EDITORIAL : THE BANGKOK POST, THAILAND

 

 

Priorities for a Yingluck govt

There is still work to accomplish and formalities to perform, but it seems that our next prime minister is to be Yingluck Shinawatra. As the No.1 candidate who led the Pheu Thai Party to victory in Sunday's elections, she is first in line to organise a government. There seems little doubt she can do that, since the party won a parliamentary majority and has four smaller parties as allies, harnessing at least 299 seats in the House of Representatives.

She will be the first woman to serve as prime minister in Thailand. She deserves the respect due to a national political leader, and in turn she owes diligence and good governance to the country.

Ms Yingluck obviously ran an effective campaign, but she has been long on promises and short on specifics. As soon as she is confirmed in office, as the Americans put it so colourfully, the "rubber will meet the road" and she will be judged on performance rather than her image.

On the campaign trail she always had two subjects at hand. The economy and national reconciliation are doubtless the most important topics for the nation, and the soon-to-be prime minister Yingluck will have to take decisive measures on both.

For almost every conceivable reason, she must concentrate on the economy and leave the entire task of reconciliation to others.

In the waning days of the campaign, Ms Yingluck began to emphasise an eminently sensible policy which she must follow up on. That is to widen the power of the Truth for Reconciliation Commission, enlarge the scope of the process and allow independent bodies to do their job. To take any other course is to create or prove the one impression she cannot afford: that she is the puppet of her elder brother Thaksin, the fugitive former prime minister.

The outgoing government of acting Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva failed to help the country to reconcile after last year's riots, military attacks and 92 deaths. Ministers hobbled their own reconciliation committees. Notably, the main TRC under former attorney-general Kanit na Nakorn is at a standstill.

The army and civilian security forces have stonewalled its requests for witnesses and documents. Ms Yingluck's role here is to insist on the release of such information, but to allow Mr Kanit and others to decide their importance.

Mr Abhisit stated in his concession speech on Sunday that the Democrats, as the opposition, intend to be tough and oppose amnesty for politicians.

The outgoing premier would do well to bear in mind the British parliamentary term for his role: loyal opposition. The incoming government will deserve tough scrutiny at every moment, but its duty is to the country.

The Democrats' last term in opposition led to harmful stands - on relations with Cambodia, on support for riotous protests and more.

The question of amnesty for banned politicians is not a matter of vital national interest. The return of Thaksin with a full political pardon is a potentially dangerous issue for this next prime minister to try to tackle through political means, especially now, at the beginning of her term.

Many people still remember the return of ex-dictator Thanom Kittikachorn from exile - and the murderous violence and further dictatorships it spawned.

Ms Yingluck deserves a chance to tackle more important matters. She should start with the economy. Her own Pheu Thai and red shirt constituents will benefit, but more importantly, so will the country.