The projected winner of Thailand’s general election, Pita Limjaroenrat, has promised that over the next four years, his policy priorities would be to “demilitarize, demonopolize and decentralize” the country.
“With the three-prong approach, that’s the only way that we can fully democratize Thailand and make sure that Thailand is back to business, Thailand is back in the global arena, and make sure that the country […] is contributing but also benefiting by the definition of globalization,” Pita told a US news network.
He added that his opposition Move Forward Party (MFP)’s success in Sunday’s election showed that his policy priorities resonate not only with the young but across society, something that he said is “pretty sensational.”
“It’s pretty clear that people have demanded change here in Thailand… it’s very clear that the sentiment of the era has changed and we have developed a consensus for a new day here,” Pita pointed out.
The MFP leader also touched upon a situation with a major roadblock for his party in the form of the unelected 250-seat senate, which is chosen entirely by the military and has previously voted for a pro-military candidate.
“If we keep communicating and we keep explaining what we’re trying to do for the country, and how well we mean for the future of this country, I think that will not be a significant roadblock. And the price to pay, the cost of going against 25 million votes here in Thailand will be very hefty,” Pita said.
When asked what would happen if Thailand’s military tried to subvert election outcomes, he said, “we have to minimize the risk” of subversion.
The MFP made it clear that he’s prepared for every scenario in his country, which has seen at least ten coups since 1932, including two in the past 17 years.
“I’m not worried but I’m not careless as well. I’ve been in politics in Thailand for the past 20 years, so I can see the brutality of politics,” Pita said, adding that he has a strong team around him to “make sure we don’t give out any easy targets.”
He admitted that “there are professional and personal attacks” against him but that he has prepared in the past in order to make sure he has solid legal ground in dealing with anything that comes his way.
Given the fact that neither opposition party won an outright majority of 376 seats needed to form a government outright, “they will need to strike deals and wrangle support from other parties to form a coalition big enough to ensure victory,” according to media reports.
Pita’s promise to demilitarize Thailand comes against the background of the ongoing militarization of the Asia-Pacific region, not least due to US activities over Taiwan, that has caused China-Taiwan tensions. Beijing has slammed US missions to send warships and surveillance planes to the Taiwan Strait as provocations and portrayed Washington as "a security risk creator in the region."
China has repeatedly warned Washington policymakers against militarizing Taiwan and fueling separatist sentiment on the island, which is seen by Beijing as an inalienable part of the People's Republic.