PM Wannabes

[Baton Rouge]

The shameless Newin Chidchob has got himself into trouble again, although it strangely seems to be with those who he might normally consider his partners in crime.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30020616
Newin lodges a complaint against his accuser


Newin Chidchob Sunday filed a police complaint against Chanapat na Nakhon for allegedly accusing him of paying Bt10 million to a political activist to campaign against the Council for National Security (CNS).

Pongthai Juthaket, Newin's lawyer, filed the complaint at Dusit police station against Chanapat, leader of a group called Democracy for the People, which has threatened to stage a mass protest on December 10 against the government and the CNS.

Chanapat denied the charges and said he would surrender to police. He said he was ready to fight the case in court because he had damning evidence that showed how the money was transferred from Newin to protest leaders including Sudchai and leaders of Caravan of the Poor.

He said he would continue with his campaign against the government by mobilising over 30,000 people to Democracy Monument on December 10.

The Nation


Anyone care to tell us what is really going on here?

See 'Temujin's Turncoats' - http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2354&highlight=temujin

[Scuba22]

10 m B for 30,000 people, eh? That's not bad actually. If the organizer gets no money at all (unlikely), that's a max of 333 B per person. I imagine you need to cover travel and meals, and the organizer will take a cut, so the attendees get what, 150-200 B for the day? Not much more than minimum wage...this sounds pretty good for marketing purposes - for 200,000 B, you can get 1,000 people to show up to your event, no advertising costs, minimal event costs - not bad, actually.

Scuba22

[Baton Rouge]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=119273
Newin Chidchob seems to be yet again trying to recast himself as a politician. In all fairness to the hardcore TRTs (who will never admit they did anything wrong [not even that they 'lost']), I personally think they have slightly more integrity than Newin. They actually seem to believe something, even if it is all rather vague and contrary to the apparent results. Newin was once called "an exciting new voice in Thai politics". Such uncritical critique completely failed to describe anything he actually believed in or had achieved, and instead focussed on his craftiness and low cunning. So much for what the local media thinks is the mark of a good politician!

The banned will play on

Interview by Pradit Ruangdit

Always in the political forefront [Always on the look out for a quick buck.], the high-profile Thai Rak Thai and Buriram province politician Newin Chidchob says he accepts the verdict, but he intends to keep playing a role in politics.

After losing his electoral rights for five years in the May 30 verdict of the Constitution Tribunal, Mr Newin Chidchob, a former key figure of the Thai Rak Thai party and a close aide of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, talks about his future. [The ex-PM's anal hygienist.]

Pradit Ruangdit, Bangkok Post: Was the verdict fair in your opinion?

Newin Chidchob: Nobody accepts what they have lost. But we have rules and we have to play by them. I cannot say if it is fair or not because I am the one affected by the ruling. [I expect the general public to play by the rules, but when one practically owns one's own province it is not really necessary for my clan to do the same.]

I'm 49 years old now. Some politicians older than me who have been barred [from politics] are still fine. I don't mind how many years I lose the rights for. The point is how you will engage in politics. If you do it for ministerial seats or political positions, a five-year ban may seem a long and great loss. But if you do it for people close to you without interest in a political position, you don't stand to lose anything. [He enjoys being able to reward those who deliver the necessary votes on election day]


Q: Do you regret the dissolution of the party with which you are bonded?

A: The bond exists. I would be a liar if I said I wasn't sad. In fact, I am sad and it is very regrettable. But we have rules and they must be applied.


Q: Are you among those who will stay with Thai Rak Thai?

A: In principle, I think that Thai Rak Thai policies have benefited people. How to keep the policies going to help people is what we have to look at now. This is possible without being a member of parliament. It can be achieved by the work of second-tier politicians. [Newin probably thinks of some as 'Second Tier' because they actually have some kind of coherent ideology. 'First Tier' is obviously exclusively reserved for those who use politics as their business doormat.]


Q: Will you join in the activities of the former Thai Rak Thai party?

A: I have to wait and see what the next rules are. By that I mean the constitution. It is currently being drafted by the Constitution Drafting Assembly and has not taken shape yet. If the charter benefits the nation and public, there should not be any move [against it]. [Almost any new constitution is likely to include plenty of exploitable loopholes for me and my kind. And I will have to see if any TRT-nominee is the winning combination that I always require.]


Q: Today many wonder where Mr Newin is and what he is doing? [ Rest assured he is up to no good!]

A: Without the rules [constitution] being set, I will do nothing and it is not the time to engage in politics. When there is an election, we will do it. If you are asking me if I will quit politics, my answer is no. [Politics is MY business. What else would deliver the same return for so little effort and talent?]

Q: Have you had a chance to talk to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra?

A: No I haven't. Doing that will not benefit either of us. I know what the consequences would be if I met Mr Thaksin. [He's tainted now, so I may need to find others to latch onto.]

Q: How can you defend yourself when you are suspected of masterminding mobs?

A: I am lucky that I was not blamed for the latest earthquake. I am not sure if I would be blamed for floods during the rains. Today I must tell the truth that key figures [of former Thai Rak Thai members] including me are being followed. [We know. You did the same and worse to your opponents.] So the Council for National Security knows well what I am doing. [Since when did that ever stop you?]

Q: What will politics be like from the viewpoint of a veteran politician like you?

A: I am worried about the country, about what people are thinking and about mistrust in society. [ You did your bit to create it, Bud!] If everybody is thinking about self-interest [My prerogative, back off!], it will be a great concern and there will be no way out for society. [Such an impoverished society will have fewer rich pickings.]

As long as economic hardships affecting people are not solved, peace cannot be restored. We are also members of the world community and have to deal with other countries. Unless the world community engages with us [No, you have to engage with them.], economic problems will worsen. [Never a thought about dealing with problems that economics doesn't want to address.]

Q: Will an advanced election restore peace as some have suggested?

A: I think an election can solve only half of the problems. It is a way to convince the world community to recognise Thailand. But an election under undemocratic rule can be a double-edged sword. It can also affect credibility through the eyes of other countries. [That sounds distinctly like most of the elections TRT bought/fought.]

Will the election show that power belongs to the people or to others who use people as a tool? This is the key. This is the opinion of the one who has no political rights and is not a stakeholder. [Roll violins for the man who will shortly buy all his rights and stakes back by metamorphosing into the brand new squeaky clean Newin. Buy now while still unsullied!]

[GWR]

Newin-led Buri Ram faction may return to Chat Thai

The Buri Ram faction of the defunct Thai Rak Thai Party is considering a return to the Chat Thai Party, but Chat Thai leader Banharn Silapa-archa will have the final say on whether to welcome back the former defectors.

The Buri Ram faction, led by Newin Chidchob, quit Chat Thai in 2005 to join the then prosperous Thai Rak Thai Party.

After the coup last September, several TRT factions and key figures jumped ship and Newin kept a low profile.

When TRT was dissolved by the Constitution Tribunal last month, Newin was among 111 party executives stripped of electoral rights, but his Buri Ram group became active again.

A source in the Buri Ram faction said Wednesday that its members had discussed the political situation and agreed that the junta wanted to remove key TRT figures, especially cronies of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra like Newin and Yongyuth Tiyapairat.

"We have to find a solution and a return to Chat Thai is among the options," the source said.

However, Newin claimed he was unaware of this latest move.

When Newin and his Buri Ram group cut their links with Banharn to move to TRT, Banharn was so upset that he announced a breakup with Newin.

Prasit Tangsrikiatkul, a member of the Buri Ram faction, said his group remained undecided about its political future. He added that most faction members are still affiliated with TRT and that even though TRT has been dissolved, group members would not necessarily return to Chat Thai.

"I haven't heard about these rumours. We will discuss with Newin about what to do next," he said.

Meanwhile, Chat Thai deputy leader Somsak Prisanananthakul said that former TRT MPs had asked for a meeting with Banharn, but he did not know what would be discussed.

"Everyone must wait and see what the new constitution will look like before doing anything. This includes whether Thai Rak Thai can be registered as a political party again," Somsak said.

A Chat Thai source said Buri Ram faction members seemed concerned that the sour relationship between Banharn and Newin could hamper their return to Chat Thai.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/20/headlines/headlines_30037383.php

[doseiai]

Flip flops are "shameful" in the West, as they are associated with sleaze and lack of a spine. But in Thailand, everyone seems to be doing it. It's an everyday occurance. Why? Well...its simple. If you flip flop, nobody can figure out whose side ur really on. Old asian game. Volunteer no information and purposely complicate!

Of course, this makes it tough for investors and people who need stability. Every day is another surprise.

[Baton Rouge]

One assumes that Newin Chidchob is now working on the basis that in a reduced party he now has more trough space.

Far be it from me to ridicule those who wish to campaign for either rejection of the constitution or a boycott of the referendum. One cannot support a junta that seems hell-bent on silencing its critics and opponents on this issue. That said, I believe that the insatiable greed of politicians like Newin Chidchob has actually contributed to the intransigence of the dinosaur junta. Newin Chidchob is, as always, working on his own agenda to eventually be the Prime Minister of Thailand - a prospect which should fill us all with far more dread than that we have experienced and continue to experience as a result of the Thaksin debacle:

Sonthi orders close watch on Newin

(BangkokPost.com) - Council for National Security (CNS) chief Sonthi Boonyaratkalin has ordered military officers to keep a close watch on Newin Chidchob's movements after news emerged he was planning to overturn the draft charter.

Mr Newin, an ex-core leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai party, is said to be working hard in the northeastern region to encourage locals there to vote down the draft constitution.

Gen Sonthi also expressed concern for the majority of the population's lack of interest in the national referendum which will take place on August 19 and believed that many are indifferent to the content of the draft charter itself.



Yes indeed Doseiai! Ai Newin IS sleezy & spineless. If we want to get the military off our backs, we are not going to achieve it with politicians of such low value. As far as I can see, every day recently has actually been LACKING in surprise. Just the same old very predictable cunning routines from those whose only real talent lies in cheating the rest of us. I'm waiting (probably in vain) for someone to go ahead and surprise me by bucking that trend!

[GWR]

Banharn says he too old to contest for PM's seat

Chat Thai Party leader Banharn Silapa-archa said Thursday that he is too old to contest for the post of prime minister.

"I am old already and I may not be able to handle the situation. The next government and the next prime minister will be definitely tired," Banharn said.

He said he expected that the next prime minister would face tough job because the new draft charter would allow voters to impeach the premier and would make it easier for the opposition to censure him.

The Nation


Figures! He didn't really handle the situation very well in much less contentious times when he was PM over ten years ago

[nganadeeleg]

I'm waiting (probably in vain) for someone to go ahead and surprise me by bucking that trend!

Banharn has made a few sensible comments over the last few days - that should qualify as 'bucking the trend' ;)