Chuan Leekpai

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Chuan Leekpai (2010)

Chuan Leekpai ( Thai ชวน หลีก ภัย , RTGS Likphai ; pronunciation: [ ʨʰuan lìːkpʰaj ]; born July 28, 1938 in Trang ) is a Thai politician . From 1991 to 2003 he was chairman of the Democratic Party , from 1992 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2001 Prime Minister of the country. He was from 1986 to 1988 and again since May 2019 spokesman for the Thai House of Representatives and thus also President of the National Assembly .

Youth and education

Chuan comes from a very simple background. He was in Trang province in southern Thailand , the son of Chinese immigrants born. His father worked as a teacher and market seller. Chuan initially received his training at the Trang Wittaya and Silpa Suksa School. He began studying law at Thammasat University in Bangkok and graduated in 1962 with a bachelor's degree . In 1964 he was admitted to the bar by the Thai Bar Association. 1985 he was the Srinakarinwirot University in Bangkok and in 1988 by the Ramkhamhaeng University the honorary doctorate awarded.

Political career

Chuan initially worked as a lawyer at Chor Chanasongkram Law , a large law firm in Bangkok, but quickly moved into politics . In 1969 he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Trang Province . He defended his seat in each of the 15 subsequent elections.

During the brief democratic phase in the mid-1970s, Chuan was considered a representative of the moderate-left wing of the Democrats. In 1976, right-wing hardliners accused him of being close to the communists. In the cabinets of his party colleague Seni Pramoj Chuan served as Deputy Minister of Justice (February – March 1975), Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (April – September 1976) and for two weeks from September to October 1976 as Minister of Justice . In July 1976, the so-called Patriotic Ethnic Group burned images of Chuan and his party colleague Surin Masdit, as well as books and newspapers that they believed were leftist. Chuan was one of the three "left" ministers in Seni's government whose dismissal or even death demanded the militant rights of the " village scouts " during the massacre at Thammasat University on October 6, 1976. The entire government was overthrown in a coup on the same day.

During the period of "semi-democracy" under Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda he was again Minister of Justice (March 1980 - March 1981), Minister of Commerce (March 1981 - December 1981), Minister of Agriculture (December 1981 - March 1983) and Minister of Education (May 1983 - August 1986) . The Democrats won the 1986 general election, and Chuan was elected House Speaker on August 4, 1986 . According to the constitution at the time, he was also Vice-President of the National Assembly (the speaker of the Senate was President). The parliament was dissolved early in April 1988.

After the early election and the resignation of Prem Tinsulanondas as prime minister, Chuan served in the government of Chatichai Choonhavan as health minister (August 1988 - December 1989), as deputy prime minister (December 1989 - August 1990) and for the second time as agriculture minister (August - December 1990) . Then the Democratic Party left the coalition.

In addition to his political activities, Chuan was also active in various academic institutions:

  • Vice-President of the Assembly of Prince Songhkla University
  • Visiting Lecturer in Forensic Medicine at Chulalongkorn University
  • Honorary Member of the Council of Srinakarinwirot University Bangkok
  • Honorary Member of the Council of Thammasat University Bangkok

Chuan gained notoriety as a major advocate of democracy in Thailand. He was considered impervious to corruption and was perceived as one of the most honest politicians in the country. For example, the Ministry of Commerce was seen as a hotbed of corruption prior to his appointment as its head, but no such allegations were made during his tenure. Unlike other Thai politicians, he has not amassed much wealth during his tenure.

Terms of office as party leader and prime minister

Chuan Leekpai (1999)

After the resignation of party leader Bhichai Rattakul , he was elected chairman of the Democratic Party in January 1991. Subsequently, the party's popularity increased noticeably. Chuan is particularly responsible for the continued success of the Democrats in his home region of southern Thailand. During General Suchinda Kraprayoon's reign , Chuan claimed to have received multiple death threats. For the early parliamentary election in September 1992, Chuan advertised with the slogan “I believe in the parliamentary system”, which was a rejection of both military rule and the opposition street protests of the “Black May”. He stood for sensible compromises and not for a radical change of system. On September 20, 1992, Chuan was appointed prime minister on the suggestion of five parties that had opposed military rule. During his reign, he was primarily concerned with economic stability and the decentralization of political decisions, which should be placed more in the hands of the provincial administrations.

Chuan has shown himself to be immune to the influence of militarists. In 1993, contrary to military orders, he and eight Nobel Peace Prize winners went to the Burma border to demand the release of Aung San Suu Kyi . In the spring, however, he tried in vain to reduce the influence of the military, which the constitution had given since 1991. The influence of the military wing in the Senate was too heavy. However, his major land reform project met with widespread opposition and one of the coalition partners - Palang Dharma - left the coalition, so that he had to dissolve parliament on May 19, 1995 . The election that followed led to the appointment of Banharn Silpa-archa .

Chuan Leekpai with US President Bill Clinton (1999)

After the severe economic crisis in the summer of 1997, which affected practically all countries in Southeast Asia , Chuan was reappointed Prime Minister on November 9, 1997. This made him the first elected prime minister to be appointed for a second term. During this time, the constitution was revised and civil rights improved, and an anti-corruption agency was set up, which had put his successor Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra under the microscope at the beginning of his term in office. Because there was a conflict of interest as premier and major shareholder in Shin Corporation .

Chuan's term of office ended on February 17, 2001. The Democrats won only half as many seats as the new Thai-Rak-Thai party of Thaksin Shinawatra and had to go into the opposition. In 2003 he resigned as party leader. He was replaced by Banyat Bantadtan , who narrowly prevailed against Chuan's desired successor Abhisit Vejjajiva within the party . Chuan was appointed chief advisor to the Democratic Party. Even though he was no longer in the forefront of active politics, he defended his seat in the House of Representatives in the 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2019 elections. With 16 legislative terms, he is the longest-serving member of the Thai parliament.

On May 25, 2019, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the second time. According to the 2017 constitution, he is also President of the National Assembly (which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate). His election is probably part of a coalition agreement between the Democratic Party and the military- affiliated Phalang Pracharat party of the previous junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Bhumjaithai party . These two parties are Chuan's proxy.

Award

Chuan has been awarded numerous orders and decorations from Thailand in the course of his life : including the special level of the Order of the Crown of Thailand (1981) and the Order of the White Elephant (1982), Grand Commander of the Order of Chula Chom Klao (1998) and Grand Cross of the Order of Direkgunabhorn (2008).

In addition, he received the special level of the Filipino Sikatuna Order (1993), the Grand Cross of the Order El Sol del Perú and the Portuguese Order of Christ (both 1999) as well as the Grand Cross of the Star of Romania .

literature

  • Michael Leifer: Dictionary of the modern politics of South-East Asia . London: Routledge 1996. ISBN 0-415-13821-3 . Keyword: Chuan Leekpai .
  • Chuan Leekpai , in: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 32/2001 of July 30, 2001, in the Munzinger archive ( beginning of the article freely available)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Surin Maisrikrod: Thailand's Two General Elections in 1992. Democracy Sustained. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 1992, p. 16.
  2. ↑ a b c Chris Baker , Pasuk Phongpaichit: A History of Thailand. 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-521-76768-2 , p. 282.
  3. ↑ Surin Maisrikrod: Thailand's Two General Elections in 1992. Democracy Sustained. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 1992, p. 15.
  4. ↑ King and Queen honor 8,000 village scouts at Lumpini Park rally. In: Nicholas Grossman: Chronicle of Thailand. Headline News since 1946. Edition Didier Millet, Singapore 2009, p. 209.
  5. ↑ Kobkua Suwannathat-Pian: Thailand in 1976. In: Southeast Asian Affairs 1977. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 1977, pp. 239-263, on p. 241.
  6. ^ Paul M. Handley: The King Never Smiles. A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej. Yale University Press, New Haven (CT) / London 2006, p. 236.
  7. ↑ Anusorn Limmanee: Thailand. In: Political Party Systems and Democratic Development in East and Southeast Asia. Volume 1. Ashgate, Aldershot / Brookfield VT 1998, p. 411.
  8. ↑ Patit Paban Mishra: The History of Thailand. Greenwood, 2010, p. 18.
  9. ^ Duncan McCargo : Thailand's political parties. Real, authentic and actual. In: Kevin Hewison: Political Change in Thailand. Democracy and Participation. Routledge, London / New York 1997, ISBN 0-415-14795-6 , pp. 114-131, at pp. 122-123.
  10. ↑ Michael Kelly Connors: Thaksin's Thailand. Thai politics in 2003-2004. In: Cavan Hogue: Thailand's Economic Recovery. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore 2006, p. 37.
  11. ^ Democrat veteran Chuan named House speaker. In: Bangkok Post (online), May 25, 2019.
Note on Thai names : This article addresses people by their first name.
personal data
SURNAME Chuan Leekpai
ALTERNATIVE NAMES ชวน หลีก ภัย (thS)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Thai politician, Prime Minister of Thailand (1992–95; 1997–2001)
DATE OF BIRTH July 28, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Trang