The crowd at the Electoral Commission press conference was great – because there are a lot of urgent questions about this Thai election, but the answers were postponed. At almost seven weeks.
„We now know which party has the best result, but the next step is the announcement of the official final result, which the Electoral Commission has set for May 9th.“
Questions and speculation
The electoral commission promised to clarify all the allegations, but of course it is an extension of the military government. The Pheu Thai Party, emerged from the red shirts of former Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra, declared today also the election winner. Top candidate Sudarat Keyuraphan wants to sue in court for what she sees as the manipulated result and work with other opposition parties to form a government.
„We stand by our principles that we are ready to cooperate with any party that does not support the continued existence of military force under General Prayut Chan Ocha.“
Heavy search for coalition partners
Therefore, in case of doubt, the search for a partner in a partnership is likely to be difficult for the general. Because also Thanathorn Juangroongruankit of the newly founded Future Forward Party made it clear that there will be no cooperation with the military. The 39-year-old party founder must answer from morning for defamation of the state in court. He is one of Thailand’s richest men – and unlike the junta, these elections are no end to him, but the beginning of the political struggle.
„This election is not the end, this election is not the goal of our journey, but to achieve more democracy and justice in society, we need more time“.
Anyone who has been to Thailand in recent weeks could easily conclude that the people of the military junta are fed up. Openly, as never before, Thai people vent their anger – anger greater than fear. Above all, the seven million young voters had nothing left to do with the junta’s old men.
A rap causes unrest in the junta
The rap against „Dictatorship“ became the symbol of the youth protest: „We have only one choice – silence or rot behind bars.“ 60 million times clicked – the junta capitulated before the success and left the musicians alone.
The question is whether the military will keep their democratic cloak when civil resistance grows. In any case, Prayut Chan Ocha’s successor as army chief can imagine that the army, as in 2014, will once again provide for peaceful rest should the country slip into a serious crisis. This has a certain tradition in Thailand: Since 1932, the Miitä has staged a total of 19 times.
