• OPINION

  Democracy is a creation of the people, not an elite few

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 22/10/2014

  » As the National Reform Council (NRC) has convened and will soon begin to plunge into the so-called "reform" process with all the nitty-gritty details, a few points must be considered.

• OPINION

  Parties jostle to extend the life of NCPO

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 11/04/2018

  » Three groups of political players are on the move in setting up parties to extend the life of the National Council for Peace and Order (NPCO) and support Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to continue as prime minister after the election. All three are working separately, but in essence are moving towards building leverage in the political numbers game.

• OPINION

  Levelling out Thailand's political seesaw

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 25/04/2018

  » Finally, the State Financial and Fiscal Discipline Act of 2018 has taken effect, despite criticism about the controversial clause that virtually bans populist policies. It is seen as an attempt by the ruling regime under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to limit the role of elected representatives in turning campaign promises into government policies. With that, a democratic principle turns upside down.

• OPINION

  Major parties in battle to repel NCPO attack

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 04/04/2018

  » At the end of March, 97 political groups applied to be registered as political parties. Come April, public attention has turned to existing political parties whose party members are required to reconfirm their membership status. These are some of the steps the military regime under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has taken to manipulate our politics ahead of the election next year.

• OPINION

  New political parties must wipe slate clean

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 07/03/2018

  » As new political parties rush to reserve names and kick off the registration process, there emerges an impression that our politics is being returned to a democratic mode. The existing political parties are supposed to start confirming the memberships of their members next month. However, there still is no clear signal from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) over when it will allow political parties -- new or old -- to conduct activities. The road ahead remains full of pitfalls and loopholes. It will be a long time before the dust settles, if ever.

• OPINION

  Vendor, lease policies marginalise majority

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 25/04/2017

  » What do a ban on street food, being pushed by City Hall, and the proposal for 99-year land deals for foreign investors under the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), architected by the Finance Ministry have in common?

• OPINION

  Three questionable years under NCPO rule

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 09/05/2017

  » May 22 will mark the third anniversary of the 2014 coup that saw the country switch to authoritarian mode under the stewardship of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) led by Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. Even with a new constitution now in place, the regime is relentlessly maintaining its tight control into a fourth and final year -- that is if a general election is called in accordance with the timetable of the charter.

• OPINION

  A citizen's response to the unity questions

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 14/03/2017

  » The government recently sent 10 questions to each political party as a guideline for discussions on reconciliation. I went through them and tried to answer -- call it a citizen's response, if you may.

• OPINION

  Playing with taxes could prove costly

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 21/03/2017

  » ' In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes," Benjamin Franklin once wrote. However, as the Reaper is sure to collect the dead, governments may not always be able to do the same with taxes.

• OPINION

  Paving over the cracks in reconciliation

  News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 17/01/2017

  » After two and a half years without serious and meaningful efforts to reconcile political conflict, the military government is vowing to press ahead with its national reform and development strategy. But the regime will find it hard to achieve meaningful reconciliation if it is not committed to a return to full democracy and applying the rule of law.

1 2 Next Last