Thai elections 2011-Thai PM sets stage for tough election

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Thai PM sets stage for tough election

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By Anusak Konglang | AFP News – 53 minutes ago

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General view of Thai parliament in Bangkok. Thailand's prime minister has said he …

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Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva speaks during a press conference at Government …

Thailand's premier fired the starting gun on Friday for the first general election in the politically divided nation since deadly protests rocked Bangkok last year, with a vote expected by early July.

British-born, Oxford-educated premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose term finishes at the end of this year, is gambling on early polls to propel him to a second term and silence critics who say he has no popular mandate.

Abhisit, the head of the elite-backed Democrat Party, said he would submit a formal request to King Bhumibol Adulyadej asking for the lower house to be dissolved for a poll set to be held in late June or early July.

"I will submit the royal decree to dissolve the house to the king this afternoon before I leave for the ASEAN summit" of Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta, he told reporters.

He did not reveal the election date but said he would hold a news conference on Monday.

By law, polls must be held between 45 and 60 days after house dissolution, which would take effect once the decree is signed by Thailand's 83-year-old monarch, who has been hospitalised since September 2009.

Abhisit's party, the country's oldest, with a support base in Bangkok and the south, has not won a general election in nearly two decades and faces a struggle to cling to power, even with the support of its coalition partners.

Abhisit took office in a 2008 parliamentary vote after a court ruling threw out the previous administration, and he is accused by his political foes of being an unelected puppet of the military and the establishment.

The vote comes at a time of heightened political sensitivity for the country, which remains deeply divided a year after a military crackdown on opposition protests in the capital that left 90 people dead, mostly civilians.

Parties affiliated to fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra have won the most seats in the past four elections, but the former tycoon was toppled in a 2006 coup and courts reversed the results of the last two polls.

Abhisit defied sceptics last year to survive a crippling political crisis marked by a series of clashes between demonstrators and armed troops in Bangkok. It was the country's worst political violence in decades.

Many of the mainly rural, working class Reds are loyal to Thaksin, who lives overseas to avoid a jail sentence imposed in absentia for corruption, but is considered the de facto leader of the opposition Puea Thai.

The opposition party, which is particularly strong in the rural north and northeast, has not yet announced its candidate for prime minister, although Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra has been touted as a top contender.

Thailand has suffered years of political instability, punctuated by unrest and military intervention, with 18 actual or attempted coups since 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy.

The current army chief has ruled out another coup, but that has not dampened speculation of possible military intervention.

"A coup is always possible but I don't think if there is one that it will be in the pre-election period," said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thai political expert at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

"It must be more likely in the post-election period, especially if the results are unacceptable for the elite."

Pavin believes a coup would be a "last resort" for Thaksin's foes.

"They can use other tactics less damaging than a coup, like the intervention of a court again," he said.

Thaksin, a former billionaire telecoms tycoon who led his party to landslide victories in 2001 and 2005, is hailed by the Reds for his policies for the poor while in power.

But he is regarded by the Thai ruling elite as authoritarian, corrupt and a threat to the revered monarchy, and faces terrorism charges in Thailand, accused of bankrolling last year's protests and instigating unrest.

The authorities have clamped down on Red Shirt media and last month police raided more than a dozen local radio stations sympathetic to their cause.

There won't be any jiggery pokery. This will be a proper and free election and anyone who says otherwise is a tin-foil-hatted conspiracy theorist.

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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Thai PM sets stage for tough election

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Headline should have read "Thai PM sets stage for bent election".

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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

General view of Thai parliament in Bangkok

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Psst...psst...! Mark! It's lunch time.

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Originally Posted by The_Ghost_Of_The_Moog

This will be a proper and free election and anyone who says otherwise is a tin-foil-hatted conspiracy theorist.

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:smileylaughing:

XL please :mid:

^
If you can't get XL, I can suggest a source - from someone who's bound to have XXXL..... :mid:

Bangkok Post : Prayuth: Pheu Thai-led govt acceptable

Prayuth: Pheu Thai-led govt acceptable

• Published: 6/05/2011 at 06:56 PM
• Online news:

The mnilitary will accept the outcome if the Pheu Thai Party is able to form the next government after the general election, army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Friday

He said the army supports the election and all political parties were welcome to campaign for votes in the military barracks.

If the Pheu Thai Party is acceptable to the majority of Thai people, they army would have no reason not to accept it, Gen Prayuth said.

"Don't look down on the Thai people. Let's give them the opportunity to think, elect and make their own decisions. Don't give them too many guidelines. They are duty-bound to elect good people to take care of the country," he added.

Gen Prayuth said this to a meeting of commanders of army units from throughout the country. The meeting was called to brief them on the army's policies and the army's six-month work achievements.

The army chief said all unit commanders have been told to support the coming election, especially by providing security as requested.

However, they have been told to avoid involvement in election procedures, particularly the vote-counting process.

"The army will provide full cooperation to make sure the election is clean and fair. All army personnel and their family members are encouraged to go to the polls. All political parties are equally welcome to campaign in military units. I have made this a policy for all to comply with," Gen Prayuth said.

Bangkok Post : PM: I've kept my promise

PM: I've kept my promise

• Published: 6/05/2011 at 05:36 PM
• Online news: Politics

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday confirmed he has submitted a royal decree seeking a House dissolution to His Majesty the King for royal endorsement.

Mr Abhisit was speaking to reporters at Suvarnabhumi airport just before leaving for Indonesia to attend the Asean Summit.

"I have done as promised," he said.

Meanwhile, Election Commission (EC) member Prapan Naigowit said the EC has completed preparations to hold a general election on any single day between June 26 and July 3.

Mr Prapan, commissioner in charge of election administration, said he believed the Constitution Court would finish its examination of the three election-related bills by the time the royal decree takes effect. The bills were passed by parliament but require verification by the charter court.

If the royal decree is announced before the Constitution Court finishes its work, the EC could still delay two or three days before fixing a period of five days for the registration of candidates under the party list system and another five days for candidates in the constituency system.

The commissioner warned political parties to check their lists of candidates, because in the past some candidates were found to be running for more than one party.

Chart Thai Pattana Party spokesman Watchara Kannikar said his party would field candidates in about 100 of the 375 new single-seat constituencies in the general election.

Mr Watchara said if the House of Representatives is dissolved next week, the party expects candidate registration to be from May 23 to 29 and that the people will go to the polls on July 3.

The party would field a full 125 candidates in the party list system, and expected to get five to 10 seats.

In the constituency representation system, the party would field only about 100 candidates.

The spokesman said the party's executive committee members would not run in either the constituency or party-list system, to avoid taking the risk of the party being dissolved for electoral fraud.

A large number of respondents in a latest survey conducted by Suan Dusit Poll said parties which receive the biggest number of votes overall should be given first chance to form the new government after the general election.

The pollster surveyed 1,343 people in Bangkok and nearby provinces from May 1 to 5.

The idea of allowing parties which gather the highest number of votes to form a government was supported by 42.75 of the respondents; 37.02 per cent said the party with the highest number of MPs from both the single-MP constituencies and the party list should be given the chance; while 20.23 per cent said the winner in the single-MP constituency system should have first go.

To a question whether a party which does not get the highest vote should be allowed to form a government, over half (56.02 per cent) said it should be able to do so if it could put together a majority coalition, while 43.98 per cent said the party which does not come first should not be allowed to do that.

On who should be prime minister, 53.69 per cent said the leader of a party which does not have the most votes could still lead the government if he or she is capable enough and is supported by MPs or other parties which form a coalition, but 46.31 per cent felt this would not respond to the needs of the people.

Asked about their concerns after the election, 46.04 per cent said possible chaos caused by those who did not accept the election results, 30.12 per cent said the new government would certainly face a lot of social, political and economic problems, and 23.84 per cent pointed to the improper conduct of politicians.

What's the point, if the wrong party wins then the military will just get rid of them and put who they want in anyway.

They should just limit voting to the Generals.

^^^

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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

If the Pheu Thai Party is acceptable to the majority of Thai people, they army would have no reason not to accept it, Gen Prayuth said.

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Care to define "majority", General?

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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

The mnilitary will accept the outcome if the Pheu Thai Party is able to form the next government after the general election, army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Friday

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Of course, if enough MPs are "nobbled" and/or the EC/courts render it impossible for a PT government to form/survive..... then the question of the military accepting one becomes rather academic.

Bit of a hobsons choice for the electorate any way you look at it. They've got 55 potential parties to choose from but the only option they havn't got is one that would be squeeky clean if elected.

The Thai electorate have often stated in polls ( ABAC etc ) that they don't mind a bit of graft so long as the country moves forward and the crumbs falling from the political table are enough for most people to get by on.

Nonetheless , if you're about to get buggered , it would be nice to have a free say on who's going to be doing it without the military sticking their oar in if they don't like the look of the tackle of whoevers elected.

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Originally Posted by SteveCM

Care to define "majority", General?

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I think you will find he thinks that "majority" is plural for army majors.

let's hope there is a coup, they fully deserve it

Thaksin offers easy credit, credit cards for taxi drivers

Thaksin offers easy credit, credit cards for taxi drivers

By Praphan Chindalert-udomdee
The Nation
Published on May 7, 2011
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Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday promised his taxi-driver vote base he would launch a tax refund campaign for first-time car buyers, credit cards for taxi drivers and personal loans that allow cross guarantees.

Through video-link at Imperial World Lat Phrao, Thaksin and some Pheu Thai MPs listened to problems raised by an audience of taxi and motorcycle taxi drivers and told them how the party would help.

"Farmers will be getting credit cards, now taxi drivers should get them, too," Thaksin said. The credit card would be for fuel costs, Thaksin said, adding that he did not want to give out details for fear that rival parties would copy the policies.

Bangkok MP Anudith Nakornthap said the tax refund campaign would be provided for first-time car buyers, no matter whether the car was for personal use or to be hired. Excise tax would be cut so car prices would fall.

Thaksin gave the example that the cost of a new taxi could be reduced from Bt900,000 to a little over Bt600,000 after the excise tax refund.

Addressing the problem of drivers being unable to get loans to buy taxis as they could not find a guarantor, Thaksin said his policies would allow fellow taxi drivers to cross guarantee for the loans, even though they were all borrowers.

Thaksin said if Pheu Thai formed the government, he would reorganise government agencies and stop the practice of positions being brought, which was corruption that led to officers bullying taxi drivers.

Return Happiness to Thais: Peau Thai Pre-Election Sign

Posted on May 7, 2011 by admin

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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
The sign reads: Return Happiness to Thais – Return democracy to the people – Puea Thai Party

tulsathit: Chalerm: I'll quit politics forever if Dems win

Will Election End or Exasperate Political Instability in Thailand? | Asian Correspondent

Will Election End or Exasperate Political Instability in Thailand?

By Siam Voices May 07, 2011 9:28PM UTC

by James Goyder

An election is imminent with the Kingdom of Thailand crying out for a government which is democratically elected without requiring the intervention of either the military,the judiciary or a public protest.

Even the most staunch supporter of incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Democrat Party could not argue that they came to control the country through conventional means. Firstly Thaksin Shinawatra, the man whose shadow still looms large over the Thai political landscape, was deposed in the most unconstitutional of manners through a good old fashioned military coup.

Then the People’s Power Party, effectively the reincarnation of Shinawatra’s banned Thai Rak Thai party, won 226 out of 480 seats at the subsequent election, with the Democrats coming a distant second claiming just 166 seats. Although the PPP fell short of a clear majority they were still able to form a coalition government with the aid of a number of smaller parties.

At this point the judiciary and the People’s Alliance for Democracy came to the Democrat’s rescue. The former disqualified a number of candidates for electoral fraud, most of them belonging to the PPP, although one Democrat was ‘yellow carded’. The latter then began a series of protests against the PPP which resulted in the closure of both Bangkok airports as well as those in Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai.

Prime Minister and PPP leader Samak Sundaravej was under immense pressure but refused to stand down despite the fact that tourism in Thailand, a cornerstone of the country’s economy, was in danger of grinding to a standstill. Once again it was the judiciary that ultimately made the vital intervention when the Constitutional Court of Thailand found that Samak had violated the constitution by receiving payment for hosting two cooking TV shows. His premiership was immediately terminated leaving the PPP in disarray and ultimately allowing the Democrat Party to form their own coalition government.

The continual lack of clarity which has become a trademark of Thai politics is unlikely to be abated by the forthcoming election. The latest incarnation of Thai Rak Thai, the Pheu Thai Party, retains a strong base of support, primarily in northern Thailand and is expected to win a similar number of seats to the ruling Democrat Party.

It is unlikely that either the Democrats or Pheu Thai will be able to win a decisive majority meaning that, once again, private negotiations with the smaller parties could settle the outcome of the election. There are already dark mutterings about the power wielded by the ‘invisible hand’ of a handful of influential individuals suspected of holding more power than the actual Prime Minister. In this context the prospect of a government being formed through behind the scenes political manouvering is not one elements of the electorate will find particularly palatable.

Last time around the PAD took to the streets to protest against, and ultimately oust, an elected government that they disapproved of. Today the PAD appears a spent force, a list of demands for extreme military action against Cambodia has not proved a populist manifesto and they recently ann0unced that they would be boycotting the election. This had all the hallmarks of a futile gesture as support for the ‘yellow shirts’ appears to be dwindling and any reference to allegiance to the monarchy, which has been a cornerstone of PAD policy, would be in breach of a recently imposed Electoral Commission ban.

Once vociferous supporters of Vejjajiva the PAD are now openly contemptuous of the Prime Minister and are also sworn enemies of Shinawatra and, consequentially, Pheu Thai. They are effectively stuck between a rock and a hard place and the days when they wielded the sort of power which could bring down a government appear long gone.

It is the red, rather than the yellow shirts, who loom largest over the Thai political landscape in 2011. Their lack of popularity in the south is a potentially insurmountable impediment towards winning a decisive majority but the north of the country is a Pheu Thai stronghold in which Democrats, quite literally in certain instances, fear to tread.

Any party calling itself the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) should be placated by an election but the UDD are already aggrieved that, while the PAD were able to achieve a change of government through a largely peaceful protest, their attempts to do something similar were met with a heavy handed approach which resulted in the loss of 91 lives last year. A controversial enquiry which exonerated the army of all blame will have done nothing to appease the UDD who have never forgiven the armed forces for ousting Shinawatra in the first place.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban was recently forced to deny accusations that the cabinet’s last minute approval of populist projects costing tens of billions of Baht was effectively state sponsored vote buying. There is nothing unusual about a government looking to boost its popularity with an election imminent but it is unlikely that this is the last accusation of corruption we will hear between now and the election, which is tentatively scheduled for July 3rd.

With the margins between success and failure for both the main political parties likely to be thin any sort of corruption related disqualifications could be decisive meaning that the judiciary could have a key role to play in deciding the composition of the next government.

There is so much potential for dissatisfaction that Thailand could be a combustible place in the aftermath of the election. Despite their protestations to the contrary the army will not be relishing the prospect of Pheu Thai being given a political platform to allow Shinawatra to return and potentially even re-open the investigation into events which led to the deaths of 91 people on the streets of Bangkok last year.

If Pheu Thai candidates are penalized for electoral irregularities, as their PPP predecessors were, the UDD could well see this as a cynical intervention by those allied to the Democrat party. It is questionable whether there are any circumstances under which the UDD will quietly accept another Democrat led government and if they perceive there to be any sort of impropriety the red shirts could take to the streets again.

A well conducted, corruption free election which produces a clear cut winner could dispel much of the instability which hangs over the Kingdom. The slightest suggestion of controversy would have completely the opposite effect and the eyes of the international community will be upon Thailand when the ballot boxes are being counted this July.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255405070014

Democrat unveils policies for BKK

BANGKOK, 7 May 2011 (NNT) – The ruling Democrat Party has launched its election policies for the capital of Bangkok, aiming to improve people’s quality of life, eradicate drugs, solve traffic congestion and ensure future stability.

Mr Apirak Kosayodhin, as head of the Democrat Party’s election center in Bangkok, introduced the press to the party’s campaign policies for the capital, most of which had already been adopted by the Government. He announced that the policies ranged from the enhancement of Bangkokians’ quality of life through salary and minimum wage increases and expense reduction to narcotic suppression with the help from special units, police and public volunteers.

Moreover, the Democrat Party has set a target to tackle traffic problems and upgrade the transportation system in the city, including electric trains, public buses and river boats. Another area of focus is to ensure sustainable security for people through various instruments, such as free education, homes for the poor and pension funds.

^^
Disappointing piece from James Goyder - not one new or useful insight - and it just reads like a "backgrounder" summary for those who come fresh to the subject. I'm surprised that Siam Voices even accepted it.

I assume "exasperate" in the title is meant to be "exacerbate"?

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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Democrat unveils policies for BKK

BANGKOK, 7 May 2011 (NNT) – The ruling Democrat Party has launched its election policies for the capital of Bangkok, aiming to improve people’s quality of life, eradicate drugs, solve traffic congestion and ensure future stability.

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Offering some of the things Phua Thai used to focus on. Unfortunately, PT have now moved on and Thaksin is offering much more tangible things like credit cards , cheaper cars etc..

The Democrats will need to promise the moon if they want to keep up.

^ There is most certainly a discernible Thaksin effect in both parties platforms. Playing to the electorate then- I see that as more good than bad actually. Certainly, takkie delivered on his election promises previously, and that explains a lot of his enduring popularity.
Did Thaksin really promise 'Bullet trains' though, as the Bk Press said, or merely high speed trains? :confused:
You wouldn't catch me on a Thai bullet train.

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Originally Posted by sabang

Certainly, takkie delivered on his election promises previously.....

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Well - not all of them, obviously. I've lost count of how many times the ritual chorus of "What about that one about fixing Bangkok's traffic problems in six months?" has sent me off to sleep...... :sleeping1:

Apparently, that's enough to justify ignoring the promises that were substantially kept - albeit not all of them in instant, perfect Swiss watch running order. The familiar "Campaign in poetry, govern in prose" springs to mind.

He certainly lifted the bar though, in terms of delivering on what he promised.
I'll put the Bullet train spiel in the same file as 'ending Bangkok's traffic problems in six months' then. :rolleyes:
Of course, those of us that can remember Bangkoks nightmare traffic in the mid 90's also know that Thaksin's transport infrastructure actually did make a difference.

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Originally Posted by SteveCM

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Originally Posted by sabang

Certainly, takkie delivered on his election promises previously.....

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Well - not all of them, obviously. I've lost count of how many times the ritual chorus of "What about that one about fixing Bangkok's traffic problems in six months?" has sent me off to sleep...... :sleeping1:

Apparently, that's enough to justify ignoring the promises that were substantially kept - albeit not all of them in instant, perfect Swiss watch running order. The familiar "Campaign in poetry, govern in prose" springs to mind.

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Well that was something new to Thai politics at the time. Saying and trying to do.

Just thinking about things in the U.K and the U.S

How often do politicians deliver on all their promises or renege on one ?

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Originally Posted by The_Ghost_Of_The_Moog

There won't be any jiggery pokery. This will be a proper and free election and anyone who says otherwise is a tin-foil-hatted conspiracy theorist.

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I guess you're joking? If not, you'll never make 'correspondent' on those instincts mate.