Thailand : PM to Decide on House Dissolution in 4 Months

**Panda** · 20-04-2011, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by tomta

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Scrap advance vote, says Senate panel Scrap advance vote, says Senate panel By THE NATION Published on April 20, 2011 A Senate panel has proposed scrapping advance balloting, allowing only officials who have election-related work to cast advance votes. Jittipoj Wiriyaroj, chairman of the senatorial panel scrutinising three electoral organic laws, said the panel had suggested changes to the electoral bill. The panel suggested that only officials doing poll work be allowed to vote in advance. The House had earlier proposed advance voting one day before the election. Advance voting has been criticised by legislators as paving the way for electoral fraud. Some have suggested that advance voting be scrapped. "I'm confident the laws will be brought to the Senate meeting by April 25, then on April 27 the House is likely to approve the Senate's proposals without having to set up a joint panel," he said.

Advance voting allows people who are registered in one province but live and work in another province to cast their votes without having to make the trip from, say Bangkok to Nong Khai, in order to do so.

.

If that is correct then its a blatant attempt to disenfranchise the many voters from upcountry who are away from home working in the cities.
Obviously, that would be little more than a form of vote rigging by the oligarchy.

**StrontiumDog** · 20-04-2011, 10:33 AM

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/o...fter-elections

Without a settlement, no peace after elections | Pattaya today newspaper

Without a settlement, no peace after elections

Posted by pattayatoday

on Apr 20th, 2011

Several thousand red shirt demonstrators gathered at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok on March 12 this year for a raucous but peaceful rally, where leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship lambasted the government.

Very soon the people of our country will be going to the polls bitterly divided. I think it is safe to predict that unless some form of compromise settlement is reached between the present ruling establishment and the Puea Thai Party either before, during, or soon after the elections, we can expect very strong political turbulence and street violence in the coming months – no matter who wins the elections.

The whole problem revolves around the issue of ”fairness”. It is very clear that both the constitution and ”the system” are stacked against Puea Thai’s chances of winning the election and Thaksin Shinawatra’s opportunity to make a comeback. Even in the unlikely event of Puea Thai winning the election and being able to form a government, I’m pretty sure that either judicial or extra-judicial means would soon be exerted to remove that government.

Even before the elections have begun, the army has made it clear to the public how they would like them to vote, by publicly denouncing key red shirt leaders linked to Puea Thai <snip>. This is a blatant interference in the election process and has already doomed any chances of the elections being judged as ”free and fair”.

At the same time, the choice of the new batch of appointed senators by the selection panel representing the judiciary and independent state organisations (including the Election Commission) has made sure that Puea Thai will by default have many opponents in Parliament.

The message is clear. The establishment (please make your own list of its principal components) is not going to allow Puea Thai to govern the country!

This is in fact a stalemate, a ”lose-lose” situation. Puea Thai cannot govern, but the red shirt movement which retains great mass support will try to make sure that Puea Thai’s opponents cannot govern, either. The predictable outcome will be further turmoil, violence and misery for everyone.

I believe that the only way forward for a future of relative peace, prosperity, and democracy lies in some form of negotiated settlement between the political parties representing opposing pol itical forces. In my view the main obstacle to this possibility will be the attitude of the military and some other powerful sectors of the establishment.

The core of a negotiated settlement would have to involve agreement on the process and timetable for drafting a new constitution, or at least making fundamental amendments to the present constitution, based on the principles of establishing a more level playing field for democratic political contests and addressing key issues of concern on both sides of the polarisation of Thai society.

For example, the present political role of the judiciary should be completely removed, as well as the non-elected component of the Senate. Also, provisions allowing for political parties to be forcefully dissolved and their executives to be banned from politics en masse should be discarded. These are all instruments that have been used to manipulate and sabotage democratic processes.

The selection processes for independent state organisations such as the EC, National Anti-Corruption Commission, Human Rights Commission, ombudsmen, and Constitutional Court need to be redesigned to strengthen civil society participation and to safeguard their in dependence and insulation from political interference.

<snip>

Other obstacles to democracy that will need to be removed include the political censorship of websites, restrictions to freedom of expression incorporated in the Computer Crimes Act, and the draconian powers bestowed to authorities under the Emergency Rule and Internal Security laws.

Finally, we will need some form of legal control to prevent incitement to violence and hatred in public speeches and all forms of media.

In my view, these are the minimum requirements for a long-term political settlement with good prospects for avoiding further bloodshed and establishing rule of law acceptable to all sides.

Personally, I would like to see the drafting of a completely new constitution by democratic means, hopefully encompassing a much wider range of political, economic and social reforms. However, at this juncture I think most of us would be happy just to settle for some form of political settlement that could give us hope for a democratic and peaceful future.

The question is whether the power brokers will allow us this possibility.

-----

Jon Ungphakorn is a human rights and social activist, winner of the 2005 Magsaysay Award and a former elected senator for Bangkok.

**StrontiumDog** · 20-04-2011, 10:52 AM

^ Edited out a paragraph and a sentence. Going to be doing this more. Certain references will be edited out, until after the election I think, when I post news clippings. Or I will not post some news items.

He seems to be saying the same thing as me.

He has a nice list of changes, but it isn't going to happen. I've noticed that website censorship is on the increase again too.

The future is looking rather bleak at this moment in time.

**Calgary** · 20-04-2011, 11:20 AM

I concur with most of what Ungphakorn says, but would nitpick the following quote:

"Puea Thai cannot govern, but the red shirt movement which retains great mass support.............."

Not sure what "Movement" he is talking about. I know about a "Democracy Movement", but never heard of a 'Red Shirt Movement" ...................But I'm just nitpicking.

And good on you SD....An excellent choice of article as opposed to all that State Media stuff. I wouldn't have seen it if you hadn't put it up here.

**StrontiumDog** · 20-04-2011, 11:32 AM

^ Stick around, I post what is available.

This was posted by The Bangkok Post and Pattaya Today. It is an excellent article. I think you will find some of your criticisms of me are unfounded. Do not judge me by the copy and paste....my personal opinions are quite different.

**StrontiumDog** · 20-04-2011, 11:38 AM

Chavalit a heartbroken old man: Kokaew

Chavalit a heartbroken old man: Kokaew

Chavalit Yongchaiyuth stepped down from his position as Pheu Thai Party chairman because he was disappointed that the party would not endorse him as the prime ministerial candidate, red-shirt leader Kokaew Pikulthong said on Wednesday.

"The real reason Chavalit departing the party is because Thaksin (Shinawatra) has made it clear he will endorse an individual close to him and this is a case of a heartbroken old man," he said in an interview posted on Matichon online.

The Nation

**SteveCM** · 20-04-2011, 12:34 PM

From the blog world.....

Suthichai Yoon's personal journal: Nobody can beat me when it comes to quitting!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011

This political cartoon in today's Manager Daily: Somebody who looks like Gen Chavalit congratulates himself on the number of times he has quit, from one political post or another!

Posted by suthichaiyoon at 10:49 AM

........

Note: For those unaware, Suthichai Yoon is a founder of and editor at Nation Multimedia Group

**SteveCM** · 20-04-2011, 01:12 PM

Bangkok Post : Free trips at taxpayers' expense

Opinion > Opinion
COMMENTARY

Published: 20/04/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Thailand is approaching a general election following Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's statement that he will dissolve Parliament next month. We can expect vastly increased spending as people seem to have more cash in hand. It's the pre-election atmosphere.

What I have noticed from last year up till now is that many of my neighbours and other people I know, especially housewives, have gone on free domestic junkets and overseas trips.

In the last two weeks, around 500 people took a trip to Nakhon Nayok and hundreds of others went to Kanchanaburi, Chiang Rai, Rayong and other provinces. Also, some 100 people earlier went to China and India. They all went without having to spend a single satang from their own pockets.

You may wonder what these people did that entitled them to such free trips. The answer is: they are voters who have been sponsored by politicians, mostly MPs, in their areas. Officially these trips are called "seminars and study tours" but the reality is they are not.

Such trips are known as a way of strengthening the relationship between politicians and voters. Such junkets are organised more frequently once it is clear that Parliament is to be dissolved, and the "travelling season" normally ends just before the house dissolution takes place and election campaigning begins, so that MPs who sponsor the trips cannot to be held in violation of election laws.

My cheerful neighbour who came back from one such trip told me that the MP who organised her trip had urged her to vote for him again. If re-elected, the MP promises to give many things. This neighbour was told that if the MP did not get re-elected, then the elderly would not receive their 500-baht monthly welfare allowance.

I have never joined such trips, nor received an invitation. I once asked a community leader in my area who was responsible for handpicking the travellers for a politician, how these "tourists" were selected. He told me there are two groups of voters in the political world: the "fenced homes" and "non-fenced homes".

For politicians, fenced homes are well-educated families working in private firms and government agencies. Non-fenced homes include people living in slums and blocks of flats, who are traders, street vendors and those who earn income on a daily basis. Only the non-fenced group will be offered a free trip.

People living in fenced homes are regarded as "non-existent" by most politicians who view this group as generally not casting their ballots.

I have observed the situation and realised that the money spent on these travels is also my money. Why? Because politicians will never spend their own money on any "seminar" project. They will instead propose the project to related government agencies to seek a budget by citing the purpose of "human resources development".

So, the source of these seminar budgets is the taxes that we all pay. I believe all readers pay tax in some way or other, whether it is personal income tax, corporate income tax or the value-added tax collected on goods you buy everyday.

So, wouldn't I be right to say that those voters have been travelling on my money?

I am happy for my non-fenced neighbours, who normally do not have the opportunity to go on a leisure trip that comes with free food and accommodation. I am happy that they have the chance of getting something back from the politicians.

But on second thought, I am angry that these politicians spend the country's budget to canvass for themselves. They spend public money to create the image of a "Santa Claus" for themselves by offering free gifts and free trips to voters. It then become a righteous obligation for these voters to return such generosity by casting their votes for the politician who "sponsored" their trip.

Such a practice is also the process by which politicians establish their canvassers. It is sad that our country's politicians think only of themselves and do not really care for the public interest.

Somporn Thapanachai is Deputy Business Editor, Bangkok Post.

**Thaihome** · 20-04-2011, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

^ Edited out a paragraph and a sentence. Going to be doing this more. Certain references will be edited out, until after the election I think, when I post news clippings. Or I will not post some news items.

He seems to be saying the same thing as me.

He has a nice list of changes, but it isn't going to happen. I've noticed that website censorship is on the increase again too.

The future is looking rather bleak at this moment in time.

The list that Ungphakorn put together is indeed a nice wish list. But unfortunately he tries to make it seem that these things are the differences between the ideology of the PTP and parties that form current government. Nothing could be further from the reality of the situation. Every single thing he listed as needing to be changed was done by the acknowledged predecessor party to PTP in its attempt to setup a UNMO or Barisan Nasional type single party rule in Thailand.

I tend to agree with the recent poll that shows this so-called bitter political divide does not actually exist in Thailand. There are indeed very vocal and aggressive minority groups that gets huge amounts of publicity, much of it self generated, in attempts to show there is a political divide, but from what I see every day, on the whole this just doesn’t exists.

Most people just want to get on their lives, make a good future for their children that a stable political environment promotes. They realize that comes from hard work and sacrifice and these political upheavals are counter productive.

The coming election, or any election for that matter, will not settle anything with the current set of players.

I do think that as Thailand continues its economic development and the middle class continues to grow, that a better set of politicians (or at least less harmful) will emerge.

TH

**StrontiumDog** · 20-04-2011, 01:46 PM

Democrats ready to jump start the economy: Korbsak

Democrats ready to jump start the economy: Korbsak

The Democrats will be ready to jump start the economy if allowed to form the next government, chief campaign strategist Korbsak Sabhavasu said.

In an interview published in Thai Rath online on Wednesday, Korbsak said the rival Pheu Thai Party would likely spend at least the first three months pushing for the amnesty law.

He said the rival party did not have sufficient candidates to fill offices, hence it had to focus on granting pardon to barred party executives, including former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra before doing anything else.

The Nation

**Calgary** · 20-04-2011, 02:51 PM

Quotes from Post#1084 (Thaihome) above:

I tend to agree with the recent poll that shows this so-called bitter political divide does not actually exist in Thailand
Easy to agree with this so-called poll result when one has never been to a tens-of-thousands pro-Democracy rally. Sitting in front of one's computer and agreeing with a poll is vastly different then reality outside.

There are indeed very vocal and aggressive minority groups that gets huge amounts of publicity,
Typical parrotting of State Media. Calling the tens-of-thousands pro-democracy rallies "minority groups" A 60,000 to 100,000 person rally a "GROUP!"..yeah right!.......aggressive?... Another State Media fabrication they hope will be swallowed by those not involved. 80% of those thousands are women, and the soldiers standing around being bored. But calling out all those police and soldiers has nothing to do with security, and everything to do with trying to create an impression and denigrate the Democracy Movement.....Thaihome has bought into that agenda.

".....there is a political divide, but from what I see every day, on the whole this just doesn’t exists.

Wow, where does Thaihome reside. I can see where Thaihome sitting in Starbucks reading the State Media draws this conclusion.

Most people just want to get on their lives, make a good future for their children that a stable political environment promotes. They realize that comes from hard work and sacrifice and these political upheavals are counter productive.
Especially when one's political upheaval has already occurred via their coup, so now lets all forget about it. Lets all pretend the 'political upheaval' never occurred and focus on all those wonderful things Thaihome suggests. Our 'political upheaval' was OK, not yours. Dont react to it!

I do think that as Thailand continues its economic development and the middle class continues to grow, that a better set of politicians (or at least less harmful) will emerge
Typical PAD rhetoric. Blame the Politicians. Heap enough abuse on Politicians, and maybe one can begin to avoid the Electoral Democracy that foists politicians upon us.

**Thaihome** · 20-04-2011, 03:17 PM

^Pretty much consisted of ad hominem attacks based on your perception of my place in Thailand. You have no idea who I am or what I do, yet you feel qualified to make assumptions about what I see and know about Thai society. Didn’t actually address a single thing I said.

**sabang** · 20-04-2011, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by Thaihome

Most people just want to get on their lives, make a good future for their children that a stable political environment promotes.

I agree- and so do most people everywhere. Stability is not represented by mass demonstrations, 'judicial' & military coups.

Most people in Thailand resent the military putsch, and the results it has led to.
It is fair to say that even more do now, than when it actually happened imo.

It would seem disengenuous to write this fact off as a significant factor in the coming election.

**Calgary** · 20-04-2011, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by Thaihome

^Pretty much consisted of ad hominem attacks based on your perception of my place in Thailand. You have no idea who I am or what I do, yet you feel qualified to make assumptions about what I see and know about Thai society.

Didn’t actually address a single thing I said.

I will let others decide the veracity of my comments Thaihome.

**StrontiumDog** · 20-04-2011, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Calgary

Quotes from Post#1084 (Thaihome) above:

I tend to agree with the recent poll that shows this so-called bitter political divide does not actually exist in Thailand
Easy to agree with this so-called poll result when one has never been to a tens-of-thousands pro-Democracy rally. Sitting in front of one's computer and agreeing with a poll is vastly different then reality outside.

Indeed, and maybe a rally consisting of tens of thousands would tend to colour your judgment as well, so to speak...if you think about it. Your view of reality may well be somewhat awry....

Tens of thousands is not 68 million....

**Butterfly** · 20-04-2011, 04:52 PM

Calgary, are you another right wing nutter ? you certainly sound like one

**Butterfly** · 20-04-2011, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Chavalit a heartbroken old man: Kokaew

Chavalit quitting and making accusation that the PT is leading toward pushing a Republic regime is quite serious IMO

**Thaihome** · 20-04-2011, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by sabang

It would seem disengenuous to write this fact off as a significant factor in the coming election.

If indeed it was a factor in the upcoming election, what influence would that have at this point? Would any voter make that part of their choice for their single constituency vote? They might in their proportional vote, but since is seemed to have little impact in 2007, why would it now?

Who is being disengenuous?
TH

**StrontiumDog** · 20-04-2011, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by Calgary

Quotes from Post#1084 (Thaihome) above:

There are indeed very vocal and aggressive minority groups that gets huge amounts of publicity,
Typical parrotting of State Media. Calling the tens-of-thousands pro-democracy rallies "minority groups" A 60,000 to 100,000 person rally a "GROUP!"..yeah right!.......aggressive?... Another State Media fabrication they hope will be swallowed by those not involved. 80% of those thousands are women, and the soldiers standing around being bored. But calling out all those police and soldiers has nothing to do with security, and everything to do with trying to create an impression and denigrate the Democracy Movement.....Thaihome has bought into that agenda.

How is it not a group?

group - definition of group by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

group (grp)
n.
1. An assemblage of persons or objects gathered or located together; an aggregation: a group of dinner guests; a group of buildings near the road.

And once again, so that the point begins to sink in...

How is even 100,000 representative of 68 million people?

80% women?

Ratchaprasong News's Photos - Wall Photos | Facebook

Aggressive???

Arisman urging violence....

Torched Buildings:
10 Bangkok Bank branches
2 Kasikorn Bank branches
2 Siam City Bank branches
2 Krung Thai Bank branches
1 Government Savings Bank branch
Center One (Victory Monument)
Central World
Centara Grand Hotel
Grand Diamond Hotel
Metropolitan Electricity Authority Klongtoey branch
Maleenont Tower (Channel 3)
Stock Exchange of Thailand
Mahatun Plaza Ploenchit
Building next to Narcotics Police Bureau (Dindaeng)
Convenience Store next to Narcotics Police Bureau (Dindaeng)
Gold shop on Pahonyothin Soi 1
Phranakorn Noodle Shop at Victory Monument
Big C Ratchadamri

More here...

https://teakdoor.com/battle-for-bangk...w-death-4.html (Battle for Bangkok 20th May Curfew Death & Destruction)

**Mid** · 20-04-2011, 05:15 PM

and in the interests of equal time ........................

One of the red-shirt protesters killed at Wat Pathum Vanaram

Another dead red-shirt protester in Wat Pathum Vanaram

Kamolket Akahad, affectionately known as "Dr. Kat", killed by sniper fire into Wat Pathum Vanaram

https://redphanfa2day.wordpress.com/

**Calgary** · 20-04-2011, 05:21 PM

The ludicrousness of a military attack to solve a political problem is self-evident in these photo's.

Arisman is my hero.

A military action begets an action. None of the events depicted in these photos would have occurred if a political problem had been solved politically. Taking military action was an attempt to impose political hegemony at all costs.

Preventing an election by military means is thuggish and small minded.

Just have the damn election.

**Butterfly** · 20-04-2011, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by Calgary

Arisman is my hero.

of course he is, you are a complete nutter

**Thaihome** · 20-04-2011, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by Calgary

Arisman is my hero.

That figures.

Originally Posted by Calgary

.... None of the events depicted in these photos would have occurred if a political problem had been solved politically. Taking military action was an attempt to impose political hegemony at all costs.

Preventing an election by military means is thuggish and small minded.

Just have the damn election.

So, you agree the UDD radical leadership refusing the offer of elections, made several times on national TV before any violence occurred, and then later in the closing days of the rally was the cause of the violence.
TH

**SteveCM** · 20-04-2011, 06:30 PM

Bangkok Post : Aide explains Chavalit's resignation

Breakingnews >

Published: 20/04/2011 at 04:47 PM
Online news:

Chavalit Yongchaiyudh resigned his membership of the Puea Thai Party because he was not able to reshape the party's image regarding loyalty to the monarchy, Maj-Gen Sornchai Montriwat said on Wednesday.

Maj-Gen Sornchai, a Puea Thai party-list MP and close aide to Gen Chavalit, also denied a report the former prime minister had assigned a person named Chaiyong Rattanawan to issue a statement to explain this matter on his behalf.

Since his resignation, Gen Chavalit had not made any political moves. He would not set up a political party, as speculated, and would temporarily suspend his role in politics, Maj-Gen Sornchai said.

Gen Chavalit had been very careful in deciding all his past resignations, he said.

Gen Chavalit resigned as army chief, for example, when he had three more years to go in the military service because he had laid all necessary groundwork for the army and wanted to make way for a younger man to take his place.

He resigned as deputy prime minister following the police crackdown on the yellow-shirts of the People's Alliance for Democracy on Oct 7, 2008 to show responsibility for the death and injuries to protesters.

This time, Gen Chavalit had resigned because he was not able to change the Puea Thai Party's perceived image regarding loyalty to the monarchy.

He joined Puea Thai to place himself as a guarantee that the party was loyal to the high institution. He resigned because he was not able to fulfil this objective, Maj-Gen Sornchai said.

The MP said despite his resignation, Gen Chavalit stood ready to help the party if he could.

Maj-Gen Sornchai also rejected as untrue speculation that Gen Chavalit resigned because Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of Puea Thai, did not nominate him for the post of prime minister.

**StrontiumDog** · 20-04-2011, 06:37 PM

Two-week countdown before House dissolution: PM

Two-week countdown before House dissolution: PM

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Wednesday informed his Cabinet members that they had two weeks before the government term expires due to House dissolution, paving way for the early election.

"There will be two meetings to clear the work and ministers should speedily submit agendas requiring the Cabinet debate and approval," government spokesman Panithan Wattanayagorn quoted Abhisit as saying.

The Nation

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