Thailand falls into deeper crisis

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury | Published: May 09, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

A court in Thailand has ordered prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra removed from the office for "abuse" of power. The country now appears to be plunging into a deeper crisis. The development has come as a big setback for the prime minister, who was catapulted to the zenith of success in short time on the coattail of her brother former prime minister Taksin Shinawatra. This has been a great victory for the anti-government agitators, who have been clamouring for the ouster of Yingluck and her government over the last seven months. The prime minister had ordered early elections on February 02, which was boycotted by the opposition and failed to resolve the political crisis of the country.
The constitutional court ruled that the prime minister abused her power when she transferred a civil servant to another post more than three years ago. The court ordered her to step down immediately along with her cabinet colleagues who were in the office at the time of the transfer of the civil servant.
Leaders of Yinluck's party called the development a "new form of coup" and announced that the deputy prime minister Niwattumrong Boonsingpaisan would be the next prime minister. Political situation in Thailand  seems fluid and restless following the court ruling as the nation has already been experiencing instability over the last several months.
Earlier, after the February polls, political unrest in the country looked to have receded although concerns continued to rise over the duration of the government. The polling to the rest of the parliamentary constituencies, which were not covered by the February 02  voting, took place again amidst boycott by the main opposition party while the protestors calling for government's exit  also kept up their agitation - albeit in a subdued form. As the number of the anti-government protestors dwindled, prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra appeared to have weathered the storm to some extent. But, it is the legitimacy of her government that haunted her authority with fresh polls becoming an inevitable development and finally scheduled for July 20. Now, the court has ruled about the PM's abuse of power.
 The voting on February 02 had gone off quite peacefully barring in some areas and this came as a shot in the arms of the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinnawatra. Nevertheless, the balloting remained a big question since the main opposition party and the protestors demanding the resignation of the government boycotted the polls, raising serious doubts about the credibility. Later, the balloting in the rest of the constituencies also went off quite peacefully. But the heat and sound of a normal democratic election lacked in both the phases and this had been evidently a thorn for the prime minister.
Protestors clamoured for the postponement of the voting on both the occasions, saying they want drastic reforms in the system of rule, and asked for the formation of a "People's council" that would govern the country. The demonstrators felt that  Thailand needs to get  rid of "unjust and corrupt" politicians. Main opposition Democratic  Party  boycotted the elections, which the prime minister  called much ahead of the expiry of her term. But she disagreed with the formation of "People's council".  
 Thailand, known for tourist attraction, has been facing the most volatile conditions in last several years. As the unrest was escalating and a tense situation prevailed, the country is in the focus of the international world.
Yingluck Shinawatra made history by becoming the first woman prime minister of the country following a resounding victory by her political party in the elections that were followed by the recent debatable polls. A relatively stranger in politics, she owes the success largely to her elder brother and former prime minister Thaksin Shinewatra, who lives abroad. Thaksin was quite popular in the parts of the rural areas in Thailand and also with segments of the middle class. But the billionaire businessman-turned-politician was ousted by a military coup in 2007 and was also sentenced to prison terms on allegation of corruption. He has been living abroad for last few years and did not return to Thailand even after his political party, led by her sister, won the polls and formed the government. Clearly, he did not want to embarrass the government although impression gained in the country that it is he who was calling the shots on important issues. A few months ago, the government sought to pardon him, facilitating his return to country, but the attempt failed. This infuriated a large number of people, who thronged the streets in capital Bangkok demanding that the government must go. Initially in small numbers, the protestors grew in strength and the authorities grappled to contain with the snowballing condition. The protests later disappeared to an extent, but their leaders said that they would stick to the demand of government's exit.
Thailand is not known for stable democracy as the system of parliamentary pattern of government has been afflicted mainly because of politicians' mistakes or actions that have not been compatible with hopes and aspirations of the people. Yingluck should not have showed unnecessary leniency to her brother Tahksin, who is otherwise quite influential even if he is not physically present in the country because of problems related to his sentence.
The government is popular with farmers in most of the northern areas while the opposition and protestors are strong in capital Bangkok and several other places. The prime minister also faced accusations in the national anti-corruption agency for her alleged failure to remain clean in the country's rice policies.
It is the third time since 2006 that a prime minister of the political party founded by former prime minister Taksin Shinawatra has been removed by court order. The party has power base in the provinces, but antagonised the Bangkok establishments, a struggle that is at the heart of Thailand's eight years of political instability. The latest development throws into question the fresh elections on July 20. The new prime minister announced by ruling party is a former top executive of Thaksin's corporate empire and his appointment may exacerbate the political tensions since the anti-government agitators want to eradicate Shinawatra family's influence in politics. Besides, other factors may also contribute to the worsening political condition unless measures are taken to contain the situation.
zaglulchowdhury@yahoo.com