Gendered Parties: Making the Male Norm Visible in

Thai Politics

THAILAND

THAI POLITICS

MILITARY DOMINANCE DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL COMPETITION

POLITICAL HISTORY

Peoples Party overthrows Absolute Monarchy 1932

Power struggles amongst Royalists, Nationalists and the Left 1930's/40's

Sarit coup leads to 16 years of military dictatorship 1957

Mass uprising against the military 1973

Bloody crack-down against the Left intensifies rural struggle by Communists 1976

Collapse of the Communist Party and return to democracy mid 1980's

Military junta overthrows the elected government of Chatchai 1991

Mass uprising against the military junta• Resurgence of strikes and rural protests 1992

The Asian financial crash and economic crisis originated in Thailand in the summer of 1997

The first permanent People's Constitution of Thailand was proclaimed on 11th October 1997

POLITICAL HISTORY

Newly established Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) won its first general election

• Thaksin wages "war on drugs" and instigates massacre at Takbai• TRT introduces the universal health care scheme and village funds

2001

Thaksin's led Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) the second and landslide election victory 2005

POLITICAL HISTORY

18th Military Coup, headed by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin early 2006

The TRT won 16 million votes in April election boycotted by the opposition and finally annulled by the courts 2006

The 19th September bloodless military coup topples Thaksin and his government

• The 1997 Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand abrogated• The TRT – Thailand's largest political party outlawed

• The TRT executives banned from contesting in the elections for five years

2006

POLITICAL HISTORY

Thai Rak Thai was banned in Thai Politics 2007

New Constitution was drafted then passed during democratic elections

Type of government: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of governmentHead of government: Prime Minister

POLITICAL PARTIES

The most important gatekeepers with regard to improved representation of excluded and disadvantaged groups

They are center of linkage politics – vital connection between state authority and society (linking structure government to other social groupings)

THAI POLITICAL PARTIES (Coalition) Pheu Thai Party (For Thais Party; occupies 265 out of 500 seats)

Chartthaipattana Party (Thai Nation Development Party; 19 seats)

Chart Pattana Puea Pandin Party(National Development Party for the Homeland; 7 seats)

Phalang Chon Party (7 seats)

Mahanchon Party Great People's Party; 1 seat)

New Democracy Party (1 seat)

THAI POLITICAL PARTIES (Opposition)Democrat Party (occupies 159 out of 500 seats)

Bhumjaithai Party (Proud Thais Party; 34 seats)

Rak Thailand Party (Love Thailand Party, 4 seats)

Matumbhum Party (Motherland Party; 2 seats)

Rak Santi Party (1 seat)

MANIFESTATION OF MALE NORM Formal Party Structure Informal party structure

FORMAL PARTY STRUCTURE:

-Discrimination against women occurs in the political parties rather than in electorate.

-Thai Parliamentary Election of 2005

Candidacy

Representatives and candidates by

gender in the constituency-based

election system

Seats won by party and gender in constituency system

Candidates Representative

F M %men F M %men

Chart Thai 22 237 91.5 2 16 88

Democrats 39 351 90.0 6 64 91.4

TRT 47 353 88.3 38 272 87.7

Mahanchon 26 275 91.4 1 1 50.0

Other Parties 46 287 86.2 0 0 0

Total 180 1503 89.3 47 353 88.3

N 1683 400

FORMAL PARTY STRUCTURE:

-Majoritarian System- emphasis is on putting forward one strong candidate who can attract as many voters as possible

Election System

-Proportional Systems – tend to focus on the party as a whole rather than on an individual candidate

Women representatives

by party and election system

Seats won by party and by gender

Constituency Party List

F M %men F M %men

Chart Thai 2 16 88.9 7 100

Democrats 6 64 91.4 1 25 96.2

TRT 38 272 87.7 5 62 92.5

Mahanchon 1 1 50.0

Total 47 353 88.3 6 94 94.0

N 400 100

Representatives and candidates by gender in the party list system

Candidates Representative

F M %men F M %men

Chart Thai 13 87 87.0 7 100

Democrats 13 87 87.0 1 25 96.2

TRT 7 93 93.0 5 62 92.5

Mahanchon 11 89 89.0

Other Parties 52 130 71.0

Total 96 486 83.5 6 94 94.0

FORMAL PARTY STRUCTURE:

-Incumbent representatives stand much greater chance of being re-selected by the party.

-Thai Rak Case

Incumbency

In 2005, out of 400 constituency representatives elected, 70% (290 people) were incumbents22% (65 people) had switched parties 91% of the winning incumbents were male

FORMAL PARTY STRUCTURE: Dispersing of Power/ Formalization

-Chances of inclusion of groups - Greater inclusion in formalized procedure - Weak and easily manipulated in Informal-localized systems

INFORMAL PARTY STRUCTURE: Closed Male Networks

-It is often a hidden prerequisite to be male in order to become part of networks and alliances formed between individuals to protect the power of the organization

INFORMAL PARTY STRUCTURE: Homo- Social Reproduction

- People with the power to recruit new members to the organization are likely to perceive men with similar characteristics to themselves as more competent and reliable than others