Abhisit Vejjajiva
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Abhisit Vejjajiva (Thai: อภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ) (born 3 August 1964), Thai politician, has become the leader of the opposition Democrat Party since February 2005. He is a central figure in the current crisis of Thai politics, staging a boycott of the 2 April election called by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He is one of the most acclaimed Thai political figures as a possible candidate for the next Thai prime minister.
A photograph of Abhisit can be seen here.
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[edit] Early Life and Education
Abhisit was born to Dr Athasit Vejjajiva and Dr Sodsai Vejjajiva in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom. His parents were both former medical professors. He has two older sisters. After studying at Yukolthorn Kindergarten and Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School, he transferred to Scaitclife School and Eton College (interestingly, his nephew through his sister became the first King's Scholar at Eton College). He enrolled at Oxford University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree (first class honours) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. At Oxford he was elected President of St.John's College Junior Common Room. After graduating with his Bachelor’s degree, he taught briefly at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.
Abhisit returned to Oxford to pursue a Master’s degree in economics. He also received a Bachelor’s degree in law from Ramkamhaeng University in 1990. After graduating, he taught economics at Thammasat University. He is married to Pimpen Sakuntabhai, a former dentist and now a lecturer at the Department of Mathematics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. They have two children.
[edit] Entry into Politics
Abhisit started his career in politics in 1992 as a Democrat MP for Bangkok. He was reelected to the same seat in 1995 and 1996. In the elections of 2001 and 2005, he was returned to parliament as a Party List MP for the Democrat Party. During his political career, he has served as Democrat Party spokesman, Government spokesman, Deputy-Secretary to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Chairman of the House Education Affairs Committee and Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Abhisit was criticized for relying on his looks to further his career in Thai politics. For instance, Morgan Stanley economist Daniel Lian, in a letter to PM Thaksin, reportedly asked "other than his pretty young face, what else can [Abhisit] offer to the Thai people?"[1]. The Nation, a Thai newspaper, however, while noting his "sex appeal," said that "Abhisit’s ammunition is pure decency [and] unrivalled talent." [2].
[edit] Democrat Party Leader
[edit] Bid for Party Leader
Abhisit was widely recognized among the Democrats as a talented, promising, young politician with good understanding of political issues at hand and great communication skills. He was also seen by the general public as a clean politician who could challenge the popular Thaksin Shinawatra. In 2001, he made a challenging bid for party leader taking on Banyat Bantadtan. He lost the bid. Banyat, however, led the Democrats to an overwhelming defeat to Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party in the 2005 elections. After the defeat, Banyat resigned and Abhisit was elected party leader.
[edit] Anti-Thaksin crisis
When Thaksin called a snap election on February 25, 2006, Abhisit said he was "prepared to become a prime minister who adheres to the principles of good governance and ethics, not authoritarianism." The very next day, however, he announced that the Democratic Party, along with other opposition parties, would boycott the elections. At a press conference, Abhisit joined the Thai Nation Party's Banharn Silpa-Archa and the Mahachon Party's Sanan Kachornprasart in claiming that the elections "lacked legitimacy" and were an attempt by Thakson to "divert public attention" from his sales of Shin Corporation. He also said that what was likely "was an election that would yield the outcome Mr Thaksin was expecting." On March 24, 2006, citing Section 7 of the 1997 National Constitution, he urged that Thaksin resign and that King Bhumibol Adulyadej order a replacement of the Prime Minister[3][4][5]. The King himself on 26 April dismissed the notion, saying that such an action would be unconstitutional. "Asking for a royally appointed prime minister is undemocratic. It is, pardon me, a mess. It is irrational." [6]
The Thai Rak Thai party won an overwhelming majority in the boycotted April elections. However, it fell short of 20% votes required to claim victory in several constituencies boycotted by other opposition parties, thus requiring by-elections. The Democrat Party was later alleged of bribing other small political parties to boycott the elections, an allegation that it consistently denied.
The Democrat Party sued the Election Commission and started a petition to nullfiy the elections. It also led the opposition in boycotting the by-elections.
[edit] Bribery of Opposition Parties
An 11-member fact-finding panel headed by Deputy Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri voted unanimously on June 28 to dissolve the Democrat party based on evidence that they bribed other small opposition parties into boycotting the elections as well as Abhisit's request for the King to replace Thaksin. Abhisit later met with political attaches from 20 countries in order to explain the charges.[7]
[edit] Policy agenda
On 29 April, Abhisit announced his candidacy for Prime Minister at the Democrat Party annual congress. He promised an "agenda for people", with education as the main focus. He also vowed not to privatize basic utiliies like electricity and water supply and also to nationalize those enterprizes which had previously been privatized back[8]. Regarding core elements of Thaksinomics, he promised "The benefits from certain populist policies, such as the Bt30 healthcare scheme, the Village Fund and the SML [Small Medium Large] scheme, will not be cancelled but improved." He later promised that Thaksin's popular 30-baht universal healthcare scheme would be abolished immediately, and replaced with a system where access to medical services would be totally free.[9] He also said that future Democrat MPs will have to declare their assets and possible involving in any private companies (under the law, only those who take a government position have to declare their assets)[10].
On the Democrat Party's 60th Anniversary dinner, Abhisit raised over THB 200 Million in funds from attendants. He outlined several energy policies including[11]:
- Increasing divident payments from PTT and using the funds to repay Oil Fund debts
- Allowing EGAT to bear the burden of rising fuel prices, since a non SET-listed EGAT would have no minimum return on investment.
Abhisit later outlined plans to reduce retail petrol prices by eliminating the 2.50 baht/L levies used to maintain the government's Oil Fund. His plans were attacked for distorting the market and discouraging measures to reduce oil consumption.
On 13 July 2006, facing escalating violence in the South, Abhisit promised to solve the insurgency by making the problems in the deep South a public agenda.[12]
Abhisit also promised many populist policies, including[13]:
- Providing quality universal healthcare for no cost. The Thaksin-originated universal healthcare scheme provides coverage for 30 Baht (approx. US$ .75 ) per visit.
- Providing free education, textbooks, milk and supplemental foods for kindergartens
- Increasing the minimum wage
[edit] Military coup
On 19 September 2006, weeks before the scheduled elections, the military seized power in a 2006 Thailand coup. Abhisit voiced displeasure at the coup hours just before all political activities were banned:
| We cannot and do not support any kind of extra-constitutional change, but it's done. The country has to move forward and the best way forward is for the coup leaders to quickly return power to the people and carry out reforms they promised. They have to prove themselves. I urge them to lift all restrictions as soon as possible. There is no need to write a brand new constitution. They could make changes to the 1997 constitution and if that's the case, there is no reason to take a year. Six months is a good time.[1] |
Abhisit was criticized for his lack of activity after the coup, with The Economist calling him "well-liked but ineffectual."[14]
