Thailand’s veteran P.M. survives

Press, 29 July 1986, Page 8

Thailand’s veteran P.M. survives

NZPA-Reuter Bangkok Thailand appears set for a broad and stable Government coalition under the Prime Minister, Mr Prem Tinsulanonda, after General Elections proved significantly favourable to only a few of the 16 parties in contention.

The three leading parties, the Democrats, Chart Thai and Social Action, together were just short of a majority in the 347-seat Parliament with fourfifths of the vote counted.

In post-election comments, leaders of several smaller parties were clearly jockeying for positions in the next Government of the long-serving Prime Minister.

The party leaders deferred to Mr Prem’s position by quickly dropping from their post-elec-tion comments the only heated issue of the campaign: their criticism of his presumed return through a constitutional loophole. Thailand allows its king to appoint an outsider to head the Government.

Mr Prem, aged 65, has strong backing from the military and the monarchy. Among the winners were also many retired military officers who opted to run for Parlia-

ment, in a move that civilian politicians hailed as a positive shift to the ballot box. Thailand has seen 15 coups and attempted coups since 1932 and the Army, whose new chief, General Chaovalit Yongchaiyuth, has pledged it to strict neutrality in the polls, still wields crucial influence over Governments in Bangkok. Mr Bhichai Rattakul, whose moderate Democrat Party led the contesting groups with 84 seats by yesterday, hinted that he would give up his

opposition to another Prem term, and would join his coalition.

He said the new Government’s main tasks would be to solve Thailand’s economic difficulties and to organise ceremonies for King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s sixtieth birthday in December, 1987. Thai commentators, sensitive to the respect bordering on awe that the King commands, interpreted this as Mr Bhichai’s call for a broad and stable coalition behind the monarch’s reported, favourite leader, Mr Prem. The right-wing Chart Thai Party has won 45 seats so far, slightly short of its expected gains, while the moderate Social Action Party (S.A.P.) recovered to 40 seats from what looked like certain disaster earlier in the counting. The S.A.P. was the largest party in the last Government but ‘ split over internal rivalries last May, causing Mr Prem to lose a minor Parliamentary vote and to call early polls.

Political commentators expect little change in policy from the new Government, especially since Mr Prem has always kept the key defence post to himself. • f