Family and Allies of Former Thai Leaders Form New Party

 

Family members and allies of two former Thai leaders announced formation of a new political party this week.

The party was launched Wednesday in Bangkok. Its leaders are relatives and supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra. Each served as Thailand’s prime minister in recent years until they were ousted¹.

Formation of the new Thai Raksa Chart Party comes months before planned general elections. Thailand’s military government has promised to hold the vote between February and May 2019.

Thailand’s last general election was held in 2011, when Yingluck Shinawatra, head of the Pheu Thai Party, was chosen as prime minister. She and her government were ousted from power in 2014.

Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown² when the military seized power in 2006. Since then, he has lived in self-imposed exile.

In 2008, a Thai court found Thaksin guilty of violating the country’s anti-corruption³ law. He never returned to Thailand to his trial, which he said was carried out for political reasons. He faces separate corruption charges brought in 2008 and 2012.

Yingluck Shinawatra fled Thailand in August 2017 just before a court found her guilty of criminal negligence⁴. She was given a five-year jail sentence. Like her brother, she did not attend her trial.

The 2019 elections will put supporters of Thailand’s military and ruling family against populist forces led by the Pheu Thai Party. Political observers see the formation of the new party as part of an alliance aimed at winning more seats in the vote.

The Thai Raksa Chart party will be led by Preechapol Pongpanich, a former member of parliament with the Pheu Thai Party. The leadership includes Thaksin and Yingluck’s nephew and niece, as well as a younger generation of political allies.

Parties linked to the Shinawatras have won every Thai election in recent years. The family still remains⁵ popular in many areas, especially in the rural northeastern provinces.

But the military government’s new constitution effectively limits the number of constituency seats in provinces where the Shinawatras have enjoyed support.

The military has said the constitutional changes are aimed at limiting the power of major political parties.

The military government has ordered Thailand’s Election Commission to investigate whether Thaksin is still controlling the Pheu Thai Party. Findings of that investigation⁶ could result in the party being banned.

Former army chief and current Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has expressed interest in entering politics. But he has yet to say if he plans to compete as a candidate in the next elections.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

negligence – n. failure to take the care that a responsible person usually takes

constituency – n. an area of a country that elects someone to represent it in the government, or the people who live there

niece – n. a daughter of one’s brother, sister, a brother-in-law or sister-in-law

nephew – n. a son of one’s brother, sister, a brother-in-law or sister-in-law

impose – v. to order or establish; to bring about by force

1 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

2 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

3 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

4 negligence   

n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意

参考例句：

• They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。
• The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。