From: stp@munnari.oz.AU (Staporn Koraksawet)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Allies seek to shore up majority
Date: 15 Sep 1992 16:09:23 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: munnari.oz.au

Allies seek to shore up majority
The Nation Tuesday Morning September 15, 1992
 
Chat Pattana in contention
Chuan : Talks to take 2 weeks
 
THE four former opposition parties which won a slim majority is Sunday's
poll reaffirmed their commitment yesterday to form a Democrat-led
coalition government, but whether they should let the Chat Pattana
(National Development) Party join the bloc may become a divisive issue.
 
Reported lobbying by their stillpowerful rivals to woo the New
Aspiration Party from the pro-Democrat alliance was also threatening the
coalition talks, which a Democrat leader said would take about two
weeks.
 
The Democrat, New Aspiration, Palang Dharma and Solidarity parties won a
combined 185 House of Representatives seats on Sunday, a wafer-thin
majority in the 360-member chamber.  The Chat Pattana Party of former
prime minister Chatichai Choonhavan captured 60 seats that could give
the alliance more comfortable control in Parliament.
 
A high-ranking Palang Dahrma source said yesterday his party would ask
the Democrats today to bring the Seritham Party of ex-House speaker
Arthit Urairat into the alliance instead of Chat Pattana.  Seritham won
eight seats in the election.
 
Palang Dharma de facto leader Chamlong Srimuang was evasive yesterday as
to whether his party would welcome Chat Pattana, but he repeated
Chatichai and senior Chat Pattana member Pramual Sabhavasu must not be
included in the Cabinet.
 
The four-party alliance vowed before the election never to join a
Cabinet with any of the 10 politicians, including Chatichai and Pramual,
who were declared "unususlly rich" by the military-installed Assets
Examination Committee follwing last year's coup.
 
Chatichai on Sunday vowed to back Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai as the
new prime minister and said he himself would not accept any Cabinet post
if Chat Pattana became a government partner.
 
Asked if Chatichai's statement was acceptable to Palang Dharma, Chamlong
said, "we have never set conditions for Chatichai, nor anybody else"
 
Chamlong said a stable government should control about 200 seats in the
House but "some believe 181 MPs will do"
 
The Palang Dharma founder remained vague on whether he would accept a
Cabinet post.
 
"I have thought about [whether to become a minister] and discussed it
with some people since the previous election. I still have the same idea
as to what to do.  But I don't want to talk about it now," he said.
 
Chuan, Chamlong, New Aspiration leader Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and
Solidarity leader Uthai Pimchaichon did not attend preliminary
discussions about the formation of a government attended by senior
members of their parties at the Siam City Hotel yesterday.
 
Participating in the talks were Democrat Secretary-General Sanan
Kajornprasart, Democrat deputy leader Banyat Bantadthan, New Aspiration
Secretary-General Phisan Moonlasartsathorn, Palang Dharme MP Udomsilp
Srisaengnam and Solidarity Secretary-General Chaiyos Sasomsap.
 
"We have reached a tentative agreement that the four parties will join
hands in forming a government," Banyat told a press conference after the
two-hour luncheon meeting.
 
"Since the Democrat party has become the biggest party after the
election, the four parties have agreed to back Democrat leader Chuan
Leekpai as prime minister," he added.
 
Banyat said the four allies would soon discuss the possibility of
bringing another party into the coalition but did not name any party.
 
"We don't mind whether the other party is big or small.  We are more
concened about the image, which must make the people happy.  The
government may include nore than or fewer than 200 MPs," he said.
 
High-level meetings among the allies would take place again today or
tomorrow, according to Banyat.  "The overall process of forming a
government will take about two weeks," he said.
 
Banyat reiterated the alliance's stand regarding the "unusually rich"
politicians.
 
"All the four parties have spelt it out clearly.  We realize the
people's feelings," he said, but added the bloc's stand "concerns
individuals, not parties"
 
New Aspiration's call for an end to the "angels-satans" divisivaness,
meanwhile, was considered by observers as a signal the party could
accept Chat Pattana as long as Chatichai and Pramual were not give
places in the Cabinet.
 
The Thai press dubbed the four former opposition parties "angels" for
their support for the anti-military uprising in May, and labelled as
"satans" their rivals which formed the doomed military-backed Suchinda
government.
 
"Politicians have been hurt too much by the 'angels-satans' issue. We
should not talk about it now," Phisan said yesterday.
 
He affirmed New Aspiration's support for Chuan, and denied reports the
Chat Pattana and Chat Thai parties were trying to lure the party from
the alliance with an offer to Chavalit to become prime minister.
 
Chat Thai emerged the second largest party after the poll. If the party
groups with the Chat Pattana, New Aspiration and Social Action parties,
they would command a comfortable majority with 210 seats.
 
"That is impossible," Phisan said of the scenario. "Gen Chavalit has
said the new prime minister must have legitimacy, and that he will stick
with his allies."
 
Chavalit was less committal.  Asked by reporters whether he would accept
the premiership if the Chat Pattana and Chat Thai parties backed him,
the New Aspiration leader retorted: "Take support my friend."
 
But Chat Thai sources yesterday confirmed attempts to woo the New
Aspiration Party, saying Chat Thai secretary general Banharn
Silapa-archa, Chat pattana secretary general Prachuab Chaisarn and
Social Action leader Montree Pongpanit had been discussing the
possibility of forming a Chat Thailed coalition with Chavalit as prime
minister.
 
Chavalit, whose premiership ambitions were dashed after his party won
only 51 seats on Sunday, has pledged support for Chuan but said he
himself would not accept any Cabinet post.
 
Chuan, who was scheduled to arrive in Bangkok from the South late last
night, said in Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday he could not guarantee the
Democrat-led alliance would succeed in forming a govermnent.
 
"If all other parties don't want us, it's their right. We won only 79
seats, far from the 181 minimum majority. Only if the Democrats won 181
seats could I openly declare myself [a premiership front-runner]", Chuan
said.
 
The Democrat Party's allies yesterday also announced their support for
its bid for the post of House speaker, who will play a crucial role by
nominating the next prime minister for His Majesty the King's
endorsement.