Appointment of New Thai PM Endorsed by the King
Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej has today officially endorsed the appointment of the new Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva. Royal endorsement is a matter of protocol, but it now means that Abhisit has cleared all the formalities and can begin his new role as the leader of the country. The leader of the Democrat Party faces the prospect of daunting economic and political problems and could be hindered by an unsteady coalition government.
Abhisit is a young man by Thai political standards (44-years-old) but has been in politics for 16 years and has a reputation for upholding democracy. He certainly wouldn’t have chosen to come to power in the way that he did and he will have no illusions about the challenges he faces. Born in Britain to Thai parents, Abhisit was educated at Eton and Oxford where the Thai student was known as Mark. One of his former class mates was Boris Johnson, the current Mayor of London. Johnson said, ‘Mark (Abhisit) is a man of intense integrity and high intellectual gifts. I am sure he will be a splendid leader in Thailand.’
Although Abhisit has been a long time opponent of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, he did actually oppose the military coup which deposed Thaksin in September 2006. Nevertheless, Abhisit and his government will face stern opposition from Thaksin’s allies and supporters inside and outside of parliament. Abhisit seems to be making the right noises already and is suggesting he intends to maintain a number of Thaksin’s populist policies. If he successfully achieves this, the new Thai prime minister may win the support and trust of many of Thailand’s rural voters which will be an important factor in future elections.
Thai people will be hoping Abhisit can heal the political rifts that have blighted Thailand and fix what he calls the country’s ‘broken politics’. Meanwhile, tourists and businesses will be hopeful that the new Thai leader maintains his promise that the protests which recently closed Bangkok’s airports will never be allowed to happen again.
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