One major political theme evident in May was apparent tension between the Democrats and coalition partner Bhumjaithai Party. Though leading figures in both parties repeatedly denied any conflicts, commentators wondered whether the governing coalition was in jeopardy.

March 2009

For the government coalition, the month began with attempts to win broad popular support, and deal with the encroaching economic crisis. Attention soon turned, however, to fending off parliamentary censure launched by the opposition, and dealing with a challenge from Thaksin Shinawatra and the red-shirted United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship.

The overshadowing political event of April was the ongoing United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) demonstration that eventually escalated into the Songkran riots.

In party politics, tensions continued between the Democrats and their coalition partners. Though certain circumstances and developments seemed to encourage the parties to back off from their points of conflict.

The parliamentary committee on national reconciliation, political reform and constitution amendment, chaired by Senator Direk Thungfang, prepared a report identifying six areas of the 2007 constitution that cause social division and conflict, and thus should be amended: dissolution of political parties and banning of executives from politics; the procedure for becoming an MP (apparently largely focusing on whether House constituencies should remain multi-member or return to being single-member districts); the procedure for becoming a senator; parliamentary endorsement of international treaties; appointment of MPs to other political positions (currently forbidden); and parliamentarians’ authority to help solve people’s problems (apparently meaning their scope to influence the activities of state agencies and possibly access to constituency development funding).