ZCZC
BFF-19
THAILAND-POLITICS
Thai party to comply with royal order against princess PM candidacy:
statement
BANGKOK, Feb 9, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A Thai political party will obey a command
from the king blocking the candidacy of a princess for prime minister, it
said in a statement Saturday, in a dramatic reversal only a day after putting
her forward for the position.
“Thai Raksa Chart party complies with the royal command”, it said in a LINE
message to reporters.
The statement added that the party is ready to do its duty with respect to
the “tradition and royal customs” under Thailand’s constitutional monarchy.
The announcement effectively invalidates Princess Ubolratana’s
unprecedented bid for prime minister in March elections and comes after an
extraordinary rebuke of her candidacy by her younger brother Thai King Maha
Vajiralongkorn.
Thai Raksa Chart announced the princess as their candidate Friday morning
in a move that looked to rattle the status quo and threaten the ambitions of
the junta that has ruled Thailand since it toppled the administration of
Yingluck Shinawatra in a 2014 coup.
But the Thai king torpedoed the bid in a sharply worded statement later the
same day that said bringing senior royal family members into politics is
against tradition, national culture and “highly inappropriate.”
Thailand has some of the most severe lese majeste laws in the world and the
king’s word is considered final.
Analysts had already forewarned that the palace statement had scuttled the
princess’ chances.
“The palace disapproval invalidates her candidacy,” said Puangthong
Pawakapan, professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University, before
the Thai Raksa Chart announcement.
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and has not had a royal run for
frontline office since 1932.
The 67-year-old princess did not address the royal rebuke head-on Saturday
morning, when she thanked supporters on her widely followed Instagram account
and said vaguely that she wanted Thailand to “move forward”.
Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, the leader of the coup that toppled the
administration of Yingluck Shinawatra, also said he would stand for the top
post Friday.
Ubolratana’s move briefly threw his fortunes into disarray but the palace
action made it clear it does not endorse her run.
The king did not criticise the princess directly and seemed to focus blame
on political party members who brought her on board.
Thai Raksa Chart is aligned with Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, who was
ousted by the army in 2006.
Analysts assumed Thaksin and the party would not make such a move without
royal approval.
BSS/AFP/GMR/1344 hrs