“Thai Karta Raksa will perform its duties in accordance with the regulations of the Electoral Commission, the Electoral Act and the Constitution, while respecting the traditions associated with the monarchy. “We are ready to propose policies that will lead Thailand to prosperity, respecting the decisions of the people, in accordance with the principles of democracy with the king as head of state.”
The party added that it was grateful to Ubolratana for her kindness.
Although the final decision on the admissibility of Ubolratana’s candidacy rests with the electoral commission, the king’s decree will certainly have a strong influence on the deliberations of its members.
Jarungwit Phumma, a member of the ruling junta who heads the electoral commission, said on Saturday that the final decision on the princess’s candidacy would be announced on Monday.
Thai Raksa Chart is one of several Shinawatra-allied political parties contesting the March 24 polls – the first since the 2014 coup.
Thailand Elections: Can Shinawatras Keep It in the Family Again?
Thailand Elections: Can Shinawatras Keep It in the Family Again?
The princess’s involvement was an unprecedented move: it was the first time a member of the royal family had entered politics since the fall of the absolute monarchy in 1932.
However, at the end of the day, Maha Vajiralongkorn almost rejected this possibility. In an evening statement, he scolded Ubolratana, calling her move “inappropriate” and contrary to the constitution and royal norms.
“The palace’s disapproval invalidates her candidacy,” said Puangthong Pawakapan, a political science professor at Chulalongkorn University, before announcing the Thai Raksa Chart.
Ubolratana renounced her royal titles aside from the precise to be a princess, but Maha Vajiralongkorn said she remained a part of the ruling Chakri dynasty.
The siblings are the kids of Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016 after a record 70 years on the throne.
“All members of the royal family share the identical principles… and they can’t hold any political office since it is contrary to the intention of the structure,” Maha Vajiralongkorn said.
Commentators who welcomed Ubolratana’s candidacy on Friday, having fun with her brother’s blessing – the siblings were believed to be close – were perplexed after the king’s rebuke.
Facebook: Ban on foreign ads ahead of Thai poll not at junta’s request
Facebook: Ban on foreign ads ahead of Thai poll not at junta’s request
“These events are crazy and completely unexpected,” said Tom Pepinsky, a Southeast Asia researcher at Cornell University. Lent on Saturday.
In a comment published a couple of hours earlier, Pepinsky wrote that Ubolratana’s candidacy was “rather more momentous than, say, [Britain’s] Prince Harry running for office.”
Much of the evaluation surrounding the events that took place over the past two days has been speculative, given the opaque nature of palace machinations. Meanwhile, comments from local analysts have been muted resulting from the country’s strict lèse-majesté laws prohibiting criticism of members of the royal family.
Joshua Kurlantzick of the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations suggested that the turnaround in Ubolratana’s candidacy could also be related to a political “agreement” struck by exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck – also a former prime minister – that failed.
He proposed two scenarios: one during which the royal court decided to not approve Ubolratana’s candidacy on the last minute, and the opposite during which the king was unaware of his sister’s plans until Friday’s announcement.
The head of the Thai junta will face a difficult transition if he wins the elections
The head of the Thai junta will face a difficult transition if he wins the elections
The princess accepted the nomination of Thailand’s Raksa Chart party – considered one of several parties linked to Thaksin and his sister Yingluck – meaning a candidacy would require at the least the support of the telecommunications tycoon-turned-politician.
The Thai Raksa chart was created as a part of the clan’s technique to diversify its political assets within the event that its important vehicle, the Puea Thai party, was dissolved by the junta that overthrew the federal government that Yingluck led from 2011 to 2014.
The nomination of a member of the royal family by pro-Thaksin forces was an audacious move, potentially undermining Thaksin’s bitter royalist enemies and organising an electoral showdown with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led a 2014 coup and headed a military government.
But King Vajiralongkorn’s swift rebuke of his sister’s offer could backfire on pro-Thaksin forces, who could face retaliation if electoral authorities imagine they’ve tried to wrongfully exploit the king’s connections.
Elections in Thailand: young individuals are fed up with army rule and are attempting to vary their country’s policy
Elections in Thailand: young individuals are fed up with army rule and are attempting to vary their country’s policy
“Friday’s events were astonishing and caused people to completely rethink their assessments and perspectives and the future political trajectory of the country,” said Jay Harriman, senior director at BowerGroupAsia, a government affairs consultancy.
“The monarchy has a semi-divine status in Thailand. Public appearances and statements often relate to royal duties or events. There has almost never been such a difference of opinion in recent years.”
Ubolratana, who wrote on Instagram on Friday that she is an “extraordinary person” who doesn’t enjoy royal privileges, posted one other post on Saturday that appears to disregard her brother’s rebuke.
“Thank you to all Thai people for their love and kindness,” she wrote within the caption attached to her photo. She said she “sincerely wishes” for the dominion to prosper and for people to enjoy unfettered rights, opportunities and happiness.
The princess and Thai organization Raksa Chart didn’t reply to the king’s statement, however the party canceled a campaign event scheduled for Saturday.
Thailand’s military rulers are attempting to limit support for the Shinawatra and their allies
Thailand’s military rulers are attempting to limit support for the Shinawatra and their allies
Ubolratana, a mathematics and biochemistry graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has a fame for being more accessible to extraordinary people than the remainder of the royal family.
Observers say she has hinted previously that she is politically affiliated with the Shinawatras, whose political power relies largely on support from the northern region of the country under Laos influence.
The AFP news agency noted on Ubolratan’s profile on Friday that within the post during which she accepted Thai Raksa Chart’s nomination as a candidate for prime minister, she was seen wearing traditional costume from the region. She also held red flowers – a color that has change into a logo of Thaksin’s supporters, generally known as “red shirts.”
This article appeared within the print edition of the South China Morning Post as: an unprecedented move that resulted in just someday
