ALL EYES ON WHICH WAY NEW POLITICS WILL GO

       A new party, led by Sondhi Limthongkul, has further blurred the confused political landscape The increasingly sour relationship between the Democrat Party and the People's Alliance for Democracy, which has transformed itself into a political party and thus the most direct competitor of the main government coalition partner, will further complicate Thai politics. The landscape already looks blurred, with both camps taking opposite stances on proposed constitutional amendments. What will dictate future developments, however, depends less on the Democrats than on how far the PAD decides to go to push its causes.
       The most significant development of late is not PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul's bashing of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, whom he described as ungrateful, but the PAD's threat to resume street protests to protect the Constitution. Since the PAD has founded the New Politics Party, thus committing itself to mainstream parliamentary politics, we have to wonder how this movement will manage to have the best of both worlds.
       Political parties are entitled to organise rallies, but obviously not the sort of rallies the PAD was known for. Sondhi, the extremist credited for so many changes - positive and negative - that have happened in Thailand over the past few years, will have found that his new role requires a balancing act. He used to deplore parliamentary democracy, but what will he do now after deciding to become a part of it?
       In an exclusive interview with The Nation on Friday, Sondhi vigorously defended the fact that the New Politics Party would be backed up by a |political movement remembered for its long occupation of Government House and seizure of Suvarnabhumi Airport. "New politics", he insisted, meant a truly "bottom-up" formation of a political party. No party had |ever been formed this way, starting as a political movement and then, |thanks to a solid consensus of its followers, evolving into a political party, |he said.
       That arguably noble transformation, however, has to be followed by a reform of how the PAD puts forth its agenda. And having closely identified the PAD with the New Politics Party, admitting that the former has evolved into the latter, it will be hard for Sondhi to distance himself from the PAD if, say, its members stage another controversial act of aggression.
       Another part of the intriguing backdrop is the red shirts, the political base of the Pheu Thai Party. Ironically, the rival camps - the red shirts and yellow shirts - are finding themselves in the same boat because both are reluctant participants in the current parliamentary democracy. The yellow shirts believe the present parliamentary democracy is not strong enough to guard against Thaksin Shinawatra, but their red rivals think the opposite, claiming that Thaksin's opponents have taken the existing system and twisted it so as to block him from returning to power.
       How Sondhi with a new hat can fit into this increasingly complex picture remains to be seen. Logically speaking, he will be forced to be more cool-headed and take the middle path in order to get things done. If he can change, so can his supporters. If he cannot, it is very doubtful the New Politics Party will be able to set the ball rolling for a new political course that everyone yearns for.