PM Chuan says no early elections in Thailand

PM Chuan says no early elections in Thailand

By Michele Cooper

BANGKOK (AFP): Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai says he has ruled out early elections despite a series of embarrassing setbacks in parliament where the opposition and the Senate joined hands to block his legislation.

A Thai-style compromise will eventually be worked out, because neither the fragmented opposition nor the beleaguered government coalition is ready for elections now, most analysts say.

But some analysts suggest Chuan is merely biding his time before calling a vote, waiting for public sentiment to catch up with government views that the position of the opposition and the pro-military Senate is anti-democratic.

The Chuan government has proposed constitutional amendments which would, among other things, drastically reduce the number of senators -- appointed rather than elected -- from 270 to 120. The elected House has 360 members.

Opposition counter-amendments would slightly increase the number of senators, a majority of whom are either active duty or retired military men, and to ease qualifications for the position.

Despite the formidable opposition-Senate alliance, Chuan said Tuesday he had no intention of dissolving the lower house and calling new elections.

He also tried to put a more favorable light on his coalition's recent problems in parliament, saying the government "had anticipated this from the beginning" but was pursuing its amendments to keep a pledge.

The government's troubles started last week when it lost a first, procedural vote and a joint special session of parliament moved an opposition motion to the top of its agenda, ahead of the government amendments.

A first government amendment was defeated in the first reading by a vote of 189 in favor, two against and 302 abstentions. A simple majority of 316 is required for passage.

The first reading of an opposition counter-amendment sailed through by a vote of 369 for, none against and 194 abstentions.

In what the local press termed a "quiet coup," even the defense minister, General Vijit Sookmark, joined the pro-military alliance to vote against the government coalition.

Thailand has had a series of military governments since the 1930s, interspersed with episodes of civilian rule -- the latest the Chuan coalition which emerged from elections in September 1992.

In another defeat, the government Tuesday found itself maneuvered out of key posts on a House-Senate committee set up to scrutinize constitutional reform proposals.

Academic Sukhum Nualsakul commented on Thai radio yesterday that neither the government nor the opposition could count on controlling 316 votes if the House were dissolved.

He expected Chuan to continue to push his amendments, however, with a view to persuading the traditionally pro-government senators to shift their backing to the government.

Chuan believed that continued debate would serve to make the voting public more aware of the issues at stake and the positions of the various parties.

Commentator Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda said the government "will wait for a while until it is clear in the mind of the public that the opposition and Senate would reverse the development of democracy by their attempts to amend the charter."

"The government will then tell the public that it has to dissolve the House to protect the constitution from undemocratic pressures," he added in a commentary in The Nation newspaper.