Ghost advises that Thaksin’s “puppet” govt lacks credibility. As, presumably, do all other Thaksin-led govts. They had the fault of being installed by the Thai people. “Credibility,” according to ghost, must lie in those govts installed by military/judicial coup.
2 feb informal vote counting PTP 245, CTP 21, BJT 15 (–yes, Buriram likes its soccer team!), CPP 10. A clear win for PTP or what? the next question is when the courts will act in the interests of the reactionary royalist regime to further erode Thailand’s withering democracy (–probably later this month).
This is a trend that will continue, a warning to NGOs, be more mindful of History and culture of the country they are in, instead of wearing ‘heart on the sleeves’.
It does seem like an easy solution…just have the King intervene and given how revered he is in Thailand, the people are likely to adhere to his wishes. However, to support elections even though it’s the democratic way and is in line with the constitution, will signify to the Thai people that he is against Suthep and the PDRC, which can be also be interpreted that he is for Puea Thai and the Red Shirts. Likewise to not support elections means that he is against the Red Shirts and is for the PDRC and Suthep. The King cannot be seen to be siding one side over the other. Choosing one side over the other will also cause more resentment and society to become more fragmented.
“Abhisit is now ineligible to run for office because he refused to vote in the election. ”
Me thinks you speak to soon on this. Knowing the “democrat” control courts, they will find a way to let him run. Any group that thinks “appointed Govt” is democratic can say and do anything with no conscience at all!
K’Vichai, I note that you have not deemed it worthwhile to answer my questions on the Election thread. Is that because my questions are inane, too difficult or too awkward for you to answer. I have a tough skin so please be honest. You seem to have adopted a similar approach to Khun Abhisit when he is asked to address the foreign press and talks in platitudes and avoids answering any specific questions.
Leaving aside the chronic divisiveness of Thaksin Shinawatra, arguably the biggest problem for his puppet government is that his self-serving reform agenda has been exposed to the nation as entirely lacking in credibility and this is confirmed by the poll result so far.
This sets off the usual vitriol that digresses from the article into the same old disgust for and against the govt and its election agenda. I say: 1) glad the election went ahead so we can have a bell weather of the mood of ‘the people’ 2) PDRC did the right thing in eventually allowing this 3) Just ’cause Suthep has a nutcase idea for an appointed council doesn’t mean no election means fascism as an alternative 4) let the results stand, if the total number of votes for a party is less than 50% of the usual turnout (not full 48 million, since millions never bother to vote), then you have the MAJORITY expressing a lack of confidence in elections, in which case reform becomes the main priority and we move forward with a caretaker govt. 5) Suthep has done a fine job in letting the genie out the bottle, same as Thaksin did, now, exile him and let the Dems and Puea Thai (sans Thaksin’s third hand) sit down and agree who should be on this independent reform committee. After that the election will work just fine.
NACC will force her out via rice-pledge scheme and slap in a criminal charge for good measure, along with several others.
This will result in her stop being acting PM.
There will be new acting PM.
The Constitutional Court would rule the 02Feb election invalid and EC to hold another election with Dem joining.
However, much of PT MP will have their right strip from one case or another just within time constraint that they will not be able to file enough MP in the field.
The first landslide Democrat victory in electoral democracy and a dawn of golden age for all good people in Thailand with no more dirt road.
Well that is about right Arthurson. The Kamnan/PRDC/Uproot deserve every contumely from abroad and Thailand for every vote-blocking incident commited. If you ask me, those who could be proved, by due process, to have illegally and willfully blocked the Thai voters from carring out their constitutional duty to vote, should be arrested, tried and appropriately jailed.
What other term do you propose we should use to describe a court acting to depose a government for reasons more to do with the court’s support for elite interests than with impartial legal considerations?
I gather that you disagree with the above characterisation of the Thai legal system, but for those who do agree with it, “judicial coup” is surely an apt term.
Last Saturday afternoon, about the time of the shooting going on in Laksi district in Bangkok, I was walking out of Siam Discovery for the 3 to 4 blocks it takes to cross the protest site and hail a taxi.
I amused myself by reading the license plates on the pickup trucks and cars parked by the protesters along the road. 40% were from Bangkok, 60% were from southern provinces such as Ranong, Songkhla, Surat Thani, and Petchaburi, and only one was from outside of the south or Bangkok, from Uthai Thani province. This is clearly a regional conflict and until the anti-government forces can muster support from outside their stronghold, they have no chance of getting control of the reins of power (for very long).
Hey Vichai, you and your buddies have lost the battle in the world court of public opinion. The international media is completely unanimous in its condemnation of Thailand’s fascist black shirts (not my words, but theirs!) blocking the vote last Sunday. Here is the latest from Forbes magazine:
Jonathan Head also had an interview on BBC News this morning where he called out Abhisit for lying about the PDRC protesters “not being armed”.
The Bangkok Post tried to make the best of things by pointing to a lower voter turnout, but the bottom line is that Yingluck and the Peua Thai have won at least 260 seats in the new Parliament. Even if the Democrat Party decide to contest in the next two rounds of by-elections, the Democrats will have abdicated any role in the next government, and Abhisit is now ineligible to run for office because he refused to vote in the election. I think the phrase “relegated to the trash heap of history” might be relevant for the anti-Democrats.
Would that NM showed such concern about the ‘negative impact’ of urban middle-class voters in Malaysia, Singapore or the Philippines, but I guess they get a ‘pass’ because they aren’t protesting……yet. And don’t think there aren’t numerous ‘Thaksins’ in Malaysia and the Philippines (I could name some, but as NM Thaksin cheerleaders are so obsessed with their hero, I guess we had better not stray too far from Bangkok).
Facebook 
Twitter 
Soundcloud 
Youtube 
Rss
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
Loaded? Surely it simply means any judgement that results directly in the displacement of the government?
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
Ghost advises that Thaksin’s “puppet” govt lacks credibility. As, presumably, do all other Thaksin-led govts. They had the fault of being installed by the Thai people. “Credibility,” according to ghost, must lie in those govts installed by military/judicial coup.
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
2 feb informal vote counting PTP 245, CTP 21, BJT 15 (–yes, Buriram likes its soccer team!), CPP 10. A clear win for PTP or what? the next question is when the courts will act in the interests of the reactionary royalist regime to further erode Thailand’s withering democracy (–probably later this month).
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
… and this is the reason why the opposition did not dare to face the opinion of the people in the election.
Sleeping dogs
This is a trend that will continue, a warning to NGOs, be more mindful of History and culture of the country they are in, instead of wearing ‘heart on the sleeves’.
http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/ethnic-issues/item/10878-sittwe-protestors-rally-for-1982-citizenship-law-against-foreign-ngos
1) This quagmire predated everyone of the NGOs.
2) No western HR criteria will apply.
3) The ONLY solution is “economic opportunities’ for the Buddhist Yakhine.
4) Mindful of the larger picture by Ko Aung Moe 9.1.12 above.
Let these “Sleeping dogs” lie.
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
It does seem like an easy solution…just have the King intervene and given how revered he is in Thailand, the people are likely to adhere to his wishes. However, to support elections even though it’s the democratic way and is in line with the constitution, will signify to the Thai people that he is against Suthep and the PDRC, which can be also be interpreted that he is for Puea Thai and the Red Shirts. Likewise to not support elections means that he is against the Red Shirts and is for the PDRC and Suthep. The King cannot be seen to be siding one side over the other. Choosing one side over the other will also cause more resentment and society to become more fragmented.
A response to Vanina Sucharitkul
I don’t doubt that they know that, which is why they are fighting so hard and so unscrupulously.
A response to Vanina Sucharitkul
Excellent, detailed review of things I have suspected were the case but didn’t have the ability to dig into the detail the way you did. Thanks Chan.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
“Abhisit is now ineligible to run for office because he refused to vote in the election. ”
Me thinks you speak to soon on this. Knowing the “democrat” control courts, they will find a way to let him run. Any group that thinks “appointed Govt” is democratic can say and do anything with no conscience at all!
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
Thank you matt, I will think about it. But have to do my homework first, and ask them in my home about it.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
K’Vichai, I note that you have not deemed it worthwhile to answer my questions on the Election thread. Is that because my questions are inane, too difficult or too awkward for you to answer. I have a tough skin so please be honest. You seem to have adopted a similar approach to Khun Abhisit when he is asked to address the foreign press and talks in platitudes and avoids answering any specific questions.
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
Leaving aside the chronic divisiveness of Thaksin Shinawatra, arguably the biggest problem for his puppet government is that his self-serving reform agenda has been exposed to the nation as entirely lacking in credibility and this is confirmed by the poll result so far.
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
Yes it is true, my brother paid.
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
This sets off the usual vitriol that digresses from the article into the same old disgust for and against the govt and its election agenda. I say: 1) glad the election went ahead so we can have a bell weather of the mood of ‘the people’ 2) PDRC did the right thing in eventually allowing this 3) Just ’cause Suthep has a nutcase idea for an appointed council doesn’t mean no election means fascism as an alternative 4) let the results stand, if the total number of votes for a party is less than 50% of the usual turnout (not full 48 million, since millions never bother to vote), then you have the MAJORITY expressing a lack of confidence in elections, in which case reform becomes the main priority and we move forward with a caretaker govt. 5) Suthep has done a fine job in letting the genie out the bottle, same as Thaksin did, now, exile him and let the Dems and Puea Thai (sans Thaksin’s third hand) sit down and agree who should be on this independent reform committee. After that the election will work just fine.
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
NACC will force her out via rice-pledge scheme and slap in a criminal charge for good measure, along with several others.
This will result in her stop being acting PM.
There will be new acting PM.
The Constitutional Court would rule the 02Feb election invalid and EC to hold another election with Dem joining.
However, much of PT MP will have their right strip from one case or another just within time constraint that they will not be able to file enough MP in the field.
The first landslide Democrat victory in electoral democracy and a dawn of golden age for all good people in Thailand with no more dirt road.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Well that is about right Arthurson. The Kamnan/PRDC/Uproot deserve every contumely from abroad and Thailand for every vote-blocking incident commited. If you ask me, those who could be proved, by due process, to have illegally and willfully blocked the Thai voters from carring out their constitutional duty to vote, should be arrested, tried and appropriately jailed.
Thailand’s election: 2 February 2014
What other term do you propose we should use to describe a court acting to depose a government for reasons more to do with the court’s support for elite interests than with impartial legal considerations?
I gather that you disagree with the above characterisation of the Thai legal system, but for those who do agree with it, “judicial coup” is surely an apt term.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Last Saturday afternoon, about the time of the shooting going on in Laksi district in Bangkok, I was walking out of Siam Discovery for the 3 to 4 blocks it takes to cross the protest site and hail a taxi.
I amused myself by reading the license plates on the pickup trucks and cars parked by the protesters along the road. 40% were from Bangkok, 60% were from southern provinces such as Ranong, Songkhla, Surat Thani, and Petchaburi, and only one was from outside of the south or Bangkok, from Uthai Thani province. This is clearly a regional conflict and until the anti-government forces can muster support from outside their stronghold, they have no chance of getting control of the reins of power (for very long).
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Hey Vichai, you and your buddies have lost the battle in the world court of public opinion. The international media is completely unanimous in its condemnation of Thailand’s fascist black shirts (not my words, but theirs!) blocking the vote last Sunday. Here is the latest from Forbes magazine:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2014/02/03/in-thailand-opposition-assaults-democracy-as-voters-reelect-government-yellow-shirt-protestors-act-like-mussolinis-black-shirts/
Jonathan Head also had an interview on BBC News this morning where he called out Abhisit for lying about the PDRC protesters “not being armed”.
The Bangkok Post tried to make the best of things by pointing to a lower voter turnout, but the bottom line is that Yingluck and the Peua Thai have won at least 260 seats in the new Parliament. Even if the Democrat Party decide to contest in the next two rounds of by-elections, the Democrats will have abdicated any role in the next government, and Abhisit is now ineligible to run for office because he refused to vote in the election. I think the phrase “relegated to the trash heap of history” might be relevant for the anti-Democrats.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Well-said Vichai !
Would that NM showed such concern about the ‘negative impact’ of urban middle-class voters in Malaysia, Singapore or the Philippines, but I guess they get a ‘pass’ because they aren’t protesting……yet. And don’t think there aren’t numerous ‘Thaksins’ in Malaysia and the Philippines (I could name some, but as NM Thaksin cheerleaders are so obsessed with their hero, I guess we had better not stray too far from Bangkok).