Thaksin clearly wanted republic, critics charge
From second left, Chai-anan Samudvanij, director of Vajiravudth College, academic Pramote Nakorntap and media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul discuss the ‘Finland Plot’ allegedly involving the ruling political party, during a seminar at Thammasat University yest
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Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had planned to turn Thailand into a country dominated by one party, with a political system modelled on Western republics and democracies, with a minimal involvement of royalty, his critics accused yesterday.
"To completely control the whole country, Thaksin began to destroy the bureaucratic system," said Chai-anan Samudvanij, Principal of Vajiravuth School, in a seminar at Thammasat University following allegations against Thaksin about the so-called Finland plot. "Thaksin wants to scare government officials so that they will side with him," he said. Thaksin knew that he had to bring down the old bureaucracy as the first step to overrule the "old power", according to Chai-anan. During five years in power, the Thai people had witnessed the creation of "Thaksin" as the national leader, rather than the head of his Thai Rak Thai Party, he said. "Thaksin instead manipulates the party as his tool to build up his supreme premiership," Chai-anan added. Some newspaper columnists wrote last week that a political party held a gathering of senior figures in Finland in 1999, to plan the political plot. The ruling party has threatened to take legal action against people spreading what it described as "groundless allegations" about it. Senior academic Pramote Nakorntap said he did not care if the plot existed. What Thaksin had done, however, was closely aligned to the alleged plan. Thaksin attempted to turn government officials into "his men", he said. "We can see that Thaksin's military, police and CEO provincial governors are all around," Pramote said. Media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul believed that Thaksin had a plan to turn Thailand into a republic. As Thaksin picked the CEO provincial governors, he was the man who pulled the strings. The governors only waited for his commands. Sondhi believed that Thai Rak Thai had a plan to pass a law that would give every province a company-like status, which would make them considerably independent from the central government. The move would lead to the end of the appointed governors, he said. Elections for provincial governors, similar to the ones in China and the United States, would take place, he said. "When the time comes, Thaksin will automatically become the president," Sondhi said. Pramote urged the whole country to stop Thaksin, otherwise the people would have to live under the yoke of "the only man".
Weerayut Chokchaimadon The Nation
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