Thread: Thai elections 2011-Thai PM sets stage for tough election

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Pracharaj Party

Royalist People's Party! Sure to be banned. Can't have any politicians mentioning Royalty in the elections.

^

Perhaps they will have to change their name to XXXXX party or <redacted> party instead...

I understand Yingluck has been officially announced as the PM candidate for the PT Party, on radio.

Nothing on the State Media yet, but that is being prepared with all the derogatory things they can think of to add while they are at it. May as well tinge the original announcement as much as possible right from the outset.

GAME ON!

TAN_Network TAN News Network

PM on 1st day of campaigning in Ratchaburi amidst warm welcome and tight security

http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1043741

Good People Choose Good Candidates, Corrupt People Choose Corrupt Candidates

UPDATE : 13 May 2011

The election season has officially commenced since the House dissolution was royally endorsed. At the same time, politicians rejoiced the prospect of the upcoming election. Meanwhile, campaigners and professional hit men celebrated the chance to finally make a living.

In a little more than 40 days, eligible Thai citizens will go to the poll. Yet, exactly how many voters actually care about candidates’ behavior and their campaign platforms? How many of them can say whose promises sound better or are more feasible? How many can tell which party has resorted to trickery only to win the election?

There is one fact the no one can deny: people tend to associate with those similar to them. From this notion, we posit that voters also tend to choose politicians similar to them. If voters are good, moral and intelligent, they will choose virtuous political parties. On the contrary, if voters have the opposite characteristics mentioned above, they will vote for hoodlums, criminals and brothel and gambling den owners.

When asked if voters are smart enough to tell good candidates from the bad ones, we must say that in fact there are many intelligent voters. However, most of them believe that politicians are all corrupt, just the same. As a result, voters make their decision on who offers them larger compensation. If voters are even thinking like this, there is no hope that good and honest candidates will ever be elected.

We are pleading with voters to please stop thinking that corrupt politicians can still make some contribution to society. In fact, these politicians are not capable of doing anything decent for Thailand or the Thai people. Before July 3, we need to ask ourselves if we are good people or not. If the answer is yes, we need to elect good candidates. However, if you know that you are a bad person then please stop sending bad people to Parliament to hurt this country any further.

Thailand has been damaged enough.

Taken from Editorial Section, Naewna Newspaper, Page 3, May 13, 2011

Translated and Rewritten by Kongkrai Maksrivorawan

Please note that the views expressed in our "Analysis" segment are translated from local newspaper articles and do not reflect the views of the Thai-ASEAN News Network.

http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1043750

Democratic Capital

UPDATE : 13 May 2011

It is safe to say that the upcoming election will likely end with either the Pheu Thai Party or the Democrat Party coming out on top. No matter which party is able to achieve the most seats in Parliament, their ascension will come at a cost to the public, that is to say each has their own needs and flaws that will have to be drawn from the public in one way or another.

If neither of the two parties can secure a strong victory in the poll, they will have to draw on smaller parties to create a coalition government, flooding the floor with the wants and needs of political groups that effectively were not chosen by the public. Each smaller party will add their costs to the public bill and if history is to be believed, their unmitigated costs will be great indeed. Many fringe parties, it is sad to say, have been created for the sole purpose of taking advantage of coalition situations to line the pockets of their financiers.

The power and wealth of political parties all come at the expense of the nation and its people, but the longer certain politicians are allowed to remain in the government realm, the more costly it becomes to replace them. Many have fashioned themselves into a new generation of aristocrats, believing that by some divine mandate, they are entitled to take the positions they have assumed. This is easily seen by local level politicians having to approach national level officials with flower adorned gold trays, offering up the ceremonial goods on knee as if addressing a regal dignitary.

The people of Thailand have their democratic capital so tied up in tired and backwards politicians, it doesn't seem to have funding left to acquire effective, forward thinking individuals, let alone ones with virtue. All that seems left to do is to choose the least costly of the country's political parties, which like any belt-tightening measure, requires thorough consideration and conscious thought.

During the upcoming election, Thailand will have to calculate the costs and potential profits of each MP it chooses if it wishes to finally stop emerging from each poll at a loss. Though the Kingdom's democracy has not appeared to be the best investment in recent times, its alternatives do not seem that promising either. Like any investment, calculated risks have to taken, but most importantly faith has to be maintained. If Thailand begins to decry the capital required to see democracy through, it must be ready to accept the costs of other forms of government as well.


Post Today, May 13, 2011

Translated and Rewritten by Itiporn Lakarnchua

Please note that the views expressed in our "Analysis" segment are translated from local newspaper articles and do not reflect the views of the Thai-ASEAN News Network.

".......they will have to draw on smaller parties to create a coalition government" Quote from Post #233 above

To be a party, there needs to be a political ideology, and for there to be a coalition Government, it pre-supposes that ideological chasms were crossed via negotiations...................None of these conditions exist so applying these concepts is an attempt to create a facade of democracy.

A Red Shirt Democracy Movement rally is currently underway in front of the jail where their leaders are being confined.

Campaign deadline also applies online
13/05/2011

The Election Commission should clearly warn candidates in the July 3 general election that the deadline for an end to electioneering in the media also applies to online content and social networks, Thanirat Siripachana, deputy permanent secretary for Information and Communication Technology, said on Friday.

Since all election campaigning is banned after 6pm on the day before election day, that ban must also be applied to online media and activities on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, he said.

He was speaking in response to the EC’s inquiry about how it could assess the spending of individual candidates on their election campaigns through the new media, especially the popular Facebook and Twitter.

Mr Thanirat said, however, that these two services are actually free and the EC would be better advised to pay more attention to other possible violations of the election regulations, which prohibit all election campaigning after 6pm on July 2 for the coming polls.

bangkokpost.com

Originally Posted by Calgary

".......they will have to draw on smaller parties to create a coalition government" Quote from Post #233 above

To be a party, there needs to be a political ideology, and for there to be a coalition Government, it pre-supposes that ideological chasms were crossed via negotiations...................None of these conditions exist so applying these concepts is an attempt to create a facade of democracy.

As I've pointed out previously (nor am I the only one to do it), "ideology" doesn't really come into it - certainly not compared to the vital financial/power factors. Hence my preference to refer to the current "coalition" as a "consortium" or "syndicate". The same is very likely to be the case for the government which emerges from the horse-trading before and after the (promised) July 3rd election.

Bangkok Post : 10 top cops new Democrat candidates

• Published: 12/05/2011 at 04:49 PM
• Online news: Politics

The Democrat Party today named 10 former high-ranking police officers who will stand as the party's candidates in the general election.

Party secretary general Suthep Thaugsuban said Pol Lt Gen Pithak Jarusombat, a former chief of the Region 8 of the Provincial Police Division, would run in constituency 4 of Chachoengsao province.

Pol Lt Gen Pithak is a younger brother of Puea Pandin Party key figure Phinij Jarusombat.

Another candidate with a well-known family name is Pol Col Wanchai Piumsombun, who is the superintendent of Chulabhorn police station in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. He will run in constituency 1 of Nakhon Pathom.

He is a relative of Rak Santi Party chairman Purachai Piumsombun.
Another known face is Pol Maj Gen Surin Parale, a former secretary-general of the Central Islamic Committee who will run in Songkhla’s constituency 8 under the Democrat Party banner.

Seven other candidates will run in provinces where they are well known - Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Khon Kaen, Samut Prakan, Saraburi, Kalasin and Chaiyaphum.

Those who are currently serving police officers will have to resign from their posts before registering as candidates in the general election on July 3.

Originally Posted by Calgary

A Red Shirt Democracy Movement rally is currently underway in front of the jail where their leaders are being confined.

shoot them,

Originally Posted by Butterfly

shoot them,

Yawnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

^^^
Given the BiB's very well-deserved reputation of being involved up to their epaulettes in corruption and organised crime, one wonders what the Thai public's reaction will be to this line-up of "Thailand's finest" in the Democrat camp.

Looked at one way, it could be seen as an early indicator of the Democrats' earnest determination to crack down hard on corruption and crime once and for all..... and who better to advise them than those with first-hand experience of both?

Looked at another way, it could be seen as the Dems conceding that they're really not very good at corruption (compared to BJT, say) and need a helping hand to improve their skills in the event that BJT aren't around in the next government to show them the way..... or indeed to compete better against BJT's scamming expertise if the present consortium is repeated.

Incidentally, I saw a tweet today from someone stating that it reportedly cost an average of Bt6m for someone to make police general. I'll try to track down the source of the report.

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Given the BiB's very well-deserved reputation of being involved up to their epaulettes in corruption and organised crime, one wonders what the Thai public's reaction will be to this line-up of "Thailand's finest" in the Democrat camp.

Apathy?

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Looked at one way, it could be seen as an early indicator of the Democrats' earnest determination to crack down hard on corruption and crime once and for all..... and who better to advise them than those with first-hand experience of both?

Highly unlikely.

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Looked at another way, it could be seen as the Dems conceding that they're really not very good at corruption (compared to BJT, say) and need a helping hand to improve their skills in the event that BJT aren't around in the next government to show them the way..... or indeed to compete better against BJT's scamming expertise if the present consortium is repeated.

No they're already well versed in both corrution and crime, the present "consortium" won't be repeated despite what the "pupa's" of the world would like to believe!

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Incidentally, I saw a tweet today from someone stating that it reportedly cost an average of Bt6m for someone to make police general. I'll try to track down the source of the report.

Sounds about right depending on what area you're in of course but if it's more it very easy to quickly recoup.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

where is DrB, I miss him. His deputy minion Stevie is such a bore

Speaking of bores "pupa" I'll pay you a compliment you're consistant!

Originally Posted by Butterfly

shoot them,

Be a man
Kill someone
Kill yourself
Be a man
Be someone
Kill someone
Be a man
Kill yourself

Belsen- Pistols

^ Ideology? In Thai politics? At least you're entertaining!

Originally Posted by Calgary

These are more business oriented terms rather than political.

Precisely - and "syndicate" also carries an appropriate criminal connotation.

Joomphot hopping to Democrat from Pheu Thai

13 May 2011

By The Nation

Joomphot Boonyai on Friday hopped from Pheu Thai to apply for the Democrat Party membership paving way for his reelection bid in Sakon Nakhon's Constituency 6.

"I become the Democrat because I don't want to be known as the prostituting MP," he said.

Joomphot has distanced himself from Pheu Thai and kept close contacts with Bhum Jai Thai Party for the past two years.

He said he decided to adopt the Democrat banner at the urging of his constituents.

............

cf.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

<snip>

BANGKOK, 8 September 2010 (NNT) – The opposition Pheu Thai Party has officially resolved to oust two MPs for defying party resolutions.

Pheu Thai Party Spokesperson Prompong Nopparit announced today his party's executives and MPs agreed to terminate memberships of Saraburi MP Second Lieutenant Porapol Adireksarn and Sakon Nakhon MP Joomphot Boonyai. A total of 179 votes supported the expulsion with 2 abstentions.

<snip>

Both Second Lieutenant Porapol and Mr Joomphot failed to vote in compliance with party resolutions in the last censure debate and have been banned from entering the party's head office. The two have also been found to be taking part in the political activities of other parties.

<snip>

^

Originally Posted by The Nation

"I become the Democrat because I don't want to be known as the prostituting MP," he said.

From PT to BJT to Democrat.

"Prostituting"? Oh, I'm sure that's the last thing on anyone's mind about this sidewardly mobile MP.....