Can't the PM even get sick without any political implications?

Can't the PM even get ill in peace? That's the comment from one tweet soon after news broke this morning taht Premier Yingluck was resting at Rama 9 Hospital after she went there last night with a bad stomach, probably as a result of food poisoning, according to Government Spokesperson Thitima Chaisaeng.

Thai politics is under a pall of suspicion. Two weeks ago when the premier failed to chair the weekly Cabinet meeting, a royal pardon decree draft was discussed, sparking a controversial debate.

This time, as soon as she let it be known that she wouldn't be at the weekly Cabinet session, Twitter and Facebook were immediately flooded with questions such as: "Any suspicious bill again?"

Of course, the premier is entitled to falling ill at times, especially in the wake of the severe flooding. She has been quite stressed, working hard on flood fighting measures etc...

So, let us all give her a break. She should be able to have a running stomach without a public uproar!

Pracha wins the battle but may lose the war

The outcome of the censure vote at around 10.00 am today didnt' surprise anyone. The 273-188 vote was in favour of the target of the no-confidence debate, Police Gen Pracha Promnok, justice minister and director of Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC).

But opposition Democrat Party had, in submitting the motion, a more general objective: to underscore the Yingluck government's overall poor performance over the flood relief efforts. Revelations of political interference, misuse of donations, lack of coordination among official agencies concerned during yesterday's 14-hour debate (marred by protests by both sides) were damaging politically to the three-month-old government to a significant extent.

Pracha's an-eye-for-an-eye strategy by blaming the previous government under Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva for "conspiring" to hit the new government with an unusually huge volume of water from the two big dams didn't draw much support. In fact, Abhisit's counter-attacks were somehow more credible.

Pracha charged that Abhisit had deliberately left a huge amount of water in the two big dams, going into the general election with the plot to hit the new government under Pheu Thai Party with unprecedented inundation. "The Abhisit government knew that there would be a few big storms on the way. It also hatched a plan to store so much water that the new government would face a serious problem," Pracha said during the debate.

Abhisit wasted no time in hitting back. "That's a very ridiculous accusation. Is the government suggesting that we knew that there would be huge storms ahead. Is the government saying that the Democrat Party had planned to lose the election?"

The debate will put a dent in the government's credibility. The flood is still with us in many outlying provinces and parts of Bangkok. The recovery effort is still not well understood. Frustrated people are still tearing down Big Bags wall. Businessmen are still waiting for clear measures to help them rebuild their businesses.

A Cabinet reshuffle may be in the works to improve upon the government's image. Yesterday's censure debate may not have ousted the justice minister. But the prime minister certainly have been felt the growing pressure to do something about the performance issue.

Lots of hot air at today's censure debate

Democrat MP Sathit Wongnontheuy shows a huge board of timeline of newspaper headlines on the flood situations to back up his onslaught against the government during the censure debate...

The no-confidence debate against Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, who is also director of FROC (Flood Relief Operations Center), that is still going on as I write this has all the trappings of a Sunday matinee.

The opposition Democrats were trying to find fault with Pracha's flood relief performance. Jurin Laksakavisit, who took party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva's place in taking the lead in launching the verbal attack,attempted to add another volley: Pracha the justice minister's role in the Cabinet's confidential session over the royal pardon bill.

That drew strong reaction from the government's Pheu Thai Party leaders, spearheaded by Deputy PM Chalerm Yoonbamrung who denied that there were any ulterior motives in the consideration of the bill. Pracha stood up to declare that he had done nothing wrong and appealed to the House Speaker to consider whether such a sensitive issue that involves His Majesty the King's discretion should be raised in the House.

The government and opposition MPs then plunged into attacks and counter-attacks over the flood issue. Both sides had their MPs interrupt the speakers by presenting their versions of the facts.

At one point, controversial Pheu Thai MP Karun Hosakul stood up to challenge Democrat MP Sirichoke Sobha: "I challenge Sirichoke to quit as MP if he tells lies. I would step down if I am found to have lied."

The marathon censure debate is to end before midnight so that a vote could be taken tomorrow.

China can't save Europe. Only Europe can save Europe.

Flood panels should incorporate reconciliation process

This inundation “crisis” hasn’t created the reconciliation “opportunity.” On the other hand, the flooding may have in more ways than one deepened the conflict between the political factions in the country.
And for a day or two, the proposed pardon decree considered in a confidential session by the Cabinet last Tuesday in which Premier Yingluck Shinawatra was conspicuously absent threatened to neutralize all previous efforts at reconciliation. It wasn’t until former Premier Thaksin delivered a hand-written note from Dubai declaring his intention “to sacrifice my personal happiness in favour of national reconciliation” on Sunday that a looming new political confrontation was averted.
This state of thinly veiled showdown between those for and against Thaksin can’t be allowed to continue indefinitely if we were to return to any normalcy – and can really make post-crisis Thailand work as any civilized nation should.
The Truth Commission for National Reconciliation under Dr Kanit na Nakhon has been working quietly behind the scenes to bring about better understanding among the various factions within Thai society. It has so far laid the foundation of trust. It needs to get the facts of the violent incidents in the past years to the surface and, without pointing accusing fingers at any particular party, ensure that justice is done. It is also crucial that “transitional justice” is effectively implemented for the next step of reconciliation to be taken.
I see flickers of hope in the two flood-related committees appointed by Premier Yingluck to turn the natural disaster into a national recovery and reconciliation.
The two committees are: Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development (SCRF) headed by Dr Virabongsa Ramangkura and Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM) led by Dr Sumet Tantivejkul. The two panels comprise people of influence and reputation. They are supposed to be working on both the business of recovery and the tough task of planning for the future that would prevent this year’s major disaster from recurring.
But how could national reconstruction and future water resource management be taken seriously as “national strategies” that involve all segments of society if the country continues to be plagued by political divisiveness?
This could well be another rare window of opportunity for the two “wise men” to turn their non-political roles into some significant social contributions by reaching out to all groups of divergent political shades to get them to join in the nation-rebuilding effort.
There is little doubt that Yingluck was hoping that the appointments of the two reputable figures would strengthen the government’s anti-flood campaign but, more significantly, would also offer a major boost in political goodwill. Dr Virabongsa and Dr Sumet belong to no political factions and , as “experienced technocrats,” could enhance the premier’s credibility at a critical juncture.
The two can thus make a highly significant contribution to national reconciliation by appointing subcommittees that comprise people from all walks of life representing not only experts, business leaders but also the flood victims from various provinces whose views towards the powers-that-be are as diverse as the red-yellow divide that has plagued the country for the past several years.
The two panels have been promised non-interference by the political authorities and they are in a good position to bargain with a government that badly needs good, strong political props from non-political technocrats ready to risk their personal reputation by answering the “Help-Me-Please” calls from the premier.
If their mission isn’t confined to just helping the government tide over the flood, the two technocrats should seize this opportunity to assume the badly-needed role of “national reconciliator” by setting up broad-based working groups to brainstorm for ideas to cement efforts to rebuild Thai society in the post-crisis era.
It is sad but true. Without a real natural crisis, the political divide may never be bridged. Left to the politicians, one political crisis has only led to another without any hope of a real reconciliation in sight

Don't leak this. It's confidential.

Premier Yingluck told her Cabinet yesterday to make sure that confidential discussions in the conference room must remain confidential. She regretted the fact that last Tuesday's Cabinet meeting's dicussion on the proposed Royal Pardon Bill which was supposed to be a secret had been leaked to the press.

How do I know that the premier told the Cabinet members not to reveal confidential topics in the Cabinet?

I read it in the newspapers this morning,of course.

Now, if the premier was absent from last week's Cabinet meeting, how did she know about the confidential discussion?

And how do you explain the fact that even when the prime minister told her Cabinet members not to disclose confidential remarks, it was still a well-known non-secret?

In other words, even the PM's instruction to her ministers not to leak confidential discussions was leaked!

Thaksin's hand-written 'Forgive and Forget' note from Dubai

Thaksin Shinawatra wrote the letter from Dubai urging his supporters to "forgive and forget" for the sake of the country and posterity.