Bureaucracy under a Democratic Polity
In 1973, the Thai bureaucratic polity was. for the first time. severely shaken by mass uprisings led by students which eventually overthrew the military government The 1973 revolution symbolizes the beginning of the end for the legitimacy of military ruse and coup d'etats, and marked a major step toward democratic rule. Since then. the transformation process from a bureaucratic polity to a democratic polity has begun The political arena is moving away from bureaucracy" to general elections. To become prime minister, cabinet members, and MPs(members of parliament), one has to be an elected politician - not a high bureaucrat The majority of cabinet positions during recent governments of Chatichai. Chuan. Banharn. and Chavalit are mostty occupied by businessmen. not by former bureaucratic elites. The struggle for political power is becoming a struggle among several political parties for MP and cabinet posts. Within a political party, the struggle among politicians is for senior ranks in the party so that they can qualify as the party's nominees for ministerial portfolios