and 460 out of 500 seats, many without any opposition, and the rest remaining vacant because the election was boycotted by opposition parties in the first-past-the-post electoral system.
As an amalgam of several different parties, Thai Rak Thai politicians owed their allegiance to different factions. Precise figures on faction membership do not exist, but estimates of the numerical strength of the major factions are provided below. These numbers are based on the membership of the House of Representatives elected in the 2005 general election, which was dissolved on 24 February 2006.
On the evening of 19 September 2006, the Thai military seized control of Bangkok to take over the government. Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York City attending a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. Most of the TRT executive leadership were also abroad: Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai was with Thaksin in New York, Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya was in Singapore attending the annual meeting of the World Bank/IMF, Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition in Paris with Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon and HRH Princess Sirindhorn.
Several party executives remaining in Thailand were arrested and detained by the junta. Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Chitchai Wannasathit and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya were in Thailand and were immediately arrested and detained by the junta. Secretary-General to the Premier Prommin Lertsuridej was also arrested. Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchop were ordered to report to the junta by 21 September. Both reported as ordered and were detained.[19][20][21]
Several party executives including Chaturon Chaisang, Phumtham Wechayachai, Suranand Vejjajiva, Veera Musikapong, Party Deputy and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be in Thailand and free.[22]
With Thaksin and key party executives either abroad or arrested, the reaction of TRT party members was muted and disorganized. In Thaksin's absence, Chaturon Chaisang became the acting party leader.[23]
Several former MPs believed the party would be dissolved by the junta, including former Khon Kaen MP Prajak Kaewklaharn. However, former Udon Thani MP Thirachai Saenkaew, called for the junta to allow Thaksin to contest the next election, claiming that TRT supporters wanted Thaksin to return to politics.[24]
Former Sakon Nakhon MP Chalermchai Ulankul said that although he and others might be unemployed for about a year, his faction was "firm" and preparing to run in the election next year. "As long as the Thai Rak Thai Party is not dissolved, we can't say we will move to be under any other party. However, I don't know who will continue the TRT."
Many party members were reported to have dropped their party membership in the aftermath of the coup. These included Somsak Thepsuthin and 100 members of the Wang Nam Yom faction. It was not clear whether Suriya Jungrungreangkit, another influential member of the faction would also resign. Sonthaya Kunplome also was reported to have led 20 members of the Chonburi faction in resigning from the party. Fear that the party would be dissolved by the junta and its members banned from politics fueled the defections.[25][26]
On 2 October 2006, Thaksin Shinawatra and his former deputy, Somkid Jatusripitak, resigned from the Thai Rak Thai Party,[27][28] in all probability ending it as a political force.
The party's future was in doubt following the military coup that ousted Thaksin's government in September 2006. The party was dissolved on 30 May 2007 by the order of the Constitutional Tribunal for violation of election laws.[12][29] A few high-ranking party members were found to be directly involved in bribing several small parties into competing in constituencies that were bases of the former opposition parties to ensure that minimum turnout rules were met in favor of the TRT party and its partners. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and 110 members of the party were barred from participating in politics for a five-year period, with only eight of 119 charged acquitted. The remaining MPs and members of the party reorganized in the People's Power Party.
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