Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra (born the July 26th 1949 in Chiang May) is a business man and politician inhabitant of Thailand.

He was named Prime Minister by the king Rama IX the February 9th 2001 for five years. After the elections of the February 6th 2005, it was renewed for a second mandate. Following the dispute which agitated the country in March 2006 and of the anticipated elections boycotted by the opposition, he resigns the April 5th. He is replaced temporarily by his Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit. He is finally reversed by a coup d'etat, the September 19th 2006 whereas he is with New York for the General meeting of the United Nations.

Biography

Beginnings

Thaksin Shinawatra, former lieutenant-colonel of police force, doctor in criminology, graduate of the Université of Kentucky (the United States) is resulting from an easy family sino - thaïe of the Province of Chiang May. In 1987 it creates Shinawatra Computer and Communication Group, benefitting from the spectacular rise of the Mobile telephony, of the connections satellite and of the stock exchange boom, it makes fortune quickly and became today, with its family, the first fortune of the country.

It starts a political career and quickly climbs the levels, deputy of the party Palang Dharma, then Foreign Minister in 1994. He becomes vice-premier mnistre in 1997. But its party explodes following the crisis of 1997. In 1998, it creates a new party the Thai Thai Rak (ไทยรักไทย, “the Thais love the Thais”) in order to support its ambition to become Prime Minister. Its party gains the legislative elections of the January 6th 2001 and the king appoints it indeed Prime Minister.

Thaksin Prime Minister

Thaksin (the Inhabitants of Thailand use the first name in the name of family preferably) is relatively young person, dynamic and can allure the population. Its program is rather populist in frontage, with the manner of Silvio Berlusconi, but the mediums of businesses are not forgotten. As always, the problems of corruption and diversion of the public money are of topicality in Thailand, but Thaksin arrives at dépêtrer of various charges. It shows a will of radical action and even its adversaries must recognize its successes, although those are sometimes obtained with methods which will be worth to him the nickname of Thaksinator . It attacks the problem of the Drogue, promising to regulate it in six months, its action will show more than two thousand died in litigious police operations. The crisis of the chicken is treated in a very military transparency. In the south of the country, it deals with the problem of the claims of the Moslem populations of an iron hand. But the economic assessment of its mandate appears positive and on the social field its government worked with a system of minimal wages and social security which were worth a popularity to him through the country. However, the unexpected failure of the candidate whom it supported for the post of governor of Bangkok in September 2004 showed that criticisms of the opposition started to be heard.

Legislative elections proceeded on February 6th, 2005 in order to renew the Room of the representatives. The popularity of Thaksin had slightly lowered at the end of 2004 and these elections could seem undecided. But, in an unforeseeable way, the tsunami of December 26th which struck hard the area of Phuket was the occasion for the Prime Minister to harden his positions. It managed the crisis very well, while being very present on the ground and by showing the image of an effective and active government. The results obtained by the party of Thaksin exceeded its hopes and by gaining 399 seats out of the 500 of the Room, it can be allowed to control without coalition. The democratic party collects only 80 seats.

Political decline

As from February 2006, the situation is degraded for Thaksin. Shown once again to have benefitted from its position to support financial transactions profiting with its close relations whereas the Constitution of the country imposes formally that the political directors give up all functions in the private field, it is found blamed and weakened. He however thinks of rectifying the situation by issuing anticipated legislative elections the April 2nd 2006.

The opposition parties inhabitant of Thailand then announce their intention to boycott these national elections of April 2nd to protest against the rejection of their policy reform proposals by the Prime Minister. Thaksin starts negotiations with them, but refuse their proposals. The Boycott is thus issued by the Democratic party, the Thai Chart (CTP) and Mahachon. Arm wrestling accentuated the crisis started by an increasing trend of opinion (tens of thousands of demonstrators with Bangkok) in favor of a resignation of Thaksin, suspected of corruption and abuse of power. It is finally reversed by a military coup d'etat, carried out by the general Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the September 19th 2006 whereas it is with New York for the General meeting of the United Nations. The September 21st, it goes to the the United Kingdom in private visit. Currently, the ex-first minister is in exile in London where it has a residence.

Football

In July 2007, Shinawatra buys, via its company the U.K. Sports Investments , the club English of Football of Manchester City Football Club for a sum evaluated to 122 million euros. , Shinawatra had already tried to buy the club of Liverpool in 2004. Defense associations of the human rights Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch criticized the sale of shares of City with Shinawatra, describing it like a person violating the human rights of the worst species. Shinawatra convinces as of its arrival Sven-Göran Eriksson, former trainer of the English selection, to come to involve MCFC.

Reference

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