Guest fountainhall Posted May 18, 2011 Posted May 18, 2011 It’s not difficult to see that Thailand is in the middle of an election campaign. The promises just keep coming. First it was the Democrats promising to raise the minimum wage by 25% within 2 years and introduce tax reform to lower taxes on businesses. Pheu Thai went one better, promising that the minimum wage in Bangkok would rise by almost 50% to Bt. 300 per day. The party will also support a credit cards for farmers to help them buy raw materials, although others have pointed to the problems such a progamme will throw up, given most farmers’ lack of a fixed income. Hot on the heels of Pheu Thai's promise to provide every Thai student with a tablet computer, comes yet another: an amnesty for all red and yellow shirts facing, or convicted of, political-related charges. A move to heal the political divide in the country? Perhaps! But I am more skeptical, since such an amnesty will include, of course, exiled fugitive convict, Thaksin Shinawatra. Chalerm Yubamrung, former chief Pheu Thai MP and a prospective party-list candidate, told the Bangkok Post Pheu Thai would soon reveal details of the draft executive decree. He said it would grant an amnesty to not only Thaksin Shinawatra, the deposed prime minister, but also the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the red shirts . . . Mr Chalerm said that if the Pheu Thai Party won the election and formed a government, it would immediately approve the executive decree. The party is trying to decide whether it will call the edict "the amnesty decree" or "the decree granting amnesty to people who committed offences after the Sept 19, 2006 coup d'etat". He said issuing an executive decree was easier, more effective, and more practical than trying to get legislation passed in parliament, which would certainly require lengthy debate. If an executive decree is approved by the Cabinet, parliament would only be required to acknowledge the decree. The process would take less than a week, Mr Chalerm said . . . Although the PAD had earlier voiced its opposition to an amnesty law it would likely agree with the Pheu Thai's amnesty decree now that its leaders are facing terrorism charges for blocking two Bangkok airports in 2008, Mr. Chalerm said. He added that the amnesty decree, would not compel the state to return the 46 billion baht in assets it has seized from Mr Thaksin and his family. "We believe that to win the coming election, we must do it this way. And if we can form the next government, everything will be very easy. Only the winner will write history," Mr Chalerm said. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/237508/pheu-thai-forges-amnesty-plan Some academics doubt that such a decree could be passed by parliament. But it is no doubt an election ‘gimmick’ that will appeal to large numbers of voters. There will be more! Quote
Guest voldemar Posted May 18, 2011 Posted May 18, 2011 Some academics doubt that such a decree could be passed by parliament. But it is no doubt an election Quote
