By Ploy Ten Kate
BANGKOK (Reuters) - After six prime ministers in six years of sometimes bloody political upheaval, Thais might be excused for shrugging their shoulders about voting in number seven.
But this time there's one big difference. The new prime minister will be a woman, the first to hold the position in Thailand.
Yingluck Shinawatra, a 44-year-old businesswoman who wasn't even in politics two months ago, is poised to get the top job after the stunning election victory of Puea Thai (For Thais), whose de facto leader is her brother, fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Yingluck, known as Pou (Crab), the nickname her parents gave her, has never run for office or held a government post, so she has a lot to prove to show she can run the country.
But some Thais, especially females, want to give her the benefit of the doubt and see this as a big step for women in a country where they have struggled for equal representation in government.
"I've always wanted to have the first lady prime minister," said Areerak Saelim, 42-year-old owner of a sunglass shop in a Bangkok market.
"I've seen too many men failing to run the country. Maybe this time, things will be different. What women are -- and men aren't -- is meticulous. I'm pretty sure she can do the job based on her age and successful career."
Yingluck has promised to revive her brother's populist policies and raise living standards among the poor, vowing to pursue national reconciliation to end a six-year political crisis, without seeking vengeance for her brother's overthrow by the military in 2006.
"More and more women are capable, knowledgeable and can actually get the job done these days," said Yaowalak Poolthong, first executive vice-president of Krung Thai Bank Pcl.
"I don't think gender should be an issue, limiting who can or can't do the job."
MAN BEHIND THE WOMAN
But some wondered whether she was her own woman.
"It's obvious who she represents," said Puttasa Karnsakulton, a 37-year-old clothing shop owner.
Thaksin, a twice-elected prime minister who is now living as a fugitive from Thai justice in Dubai, has said he wants to come home, and one of Yingluck's policies is an amnesty for political offences.
"I can't accept it if having the first female prime minister means she'll come in to benefit one person. There are doubts in my mind that this is simply a woman in front of a man," Puttasa said.
Puea Thai's plan to give each province 100 million baht ($3.2 million) to support the income-generating activities of women's groups has left some women's rights advocates skeptical.
"Who is to decide who will get the money? Will this be just a one-off handout? Will it work as a revolving fund?" asked Sutada Mekrungruengkul, director of the Gender and Development Research Institute.
Siriphan Noksuan, associate professor at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science, said it was far too early to say what kind of leader she would be.
"People know she's a political novice," Siriphan said.
"But they also trust that she will have an army of pundits and economic advisers behind the scene to help her."
For now, she can bask in her victory after a campaign that left defeated Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, a career politician, struggling from day one.
Abhisit doesn't have the common touch. Yingluck, a wealthy businesswoman, and Thaksin, a billionaire former telecoms tycoon, do.
"In some way, I feel like I can connect with her and her brother even though we're poor and have nothing," said Malai Jiemdee, a maid from Nakhon Ratchasima province. ($1 = 30.795 Baht)
(Additional reporting by Manunphattr Dhanananphorn; Editing by Alan Raybould)
7 comments:
good for her! i think having women run the country is what changes are about in this new era. it is less testosterone and more mutual respect, etc! in gov't today, there are a lot of advisers, etc, so it's not she's going to work alone as a prime minister, etc! hopefully she can help bring a political closure with cambodia by way of rule of law! who needs ahbullshit now? maybe with her in office, cambodia and thailand can see eye to eye and establish good friendly neighbors, etc! i think don't cambodia need or want an enemy when we could be friends, etc, really!
If Cambodia has a true democracy as Thailand does, Khmer women will have the same chance as Ms. Yingluck.
She is a businesswoman, it means that she studied the 'business administration' more privilege than the economics because both are part od economy. So when she run as polician this job is so easy for her. Her competence is strong enough for this job. God bless you.the
As long as Khmers allow Youn and CPP duided by Hun Xen on the power, Khmers will have never democracy. Only dream, yes.
Ok Hun Sen when you will be defeated you should behave like a man and bow out like Abhisit Vejjajiva does by praising and congratulating the winner. But Khmer people think that you are not man enough to do it, Ah komsaak nhee.
Hun Sen is a crooked man,if he
compares to Yingluck;she is just
a her brother clone,but not his
puppet.
Hun Sen is a dictator,Vietnam puppet.
He cheated election to win and
broadcasted before the ballots
counted.
He is a theft and a cheater.
If this female Thai red-shirts becomes first female Thai Prime Minister will it be good or bad for Cambodia.
It will very good for Hun Sen and yuon Hanoi.
But it will be very bad for Khmer and the country ( Cambodia ) as a whole.
Please read on and judge it for yourself.
If this red-shirt lady becomes first Thai Prime Minister it will cause:
1. Long-term unrest in Thailand.
( unrest between yellow-shirts and red-shirts supporters ).
2. In Cambodia :
What is the real reasons behind Hun Sen supporting Thaksin ?
One of the reasons is truth story about this is look at the past activities and real background of thai red-shirts architecture you will see the closed relationship betwenn Ho Chi Minh and the previous and present of Thai red-shirts leaders.
So yuon Hanoi has a strong network in Thailand , red-shirts is part of this network , Thai red-shirts formally called Red Thai.
Note: 1. Pol Pot used to support this red Thai to block Thai ambition to swallow part of Cambodia as Thai did during the 1940s in Battambang, Sieam Reap ....ect.
2. But yuon through its puppet Hun Sen support Thai red-shirts to swallow Thailand in the future when they have finish Lao and Cambodia.
3. So former Red Thai or better known as Thai red-shirts most of them are origionally are Khmer known as Khmer Leu such as Surin , Buriram ect... . are not bad people it depent on how and who used them for what purpose.
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