On Thursday, Thailand’s junta-picked national assembly chose coup leader General Prayut Chan Ocha as the prime minister in a one-horse race that entrenched the military’s hold on power. Nobody in the rubber-stamp legislature opposed the selection of the 60-year-old army chief, who ousted an elected government in a bloodless takeover on May 22. The national assembly’s move cements the military’s hold on power even though the general has hung up his uniform.
The rubber stamp approval does little to silence internal and international criticism of the junta and fails miserably in adding any credibility to the administration. While there’s a new prime minister in Bangkok, little has changed. The junta, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order, has ruled out holding new elections until October 2015 at the earliest.
Yes, the generals have at least succeeded in keeping thousands of protesters off the streets of Bangkok as the nation has tried to come to grips with some five years of turmoil. Tourists are once more returning to Thai beaches, giving a badly needed boost to the nation’s economic fortunes. But the reality is that there has been a fundamental shift in the dynamics of Thai politics. The generals and their supporters represent a southern elite that is on the wrong side of a demographic balance. Northerners hold the popular advantage. Until this reality is addressed, Thailand’s political problems will only deepen. With or without generals — with or without uniforms.
