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

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Originally Posted by tomta

If he does not vote, no matter how many people vote for him, his election will be null and void.

The decision smells, but he's actually a party list candidate. That being the case, he wouldn't have anyone voting directly for him and, if he's disqualified, his position on the list will simply go to the next name on the list.

They'd best be careful when messing with Jatuporn.

Abhi and friends believed their media, who at every turn downplayed the Red Shirt Democracy Movement as they were powerfully massing at rallies outside Bangkok, never mind the one's in Bangkok.

The resistance he has met from them at every turn during this election campaign surprised the hell out of Abhi. In his shocked state, all he could do was bitch about it, even ask Yingluck to save him.

Jatuporn was central to all of that.

The very logo of the Red Shirts features three persons meeting together.....one of them is Jatuporn.

If they screw him around in the end, they may be biting off more than they can chew.

Yep, he certainly has the reputation as thug....

From Twitter today:

TAN_Network TAN News Network

Abhisit is confident Democrats will win most seats but will not block Pheu Thai from forming govt if it wins more than 300 seats

13 minutes ago

Originally Posted by SteveCM

At another appearance in a northeastern province, a group of a hundred schoolgirls rushed to greet her after her helicopter descended. They squealed as they pushed to get close to her, busily snapping photos from cell phones while holding up one index finger to show support for her party, which is No. 1 on the ballot.

but we all know where she got the idea....

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Abhisit is confident Democrats will win most seats but will not block Pheu Thai from forming govt if it wins more than 300 seats

"A poll of 5,349 potential voters in 28 provinces including Bangkok on June 1-21 projected that Puea Thai would win 55 of the 125 "party list" seats in the new parliament, while the Democrats would win 49.2

Abhisit is seeming a tad "slow" these days

Whaddya expect?

In that other thread, concerning the mauling of the female medic by car, the alleged perp, an army colonel, went to the hospital with his mother...

Fucking pansies.

Bangkok Post : Embassies focus on election reaction

Embassies focus on election reaction

• Published: 30/06/2011 at 12:05 PM
• Online news: Local News

Foreign embassies are monitoring this general election every bit as closely as they did the last one in 2007, but this time special attention is being paid to whether Thai society can avoid the potential for violence after Sunday's polls.

China has paid special attention to Pheu Thai's decision to run a female candidate for the prime ministership. Beijing is not alone in its interest.

The Chinese, Japanese, Belgian, US, British and Japanese envoys all had getting-to-know-you lunches with Thaksin's youngest sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, to discuss the political situation some time before she was nominated as the party's top party list candidate.


A billboard on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok urges people not to vote for those who set the nation ablaze and who dislike the monarchy. It apparently refers to the violent anti-government demonstration last year. (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)

Japan sent five diplomatic staff, accompanied by Thai staff, to highly competitive constituencies in the Central and Northeast regions last Sunday observe the advance voting. Three more diplomats will join this on-the-ground observing team to the two regions this Sunday.

"It's normal for us to look around, at how people vote in the election, as there are more than 40,000 Japanese living in the country. So far, there have been no significant glitches, but some managerial hiccups," said a Japanese diplomat who asked his name not be used.

He said electoral violence was not an issue of concern as there were several precedents for canvassers being shot in the run up to elections in Thailand.

The European Union (EU) has sent two experts from Brussels to gather information. They are not official observers since the Election Commission did not sign a memorandum of understanding for an election monitoring mission.

"For the 2007 election, the EU wanted a memorandum of understanding with the Election Commission, hoping to deploy a full team [up to 20 people] to monitor the first election after the coup, but Thai authorities did not enter into the deal, so there was no one here from EU headquarters," a European diplomat said.

Embassies from nearby countries are also keen to observe the election and their representatives have been visiting high-interest constituencies in the past few weeks.

Among them is Singapore. Malaysia's electoral authority is sending representatives to observe Sunday's polls.

Australia has not sent a monitoring team, but is funding the Asian Network for Free Election (Anfel), which is actively observing the general election.

Many foreign diplomats said they were concerned about how conservative and progressive forces would would react and adjust to the post-election reality, which ever side wins, and how Thai people would address the issue of political violence and the process of reconciliation.

The US embassy has deployed a total of eight teams - each comprising one diplomat, a Thai staffer and driver - from Bangkok embassy and its Chiang Mai consular office. They are touring the North, the Central plains, upper Northeast, lower Northeast, and Bangkok and nearby provinces.

This is only half the size of the US monitoring team deployed to observe the 2007 election, because Washington considered the first election to restore democracy in Thailand after the coup was a high priority, an American diplomatic source said.

Mentioning of coup allegedly by the US top diplomat in Bangkok over lunch with the Pheu Thai top candidate has prompted the U.S. embassy to clarify its neutral stance in the Sunday election.

US Embassy spokesperson Walter Braunohler said the choice of who would head the next Thai government was a choice for the Thai people to make. "The US will look forward to working with the government that emerges from the upcoming election, as well as the opposition and non-partisan civil society, as we have always done," Mr Braunohler said on Thursday afternoon.

The embassy, he said, regularly met with political party leaders from across the political spectrum, including several meetings with the Prime Minister, in order to get perspectives from all sides to fully understand the political dynamics in Thailand.

The spokesman reminded the Thai politicians that it was important for all political forces to be gracious in both victory and defeat.

"That is something that occurs in the US, despite our own sharp political differences. It happened with Al Gore in 2000, John Kerry in 2004 and John McCain in 2008. Americans may have differing views, but we are all Americans; Thais may have differing views, but they are all still Thai," said Mr Braunohler implicitly referring to the Democrats and Pheu Thai.

The US spokesman said it was normal for those who did not win to be disappointed, but it's important for leaders to channel energy into positive efforts.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called for electoral reforms to reduce violence in a study report, Understanding Electoral Violence in Asia, released on Thursday.

While the nature and design of political systems were important in understanding electoral violence, all electoral systems were open to manipulation and abuse if political parties and supporters did not accept the systems’ legitimacy, the report said.

The 20-page report followed a study of the electoral processes in seven countries in South and Southeast Asia -- Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. It identified real and perceived fraud, corruption and patronage as the key "drivers" of election-related violence.

The report cited several types of groups and organisations that play key roles in either preventing or perpetuating electoral violence. In a number of cases political parties and political party supporters were the main instigators of physical violence, according to the report.

The UNDP report recommended that Thai political parties abide by a "Code of Conduct for the General Election Campaign 2011" to ensure the election campaign was peaceful and the outcome was respected by all.

The code of conduct calls on election commissioners and all independent bodies that monitor state power to stay independent and ensure any political efforts to influence their decisions are held accountable.

The EC should also stand up against candidates who cheat in the campaign and the law should be enforced to prevent ruling parties from misusing state facilities, the report suggested.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

the cattle won't be back in the streets, they have 91 reasons not to do so

you are a nasty piece of shit butters

Interesting new posters from the Dem's, making the most out of last years arson....and yes I was taking a photo of the Dem's poster, it just happens that the other one got caught too...taken from a taxi along Phahonyothin...

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

The European Union (EU) has sent two experts from Brussels to gather information. They are not official observers since the Election Commission did not sign a memorandum of understanding for an election monitoring mission. "For the 2007 election, the EU wanted a memorandum of understanding with the Election Commission, hoping to deploy a full team [up to 20 people] to monitor the first election after the coup, but Thai authorities did not enter into the deal, so there was no one here from EU headquarters," a European diplomat said.

This is something that we should - and almost certainly won't - hear more about.

Originally Posted by SteveCM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Asked about the Election Commission's approval for the European Union to send representatives to observe the general election, the [UK] ambassador said the EU would send two experts to observe the July 3 polls. “The mission will be only election observation without making any comments whether or not the election is free and fair,” he said.

The question "Why bother?" springs to mind.....

Originally Posted by SteveCM

^

Originally Posted by Bkk Post

The ban covers not only political parties and their candidates but also the general public.

Quite a potential trap for the unwary..... not to mention a ripe opportunity for some post-election shenanigans to "adjust" the result.

Personally I support the idea. But I think it's unenforcable.

hilarious to see PT already finding an excuse when they are not going to meet expectations,

Bangkok Post : FInal Democrat rallies Friday night

Last Democrat rally tomorrow

• Published: 30/06/2011 at 04:39 PM
• Online news:

The Democrat Party will hold its last major rally at the Royal Plaza on Friday night, the party's chief strategist Korbsak Sabhavasu said on Thursday.
Mr Korbsak said key party figures will begin to give their speeches on stage at 7pm. They will include party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, Apirak Kosayodhin and Korn Chatikavanij.

Mr Abhisit will speak on the party's policy for further developments of the country and to build justice for the people throughout the country.
Concerning reconciliation, the party has a clear policy of not granting amnesty to criminal or terrotist suspects, Mr Korbsak said.

The speeches will be relayed live to 10 other rally sites - in Chiang Mai and Sukhothai in the North; Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast; Phetchaburi and Rayong in the Central; and Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Narathiwat in the South - where key party members in repective regions will be present.

^ Not forgetting

Originally Posted by SteveCM

From Twitter today:

ThaiElection11 ThaiElection2011

Democrat spokesman promised no mud-slinging speeches during Democrat major campaign rally Friday.

15 minutes ago

I suspect that by the end of Friday evening we'll be able to file that "promise" with all the ones about "never before disclosed" details that would be unveiled at the Dems' Rachaprasong junket....

Bangkok Post : Alcohol and online campaigning banned

Any political campaigning via Facebook, Twitter and other online social networks will be banned from 6pm on Saturday until midnight on Sunday, police said.

No alcohol will be on sale or served during these hours as well, police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri said.
More than 900 websites will be monitored for signs of a breach of the electoral law during those hours, Pol Maj Gen Prawut said.

The ban covers not only political parties and their candidates but also the general public.
Pol Maj Gen Prawut said the use of online campaigning tools such as Facebook and Twitter is of serious concern and police are stepping up efforts in making the users aware of the restriction.

"We are asking the Election Commission to help spread the word," he said. He added police had received some complaints about vote-buying but found nothing when looking into them.Police have set up a hotline, 1599, for the public to report irregularities they suspect in the election campaign.

Big Brother will be watching you. Beware comrade

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on Jun 30, 2011

General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the Thai military man who overthrew former Prime minister Thaksin Shinawat, is one of the candidates running in the country's general election on Sunday.

This is seen by some as evidence of the deep link between politics and the Thai army, which has staged or attempted 18 coups over the years.

And if General Sonthi's party is able to win seats in parliament, he may also end up having to work in a coalition with the very man he kicked out in the coup.

Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay reports from Bangkok.

Poll in Thai Rath today predicts PTP will take 252 seats. Dems 150. Thai Rath leans a bit favor PTP.

Thailand to overcome poverty by 2020

Thailand to overcome poverty by 2020

By The Nation
Published on June 30, 2011

Thailand is projected to overcome poverty by 2020 when a university graduate will earn Bt30,000 per month for entry job and the minimum wage is expected to rise to Bt1,000 per day, if Pheu Thai wins the July 3 vote.

Pheu Thai candidate Yingluck Shinawatra has unveiled her party's Vision 2020 Statement, posted for the first time on her Facebook page coinciding with the home stretch of campaigning."I present Vision 2020 with the hope to help my fellow Thais to form a decision ahead of election day," Yingluck said yesterday in her Facebook message.

She said Pheu Thai, if elected to administer the country, would strive to achieve some 20 targets within the next nine years or two terms of office.
Key targets include the followings:

- Gross national income to reach Bt24 trillion enabling every Thai to live above the poverty line, every family to own a home and every farmer to own a plot.

- Salary for entry job to start at Bt30,000 and daily minimum wage at Bt1,000.

- Good public health care for every Thai, freed from illicit drugs.

- World-class education instilled with moral and ethics.

- Numbers of business proprietors to double.

- Bangkok commuter transport system to complete with 10 train routes fuelling the development of satellite towns.

- High-speed train and rail transport services to complete nationwide, cutting logistic cost by 25 per cent.

^^ Do you know the date of that poll? I thought nothing new could be published since last Sunday (and until polls close on July 3rd).

These days people hear the dirty truth so much they have just come to accept it worldwide. Most have gone past being upset into apathy. It's just the world we are in.

Originally Posted by Mid

Originally Posted by Butterfly

the cattle won't be back in the streets, they have 91 reasons not to do so

you are a nasty piece of shit butters

which part is nasty, it sounds pretty accurate, the lambs were sacrificed with the help of your beloved red leaders, you should rejoice

Well, everyone should vote for this then.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Thailand is projected to overcome poverty by 2020 when a university graduate will earn Bt30,000 per month for entry job and the minimum wage is expected to rise to Bt1,000 per day, if Pheu Thai wins the July 3 vote.

that's overcoming poverty ?