For nearly a decade, Thailand has been led by an authoritarian military establishment — but an Ivy League-educated leader of a liberal opposition party is seeking to change that. What you need to know about Pita Limjaroenrat and his Move Forward Party.
Pita has pledged to move Thailand out of what he calls a “lost decade” of slow economic growth. Part of that plan, he says, includes diversifying Thailand’s tourism-dependent economy and spreading it out beyond the capital, Bangkok. In a televisedwith Bloomberg last month, Pita said three main points of his agenda are to “demilitarize, de-monopolize and decentralize.”
Two of Pita’s campaign promises have won over younger voters but potentially turned off older ones, who are more supportive of the country’s ruling military and monarchy. He has said he would end military conscription — which he told Bloomberg would help the economy — and has pushed for an end to Thailand’s lèse-majesté, which criminalizes speaking poorly of the monarchy.
But his ascendance could be complicated by the military’s lingering influence, including its power in the military-appointedAdding to the uncertainty, opposition parties have expressed concern that the ruling establishment might try to rig the election in its favor. In his news conference, Pita warned that any attempt to interfere would come at “a hefty price” and that “the people of Thailand would not allow that to happen.
Asked at the news conference about the uncertainty that hung over celebrations in Bangkok on Monday, where a victory parade was planned, Pita said: “I’m not worried, but I’m not careless.”
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