Next Prime Minister: Most would vote for General Prayut

General Prayut as Prime Minister in a Pheu Thai parliament is what poll responders said they wanted last week when asked.

POLITICS, THE MILITARY & PUBLIC OPINION

Next Prime Minister: Majority would vote for General Prayut

29/05/2017
Online Reporters

A majority of 53% of the people asked in a poll last week said they would support Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as the next Prime Minister of Thailand.  

The Bangkok University telephone poll included 1,269 respondents.

GENERAL PRAYUT AS PRIME MINISTER IN A PHEU THAI PARLIAMENT

While General Prayut might be the Prime Minister, the members of parliament (MPs) in his parliament would apparently mostly come from the Pheu Thai political party.

Pheu Thai was the most popular political party in the poll followed by the Democrats.

This is perhaps a little strange because Pheu Thai's typical constituency, rural red-shirt supporters from the Northeast, are certainly not part of the currently appointed parliament (the National Legislative Assembly or NLA) or the appointed reform committees under General Prayut.

COULD SUCH POLAR OPPOSITES RECONCILE & WORK TOGETHER?

Could General Prayut and Pheu Thai work together effectively?

Or would it be a mostly contentious relationship that prevented government from getting its work done?

The US with its continual stalemates between the Democrats and Republicans in the recent past has certainly created a situation of ineffective government.

Maybe General Prayut and Pheu Thai will be able to kiss and make up and do better than the US.

Perhaps, a Gen Prayut-Pheu Thai government is what is actually needed for true reconciliation.

50% WANT THE ELECTION AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE

The survey was conducted last Wednesday and Thursday, with respondents aged 18 and over from throughout the country.

Asked whether they would vote for Gen Prayut as the next prime minister if offered the opportunity, 52.8% said they would, 25.6% said they would not and 21.6% said they would abstain.

Asked how they felt about the next general election, 50.6% said they wanted it as soon as possible, 24.6% said they felt indifferent when the polls would occur and 21.8% said they were happy with the present situation as the country was peaceful.

Asked for their favourite political party, 17.8% chose Pheu Thai, 15.6% Democrat, 1.5% Rak Thailand, 1% Chartthaipattana, 0.8% Bhumjaithai, and 0.3% Phalang Chon.

GEN PRAYUT CAUSES POLITICAL STIR BY ASKING FOUR QUESTIONS

Meanwhile, General Prayut caused a political stir when he raised four questions for the public in his weekly television programme on Friday.

He said he would use the public's responses as guidelines for the government's work.

The first question asked whether people think the next elected government can guarantee good governance.

The second question asked what should be done if there is no such government after the next election.

In the third question, while admitting that an election is an important element of democracy, he asked whether elections that fail to take into account matters relating to the country's future, reforms and national strategy are the right thing.

His fourth question asked if politicians guilty of inappropriate behaviour should be allowed to run in the election, and if so, who and what methods would regulate them.

Addressing the criticism over his questions, Gen Prayut said they were not for himself but for the people.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1258762/pm-defends-himself-amid-question-flap

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1258503/poll-majority-would-vote-for-prayut-as-next-pm

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