Buck passing and
getting the job done
Suranand Vejjajiva on executive
power and coalition
governments
By Jon Fernquest 
Will
the Bangkok city bus plan be given
the go ahead in the near future or will it
be delayed in endless discussion forever? Suranand Vejjajiva provides the readers of his Friday column in the Bangkok Post with a masterful lesson in Thai politics last week.
Electing a President instead of a Prime Minister to lead Thailand is a taboo subject (Read Thaksin sues Suthep Thaugsuban for saying he would like to return as the "President of Thailand").
Many feel that if Thailand had a strong President who served for a long fixed length term like the US, France, or Phillipines President this could undermine the highest institution in the country, the institution of royalty.
The fact remains that even a Prime Minister has to have enough power and serve for a long enough time to get things done.
All
the compromises necessary to hold
together
a coalition
government
can make the Prime Minister weak and unable to make necessary changes
and improvements in the way the government functions. Suranand Vejajiva discusses the problem of the "weak executive model" from first-hand experience having served as Prime Minister's Office Minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra cabinet.
given the go ahead -
given permission to do and start the project
masterful - showing great skill and knowledge
a taboo - a social custom to avoid doing or talking about something
the fact remains that... - it is still true that ...
compromises - things you give up in order to reach an agreement with others
hold together Y - keep Y working as one unit, prevent Y from breaking apart
a coalition - a group that joins different smaller groups in order to cooperate and achieve goals
a coalition government - a government formed from two or more parties (necessary when no one party gains a majority)
weak executive model - when the highest level official in the government is weak and has little power to get things done
first-hand experience - actually know about something by having done it yourself
masterful - showing great skill and knowledge
a taboo - a social custom to avoid doing or talking about something
the fact remains that... - it is still true that ...
compromises - things you give up in order to reach an agreement with others
hold together Y - keep Y working as one unit, prevent Y from breaking apart
a coalition - a group that joins different smaller groups in order to cooperate and achieve goals
a coalition government - a government formed from two or more parties (necessary when no one party gains a majority)
weak executive model - when the highest level official in the government is weak and has little power to get things done
first-hand experience - actually know about something by having done it yourself
Opinion
solve
LET IT BE
In this country, where does the 'buck-passing' stop?
By: Suranand Vejjajiva5/06/2009
During his years as president of the United States, Harry Truman kept on his desk in the Oval Office a sign that said: "The Buck Stops Here." The implication was clear: this was where the ultimate decision lay and no "buck" (a poker term) or responsibility was passed on. It also sent out the signal that someone was in charge.
In Thailand, during the early '60s, Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat also expressed, albeit somewhat in a propagandistic way: Kapajao kor rub pid chob tae pieng pu diew or "I alone take sole responsibility (for the actions)," which meant that important decisions would be made and the government would function to serve the public interest. Leadership - dictatorial in the case of Sarit - was confirmed.
Harry Truman - the
president of the US after World War II 1945-1953 (See Wikipedia)
the Oval Office - the official office of the President of the United States (See Wikipedia)
passing the buck - handing responsibility to someone else, instead of taking responsibility yourself (See Wikipedia)
"The Buck Stops Here" - meaning: I take responsibility, I won't pass the responsibility on to someone else
implication - what a statement suggests or makes you believe, an additional meaning of a statement
the implication was clear - the meaning was clear
ultimate - the final result after a long series of events
where the ultimate decision lay - where the final decision was made
in charge - has control, can direct and control events
Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat - Prime Minister from the coup he staged in 1957 until his death in 1963 (See Wikipedia)
propagandistic - information used to influence people, at least partly inaccurate or misleading
take sole responsibility - be the one person who takes complete responsibility for some event
serve the public interest - work for the benefit of the people
confirmed - shows that is definitely true or definitely exists
the Oval Office - the official office of the President of the United States (See Wikipedia)
passing the buck - handing responsibility to someone else, instead of taking responsibility yourself (See Wikipedia)
"The Buck Stops Here" - meaning: I take responsibility, I won't pass the responsibility on to someone else
implication - what a statement suggests or makes you believe, an additional meaning of a statement
the implication was clear - the meaning was clear
ultimate - the final result after a long series of events
where the ultimate decision lay - where the final decision was made
in charge - has control, can direct and control events
Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat - Prime Minister from the coup he staged in 1957 until his death in 1963 (See Wikipedia)
propagandistic - information used to influence people, at least partly inaccurate or misleading
take sole responsibility - be the one person who takes complete responsibility for some event
serve the public interest - work for the benefit of the people
confirmed - shows that is definitely true or definitely exists
The recent cabinet tug-of-war on the leasing of 4,000 NGV buses for Bangkok with an estimated value of 67 billion baht has demonstrated that the "buck" can go round and round without end in the nation's decision-making process.
This reflects the structural problem of the Thai cabinet, a problem which becomes more pronounced under a coalition government, making it difficult for a prime minister to assert effective leadership.
The paralysis caused by the delays in decision-making and the political wrangling for one's own benefit leaves the problem unsolved, resulting in wasted resources, damage to the country's credibility, and a public left out in the cold.
tug-of-war - a game
where two groups try to pull a rope in their direction over to their
side (See Wikipedia)
problem becomes more pronounced - problem becomes bigger and more noticeable
assert Y - strongly state that fact Y is true
effective leadership - leadership that works, gets the job done, achieves its goals
paralysis - cannot move
political wrangling - political fighting
wasted resources - things that were not put to a good use
credibility - believability
left out in the cold - not allowed to participate
problem becomes more pronounced - problem becomes bigger and more noticeable
assert Y - strongly state that fact Y is true
effective leadership - leadership that works, gets the job done, achieves its goals
paralysis - cannot move
political wrangling - political fighting
wasted resources - things that were not put to a good use
credibility - believability
left out in the cold - not allowed to participate
Everybody expects the cabinet, especially the prime minister, to be the final decision-maker and for any issue which arises to be considered by the cabinet, a resolution must be found. We elect politicians to make decisions on our behalf, not to be self-serving. Like a company's board of directors which decides how the company is run, there is no higher political institution which will do the decision-making in managing the country than the 36 members of the cabinet.
But the Thai cabinet is like a committee sitting on top of a huge bureaucratic labyrinth.
Each week the ministers gather on Tuesday to meet and go through literally hundreds of items on the agenda. There are items for "acknowledgement" and for "consideration." Thousands of pages in total are compiled each week, detailing the aspects of the projects or issues on the agenda together with the opinions of the various agencies concerned. It is impossible to read all of these each week, let alone give careful thought, except for the items directly under each minister's supervision.
It has been this way for ages and has been hard to change because essentially the centralised structure means that it is "safe" for everyone involved to have a cabinet "endorsement." Agencies, with ministers' approval, pass the buck up to the top and one can almost find everything on the meeting agenda. The system is cumbersome, and real decisions with careful consideration are rarely made, since everyone sitting at the table will concentrate on their own issue and let others pass their agencies' interests.
This large maze has loopholes, where ministers can either sneak or muscle their way through with items of their own interest, building "consensus" through the bureaucracy from the bottom up. Collusion and trade-offs with other ministers for support occur. The problem is more serious when ministers are from different parties - such as in this coalition government - because each has his or her own way to get things through, by hook or by crook.
However, to get on the cabinet agenda, the item must be signed off by the PM. Usually there will not be a problem and the PM will send most items onto the agenda since the various agencies have already endorsed and given their opinions, and minor disagreements can be ironed out during the actual cabinet meeting.
make
decisions on our behalf - make decisions for our gain,
the gain of the public
self-serving - work for their own gain
bureaucratic - slow with many complicated steps, as in a government department
a maze - a complex system of paths difficult to find the way through, in which it is easy to get lost (See Wikipedia)
labyrinth - a maze in Greek mythology (See Wikipedia)
an agenda, a meeting agenda - the things that will be discussed and decided upon in a meeting
items on the agenda - things that will be discussed and decided upon in a meeting
acknowledgement - accept that something exists
consideration - to go over details before deciding to do a project
aspects - the different qualities, the different ways to look at something
endorsement - approval
cumbersome - very complicated, difficult, inefficient and slow
concentrate on Y - focus on Y, work only on Y not others
their agencies' interest - the projects that their government agency department is trying to get approved
loopholes - ways to get around rules, while still following the rules
sneak - do it secretly, so no one sees you doing it
muscle their way through - force people to do it their way
a consensus - when all the people in a group agree about something
building consensus - persuading all the people in a group to agree about something
collusion - working together to do something wrong or break the law
trade-offs - balancing two things you need but that are opposed to each other
by hook or by crook - do it useing all means possible, even if they are wrong or break the law
signed off by the PM - given the ok by the PM, given permision to do the project by the PM
minor disagreements can be ironed out - can reach an agreement on the small things they disagree about
self-serving - work for their own gain
bureaucratic - slow with many complicated steps, as in a government department
a maze - a complex system of paths difficult to find the way through, in which it is easy to get lost (See Wikipedia)
labyrinth - a maze in Greek mythology (See Wikipedia)
an agenda, a meeting agenda - the things that will be discussed and decided upon in a meeting
items on the agenda - things that will be discussed and decided upon in a meeting
acknowledgement - accept that something exists
consideration - to go over details before deciding to do a project
aspects - the different qualities, the different ways to look at something
endorsement - approval
cumbersome - very complicated, difficult, inefficient and slow
concentrate on Y - focus on Y, work only on Y not others
their agencies' interest - the projects that their government agency department is trying to get approved
loopholes - ways to get around rules, while still following the rules
sneak - do it secretly, so no one sees you doing it
muscle their way through - force people to do it their way
a consensus - when all the people in a group agree about something
building consensus - persuading all the people in a group to agree about something
collusion - working together to do something wrong or break the law
trade-offs - balancing two things you need but that are opposed to each other
by hook or by crook - do it useing all means possible, even if they are wrong or break the law
signed off by the PM - given the ok by the PM, given permision to do the project by the PM
minor disagreements can be ironed out - can reach an agreement on the small things they disagree about
The never-ending Bangkok city bus saga
Except in the case of a large and controversial issue, such as the present bus rental deal, which has been thrown back and forth for quite some time now, because it is a "pet project" of the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT), a key coalition partner.But the numbers simply do not add up. The project's viability, cost and transparency are being questioned by the media, the opposition, the Senate, and even by some of the members of the ruling Democrat Party themselves.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been unable to make a decision. If he allows the project to pass, he will lose a lot of public support. And if he does not allow it, the BJT has threatened to pull out of the government, forcing the hand of the PM to dissolve the House of Representatives, or remain as a minority government.
a controversial issue
- something
that people disagree and argue about
a pet project - a person's special project, that they devote a lot of time and attention to
Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) พรรคภูมิใจไทย - a political party that joined in a coalition that brought the current Democrat led government to power, led by Newin Chidchob from Buriram (See Wikipedia)
a key coalition partner - an important political party in the coalition government
the numbers simply do not add up - the numbers in the financial plan do not make sense, do not seem to make the project worth doing
viability - can continue successfully, remain alive
transparency - the public can see what is going on, not secret hidden corrupt parts
public support - the people of the country agree with it and want it to happen
pull out of the government - when party that is a member of the coalition government leaves the coalition
forcing the hand of the PM - forcing the PM to do something
dissolve the - break apart and end
House of Representatives - the larger completely elected part of parliament
a pet project - a person's special project, that they devote a lot of time and attention to
Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) พรรคภูมิใจไทย - a political party that joined in a coalition that brought the current Democrat led government to power, led by Newin Chidchob from Buriram (See Wikipedia)
a key coalition partner - an important political party in the coalition government
the numbers simply do not add up - the numbers in the financial plan do not make sense, do not seem to make the project worth doing
viability - can continue successfully, remain alive
transparency - the public can see what is going on, not secret hidden corrupt parts
public support - the people of the country agree with it and want it to happen
pull out of the government - when party that is a member of the coalition government leaves the coalition
forcing the hand of the PM - forcing the PM to do something
dissolve the - break apart and end
House of Representatives - the larger completely elected part of parliament
In a situation of conflict, the "super agencies" then play an important role. The director of the Budget Bureau, the secretary-general of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), and the secretary of the Council of State - who hold authority on laws and regulations - sit in the cabinet meetings and their opinions are valued immensely.
The NESDB, apart from being the government's think-tank on economic issues and responsible for drafting national development plans, would also study the feasibility of projects and programmes. With that capacity, the NESDB is occasionally used as a "freezer" where dubious projects are sent to either "cool down" or disappear completely.
The bus project, sent to NESDB this week, will again come back to the cabinet within a month, but before that there will be other projects to negotiate, with the upcoming consideration of the annual expenditure budget in parliament, and the 1.5-billion-baht, 3-year investment plan full of lucrative projects. The bus project could become the least of PM Abhisit's problems, come next month.Effectiveness is compromised in a "weak" executive model. And a country should not be run in this manner. Political reforms being discussed at the moment must take into consideration how to make the executive branch, the cabinet and the prime minister in particular, more effective in making decisions which protect the public interest.
At the same time, PM Abhisit himself must have the political will and courage to say "no" and not be bullied into a decision, or worse - an endless loop of indecision - because in the long run if the "buck" does not stop with him, his leadership will be questioned, and his time as prime minister could be shortened.
NESDB
(National Economic and Social Development Board or "Sa-pa-pat")
- Thai government planning agency for economic development, creates
five year plans with an agenda of: 1. Alleviation of Poverty and Income
Distribution problems, 2. Enhancing Thailand’s Competitiveness, 3.
Promoting Social Capital Development, 4. Promoting Sustainable
Development (See Wikipedia)
the Council of State - who hold authority on laws and regulations
valued immensely - believe is very valuable
a think-tank - an organisation that does policy-related research, gives policy suggestions and advice
drafting national development plans - writing plans for the economy of a whole country
feasibility - whether success is possible or not
dubious - believed to be not completely honest, safe, or reliable
lucrative - profitable
effectiveness is compromised - becomes less effective, less able to do the job well
political reforms - improvements in the political system
protect the public interest - make sure government projects benefit the people, not politicians
will - the drive and determination to do or achieve something
have the political will to say "no" - have the strength to say no when it is difficult to do so
bullied into a decision - forced to decide one way by someone more powerful
endless loop of indecision - keep talkign about a plan without ever actually doing the plan
the Council of State - who hold authority on laws and regulations
valued immensely - believe is very valuable
a think-tank - an organisation that does policy-related research, gives policy suggestions and advice
drafting national development plans - writing plans for the economy of a whole country
feasibility - whether success is possible or not
dubious - believed to be not completely honest, safe, or reliable
lucrative - profitable
effectiveness is compromised - becomes less effective, less able to do the job well
political reforms - improvements in the political system
protect the public interest - make sure government projects benefit the people, not politicians
will - the drive and determination to do or achieve something
have the political will to say "no" - have the strength to say no when it is difficult to do so
bullied into a decision - forced to decide one way by someone more powerful
endless loop of indecision - keep talkign about a plan without ever actually doing the plan
Suranand Vejjajiva served in the Thaksin Shinawatra cabinet and is now a political analyst.
