Pita highlights global democracy’s decline, urges youth involvement

Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party (MFP), highlighted the worrying decline in global democracy during a recent talk at a Thammasat University orientation event, encouraging young learners to take a hand in shaping their country’s fate. An influential figure at the frontline of political transformation, Pita confronted the issue of democratic regression emphatically.

Pita was a keynote speaker at the freshmen orientation, where he discussed democracy, liberty, and fairness. He emphasised these three elements as the indispensable pillars forming a creative society’s building blocks, which can flourish only under their stable presence.

During his exposé, Pita depicted the current state of global democracy as dire, stating that it is declining rapidly despite over half the world’s countries attempting to uphold its principles.

Meanwhile, the issue of wealth disparity was also featured during the discussion. Pita highlighted that the world’s economic inequality had seen a shocking 16-fold increase. As per his analysis, the richest 1% in the world had previously held the majority of the world’s riches. However, as wealth disparity is exacerbated, this elite group now controls 50% of global assets, leaving the remaining populace with a mere 2% to their name.

” We are in a world where democracy, freedom and justice are moving backwards,” Pita deliberated, referring to his recent unsuccessful bid on July 13 to become the nation’s next prime minister – a position he failed to secure due to insufficient backing from the junta-appointed senators.

Reflecting upon the state of Thai democracy, he questioned, ” When looking back at Thailand, does Thai democracy today mean that a group of appointed senators can vote against a PM candidate voted for by the people? Doesn’t real democracy mean that all people are equal? Then why was the people’s power counterbalanced by a power that did not come from the people?”

Pita expressed concern over the increasing interference of independent organisations with democratic processes, combined with a marked regression in freedom of expression and living standards. He asserted the necessity for a new generation to redefine the Thai concepts of democracy, freedom, and justice – to learn from the past and create their country’s future.

” This is the energy of the new generation, and it is about time to think big,” he said.

Engaging the students on the stage, Pita pushed them to seek extensive knowledge and explore innovative thinking pathways for their country’s progress, reports Bangkok Post.