Published on January 13, 2005

You may call it a move towards good corporate governance in post-modern government. Or you could describe it as highly innovative politics. But the “Three Lists” election strategy launched by Thai Rak Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra has got even the most experienced political pundits in the country scratching their heads.

Only one list - the so-called “party list” of 100 names nominated by each contending party - is required by law. Thaksin has instead produced three: the second carries 105 names, supposedly potential candidates for Cabinet posts and other senior political positions.

The third list, this one with the names of 50 people, covers those to be named to “political operations posts”. In other words, they belong to the third tier of apparatchiks. Perhaps, they aren’t the big names, but they are supposed to be the real functionaries, the ones who move things behind the scenes.

And to keep the potential rebels in suspense, their names are to be listed in alphabetical order. You don’t need to memorise Sun Tzu’s famous “Art of War” to know that keeping your underlings on their toes is as important as confusing your enemy.

Only the first list counts, of course. The names on the other two don’t have much of a say in the party’s scheme of things. Since they aren’t MPs, they won’t count at all when it comes time to cast ballots on major legislative issues.

Why the second list? Charitable analysts say that it shows how frank and fair the party leader is. He wants all the voters to know how resourceful the party is. They have at least 105 highly qualified candidates from which to pick 35 Cabinet members.

Less charitable observers promptly pointed out the “political trap”. The two extra lists, they say, weren't in fact for public consumption. It was the CEO’s roundabout way of keeping all the factions within his party under control.

The real detractors have gone one step further, saying Thaksin is afraid of a rebellion within the party when it comes time to vote on the next PM in the House after the election.

The hardcore loyalists made it to List No 1. That’s where those who will be named MPs from the “party list” are grouped together. They each carry one House vote. The top ten names most likely will be given “Grade A” Cabinet portfolios. The possible “rebels” - or more precisely “the potential trouble-makers” - appear on List B. They don’t carry any legal status. Should any of them be dropped from the new Cabinet line-up, he or she will be left out in the cold. Being on Thaksin’s second list is like being given a consolation prize even before the game starts.

The third list is reserved exclusively for the middle-ranking party members who need to feel that they have a role to play by working hard enough to ensure that TRT gets an overwhelming majority of seats in the election. Those on List C aren’t necessarily attached to any major faction within the party. But to prevent them from being led astray by the disgruntled biggies, they need to feel at least that they are on the party leader’s “waiting list” - and not part of a discontented faction.

There is, of course, nothing sinister about the leader of a political party drawing up his own lists of people to identify those that he can fully trust and those that are not so trustworthy. What is unusual is that he was willing to share the lists with the public, under the bizarre pretext that he wanted to show off the great collection of extremely capable people expected to help him run the country in the next four years.

I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if some time before February 6 the prime minister came up with a fourth list, this one an exhaustive dossier containing the names of those who aren’t really qualified, possibly tainted and are certain to fail - but will nevertheless make it to the next Cabinet - for reasons that would be better left unexplained.

The public, of course, doesn’t need to see the imaginary fourth list. We are all familiar with the faces and backgrounds. All the excitement would be in the anticipation surrounding who’s on that list. Anyway, there will be very few surprises in the post-election enactment.

SUTHICHAI YOON

THE NAITON

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