Willie N Ng
FORMER President Fidel V. Ramos noted in his column yesterday that the clamor for the removal of both Thai Prime Minister Thaksin and President Arroyo "for different reasons intensifies to this day in each country."
In our case, the opposition tried to remove the President through impeachment. It failed because the President’s allies in Congress far outnumber the opposition congressmen.
But Thailand has the parliamentary system where a no-confidence vote is all that is needed to remove the Chief Executive from office. Why is Thaksin still there?
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It was Ramos himself who, when he was President, cited the no-confidence vote as the star attraction in the parliamentary system which he vainly tried to install.
The no-confidence vote can remove the Prime Minister in one afternoon, which is all the time needed for a vote among the members of parliament.
Then how come with the massive demonstrations against him almost daily and the list of mortal sins thrown at him, Thaksin seems in no danger of being swept into the dustbin of history?
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In every system, presidential or parliamentary, the hoary saying holds: "Where there is a will, there is a way."
Thanks to his polished wheeling and dealing, he has the overwhelming majority in Parliament. The Thai opposition knows it has no chance in a no-confidence vote. On this point, the parliamentary and the presidential systems are blood brothers. The minority is the sure loser.
For good measure, Thaksin has dissolved parliament and called for new elections in April. With his resources and machinery, he is favored to win. A win in an election, in Thailand and here as well, washes away all guilt.
Thaksin is astute. But it is safe to say that we have some gifted polls who may even more astute and more polished.
Mr. Ramos should temper his obsession with the no-confidence vote. And the people should cling to the impeachment process with unrelenting grasp.
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