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Published on November 21, 2007

"I don't think the junta will retreat to the barracks. They will either become part of the next administration or exercise their influence through the Internal Security Act and will be able to intervene in politics whenever they feel they have to," Chotisak Onsoong said.

While Chotisak was happy there would be an election, he said the junta cast a shadow over it. And the Surayud government, appointed by the junta, was partly overseeing the poll through former junta chief and Deputy PM Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin.

He said groups which opposed last year's coup would likely have to oppose the military's presence in politics even after the election because of the military having overseen a rewrite of the Constitution and the Internal Security Act.

"The military budget is on the rise and it's a testimony to the growing influence of the military. The money is used on arms instead of education and welfare. I think democracy has suffered a 20-year setback and it won't even be a half democracy but a partial democracy.

"The country was embarking on a democratic path before the coup, and trying to end political differences through tanks and guns did not work."

Pravit Rojanaphruk

 The Nation