mazeltov

decentralization of state power, authorities

CEO-governors

administrative reform, reducing bureaucracy (civil service pencil pusher have to work efficient, bureaucrats hate him for that)

30- baht health care

educational reform: smart brain learning program, focus on analytical thinking, new curriculums ( teacher' suddenly had to show performance, be employed by the local community and not central by the state - civil service paper pusher hate Thaskin for that - and the dems create now new jobs for the administration level)

loan funds for students of low income group

say yes to globalisation (while not forget your background) (ultra nationalists, old powers and lunatic socialists hate him for that)

FTA - free trade agreements

privatization of state-owned enterprises (no more waste of tax money for over sized administration and lazy state union officials and other bureaucrats)

casino legalisation

repay IMF debts, economic boom, microloans to impoverished people , help on small and medium enterprise

thaksin gave people hope, told them every man is the architect of his own fortune.

500 pages of legal mumbo-jumbo. awesome. This will not be swift. (And imagine the cost to produce this material.)

i dont really think the 'cost' of producing a few hundred pages of legal writs is a big deal!!!! (considering that 46 billion baht is at stake!!!)

555

my friend, i miss your innocent humour.

• According to Section 109 of the Constitution, what happens when the seat of a member of the House of Representatives becomes vacant for any reason other than the expiration of the term or the dissolution of the House is that:

- If the vacant seat is that of the representative elected on a constituency basis, an election shall be held to refill that seat within 45 days as from the date of the vacancy unless the remainder of the term of the House of Representatives is less than 180 days.

- If the vacant seat is that of the representative elected on a proportional basis, the President of the House of Representatives shall elevate the person from the same political party, whose name is placed in the next order on the list of the political party concerned to fill the vacant seat by publishing the replacement name in the Government Gazette. However, where there is no person to be elevated – as happens in this case of party-list-based seats becoming vacant because of the political party that occupies them is dissolved – the House of Representatives shall consist of the remaining members.

http://www.thaiembassy.sg/press_media/news...tion-of-3-polit[/indent]

I don't understand. What you have posted seems to indicate that all constituency MPs should stand by-election in order to retain their seat. This isn't what happened for constituency MPs. All constituency MPs who were not banned shifted from PPP to PTP and retained their seats. Either something is amiss with what you posted or I'm just a little thick this evening.

Regarding the proportional vote MPs, it appears that what you say is correct. According to your post the proportional MPs are simply removed and not replaced until the next election.

While the PPP seems to have lost their proportional MPs it seems not unreasonable that this is the consequence of the party itself trying to rig an election. Should they be able to keep their unelected MPs in this case? (Remember that the only directly elected MPs are from the constituency vote).

I haven't fully thought this through as I now have new information that I haven't fully processed. Thanks for that Mazeltov.

party dissolution don't mean all MP of that party were banned. only party executives where banned from politics, not every party member. so there was a big load of MPs in the parliament left without any party membership. they had to join other/new parties because party membership is a constitutional must for a MP. and it is up to the MP in which new party he joins. it isn't a must to return to something that represents somehow the old mother-ship (which was maybe a loose bunch of various faction and not a strong alliance)

if a banned party party executive was also a MP he left an empty seat in the parliament.

empty seats of a constituency vote MP got refilled with by-elections.

'proportional vote seats' not. 10 or 11 seats (of the total 80 proportional seats) are now empty. Somchai Wongsawat, for example, had such party list seat. so currently the parliament has only 469/470 members instead of the original 480.

follow that link, its a 'big dissolution FAQ'. that will explain you a few more details and tells you that you ask an interesting question.

"Nevertheless, there are reportedly different legal opinions regarding such issues as the status of members of a dissolved party who are members the House of Representatives on the proportional (party-list) basis from that party and have to move to other parties. Issues like these, if remaining unresolved, may have to be submitted for consideration by the Constitutional Court."

anyway, that are the rules. but do you know the actual case, the details of the offence that gave the court the reason for the dissolution? this is the real funny part of the whole story.

with a by-election only the parliament seats from the Constituency voting get "refilled".

if a MP from a party list leave the parliament (for whatever reason) the next candidate on the party list will get the seat.

in case that the party was dissolved, for the leaving MP exist not such a party list anymore, the seat will left empty.

proportional seats of banned members from dissolved party lists are lost. so much to the "equal" number of MPs.

Is this true? I haven't read this, but it sounds plausible. If so it does provide some credibility to the arguments of a judicial coup.

At the same time the PPP executives did break the law. There must be consequences, and if dissolving the party is one of those consequences then they only have themselves to blame.

There was by-elections after the court decision. If PPP had the peoples mandate they would not have LOST their MP seats in SEVERAL of the by-elections. PPP COULD have still had the EQUAL number of MPs or MORE if they indeed had such a huge support from the people.

Why did that not happen?

with a by-election only the parliament seats from the Constituency voting get "refilled".

if a MP from a party list leave the parliament (for whatever reason) the next candidate on the party list will get the seat.

in case that the party was dissolved, for the leaving MP exist not such a party list anymore, the seat will left empty.

proportional seats of banned members from dissolved party lists are lost. so much to the "equal" number of MPs.

parliamentary work and keep in contact with your constituency and your party buddies and your party line will become difficult if your party got dissolved and all its executives banned now and then by a court, because one other party member from some other province, far away from your own constituency did something wrong.

a MP who had just lost 'his' party with the dissolution but didn't get banned, must join a new party. that isn't such an easy task because the heads of your old party just got banned, other factions other persons now have more influence on the polices of a new party. parties and its members aren't a homogenous block, generic, interchangeable.

for by-elections your need people, candidates who do the job and are good and qualified for it. these candidates don't have the old party name as back up anymore. their face isn't so popular like that of the banned MP they aim to replace.

party dissolution is pretty much a big hammer and a knock out.

the team lost the goalkeeper, the best striker , the experienced midfielder and playmaker and the coach too because some other dude of the team is doped.

okay, it is the rules, and the referee is always right, but is it fair and sportsmanlike?

the dissolution of three parties of a coalition government, the executive banned, isn't parliamentary daily routine but a worst case. IMHO, holding a new election would be appropriate, especially since Abihist told the press the same thing shortly after the court decision.

I don't need you to preach the government's talking points to know what has happened in Thailand. I have lived here and followed it closely.

You can't pretend you are democrats, elected and rightful government when your party is just as guilty of electoral fraud but went unpunished because of a biased, militarily altered judiciary.

You can't pretend you are democrats when your party and major supporting elements openly preached about "New Politics" and how the poor are unworthy of equal voting power.

You can't pretend you are democrats when your party eliminated ALL checks and balances and only gained power through military, judicial and violent mob rabble coups.

You can't pretend you are democrats when your party was NOT elected like any other government before it. Using military, judicial, and violent mob rabble coups to obtain power.

You can't pretend you are democrats when your party has ALREADY threatened and used violence and mob rabbles to obtain power.

The poor in Thailand do deserve a voice and until the current government concedes to holding an election at earliest possible time, they will NEVER get any fair assistance from this government.

Apparently you in fact have NOT followed events closely. As for your living here .. who knows that might even be true

You state that the Democrats have committed (as a party) electoral fraud and has been protected. Your proof? Oh, right, there is none.

You state the Democrats 'preached New Politics", this is proof that you have not followed things closely. The democrats have never done that. Some of the leadership of the PAD did. Note they have their own political party now which negates some of your further arguments.

You state that the Democrats did away with checks and balances that are part of democracy. Another lie. They have not. Thaksin did. In fact the best thing about the current constitution that was pushed upon the electorate is that it includes strengthened checks and balances. This was pushed on the electorate by the Military installed government and not the Democrats.

You state that the current government was not elected like the prior 2 governments and that is 100% a strawman argument. They were elected by the Members of Parliament and that is how Samak and Somchai got into office as well. In fact, Samak and Somchai were elected into office by the same MP's Yes .. truly a strawman on your part.

The Democrats have not used violence or a mob to gain office. Again you can't see the difference between the PAD and the Democrats and that shows that you just don't "get it" at all when it comes to Thai politics.

The poor do deserve a voice and if you look at what has happened since the democrats were elected you will see something that Thaksin and his proxy governments never gave them. That is sustainable and real help without using them. There will be elections when either the current coalition fails OR when they are scheduled. I trust that the poor in ALL regions of the country will have seen the progress made under the Democrats by the time that the next elections are scheduled! :-)

On a final note (for the guy that fails to mention or even notice the violence done by the reds) exactly how was the judiciary "altered" as you claim above?

lovely yellow new politics:

Please look back at the 2007 elections and see who had the most votes (note --- in parliamentary democracy votes do not count and only seats in Parliament do!), I am guessing that you will be shocked to see that the Dems got the most votes.

would you care to explain?

my guess is that you don't understand the voting system in thailand.

read what was written and the response

???

lot of nonsense was written.

Special Report : NBT, Radio Thailand grab ASEAN Media Award 2009

The National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) and Radio Thailand Broadcasting, under the supervision of the Government Public Relations Department (PRD), received the ASEAN Media Award 2009.

The ASEAN Association-Thailand was established in 2008 with an aim to build awareness on different aspects of ASEAN, including politics, the economy, and society. It also aims to let the public be a part of the establishment of the ASEAN community through various activities.

The ASEAN Media Award 2009 was granted to related media agencies in the field of television, radio and print media on 25 March 2010 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the field of television media, NBT received first place, while the Spirit of Asia, broadcast by Thai PBS, was the runner-up.

In the field of radio media, Radio Thailand Broadcasting, represented by Ms Tuenjai Sinthuvnik, Director of Radio Thailand Broadcasting, came in first place while Mr Todsapon Sangchat, the representative of the Community Radio Network (CRN), came in second.

In the field of print media, Mr Kavi Chongkitthavorn, Managerial Editor of The Nation and Kom Chad Luek Newspapers, was elected as the winner of the award. Ms Worrarat Taniguchi, writer of Vited Vithi column from Matichon newspaper, and Dr Somkiat Onwimon, writer of the ASEAN Diary column from Daily News newspaper, were both granted consolation prizes.

Khunying Laxanachantorn Laohaphan, President of the ASEAN Association-Thailand, chaired the awards ceremony. The award winners of each media field will receive a trophy from the ASEAN Association-Thailand, and 20,000 THB in prize money.

The granting ceremony of the ASEAN Media Award 2009 was held to recognize and honour media agencies in various fields for their creative works and presentations for a deeper public understanding towards ASEAN issues. The winners of the award were selected individually by votes, and scored by a committee of the ASEAN Association-Thailand which is composed of academics from the government, private and non-governmental sectors.

-- NNT 25 March 2010

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Are you sure it was Abhisit making those demands, and for those reasons? - do you have a link?

Democrat party Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva suggests the Government disband the Parliament in order to iron out the country's problems and calls for responsibility for the strife in front of the Parliament.

In response to the commanders of the Royal Thai Armed Forces recently voicing their points of view on current political situations, Mr. Abhisit views that their action echoes their frustration with the public administration of Prime Minister and Defense Minister Somchai Wongsawat, which has shown no capabilities in solving the country's problems.

Mr. Abhisit points out that the premier's resignation is not the best way out. He suggests that the Government opt in one of three proposals, including political pole shift, national government establishment, and the best solution, Parliament dissolution.

As of now, Mr. Abhisit advises the Government to show its responsibility for the deaths and injuries from the dispersal of PAD protesters.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255110170012

Thank you mca. What this proves is that Abhisit suggested once dissolution of the government to show responsibility for deaths and injuries. What it doesn't prove is that he demanded it many times because "the yellow shirt protests showed they were not suited to run teh governemnt". Fabrication and exaggeration at work as per usual.

Supreme Court issues arrest warrants against 2 former Thai Rak Thai MPs

The Supreme Court Friday issued arrest warrants against 2 former Thai Rak Thai MPs after they failed to turn up to hear the verdict of the court in a defamation case filed by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The court ordered that Suporn Atthawong and Thirachai Saenkaew be arrested and brought to the court to hear the verdict at 9 am on April 21.

The two were accused of defaming Abhisit by saying the prime minister was unusually rich.

The lower courts gave 12-month suspended jail term against Suporn and a six-month suspended jail term against Thirachai. Suporn was ordered to pay a fine of Bt20,000 while Thirachai Bt10,000.

The lower courts put the two on probation for two years.

The two appealed against the ruling and the Supreme Court was scheduled to read the verdict Friday.

The Nation

-- The Nation Published on March 19, 2010

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Supre...r-30125074.html

Please look back at the 2007 elections and see who had the most votes (note --- in parliamentary democracy votes do not count and only seats in Parliament do!), I am guessing that you will be shocked to see that the Dems got the most votes.

would you care to explain?

my guess is that you don't understand the voting system in thailand.

it's mostly nonsense when people try to do something tricky with the figures of the election results. they just show of that they have understand nothing of the system and probably have no clue at all.

any comparison using only the "party list vote" or the so called proportional vote is equally misleading . not because it got split into 8 areas, but because it is still a 'second' vote, an additional vote that offered the voter a tactical voting. and only 80 MP of the 480 seats in the parliament got elected this way.

Oh please. What percentage of voters do you think voted PTP across the board in the constituency election and then Democrats in the proportional vote?

It is standard to rely on the proportional vote as the leading indicator of party support.

to answer your question - zero percent, because nobody at all voted for PTP in the 2007 election.

anyway who declared that to a standard, (to check/analyse/argue with only the proportional vote)?

you can't ignore the specifics of the voting system in Thailand (a system lot of people here on this board not understand.) and you can't ignore other circumstances and the special situation in that year 2007.

taking figures out of the context is misleading.

I reckon the UAE government told him to chill out or leave. ...

no, the thai government told us that the UAE had expelled Thaksin.

Countdown towards the General Election

Wow. Get them with the facts. They can't stand facts.

Those figures are kind of misleading as they are the total votes cast in each constitutency but in some constituencies a person voted three times for 3 candidates and in others two etc so the figures are of votes cast and dont correlate to people as some people get more votes to cast than others. That is why most comparisons use the party klist vote as for this vote every person got one vote only if they cared to use it which about 30% didnt.

Working out Thai elections aint easy in terms of omov as only the party list is omov to any degree and that isn ttotal as it is regionalised into 8 areas.

it's mostly nonsense when people try to do something tricky with the figures of the election results. they just show of that they have understand nothing of the system and probably have no clue at all.

any comparison using only the "party list vote" or the so called proportional vote is equally misleading . not because it got split into 8 areas, but because it is still a 'second' vote, an additional vote that offered the voter a tactical voting. and only 80 MP of the 480 seats in the parliament got elected this way.

And how is this different from the Thai system?

there will be no coup in the UK if you vote for candidates the army don't like.

Thaksin out of Dubai, his whereabouts unconfirmed

BANGKOK: -- Ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra has left Dubai since Monday's night and his whereabouts is still unkown, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said on Tuesday.

Thaksin stayed in the United Arab Emirates for two days after his return from Montenegro last week, Kasit said.

On Monday's night, Thaksin cut short his video link after speaking for about five minutes, saying he had sore throat.

-- The Nation 2010-03-23

So, Thaksin WAS allowed back into Dubai.

who knows.

but that the government and its FM telling us a lot of BS should be become obvious now even for the slowest brains.

Inks & pencils make for a more subtle & emotional response, than blood. I do artworks to sell, since 1982, and to be honest you can make more of an captivating & hard-hitting drawing using pencils than you can with congealed plasma.

Its just another step back away from civilisation. Even cavemen used multi-coloured pigments and crystals to produce powerful art.

another step back away from civilisation? worse than cavemen?

what would you as an "art expert" say to the work of a fellow like Hermann Nitsch?

would you say it is degenerate art?

Time for the Montenegro Ministry of Foreign Affairs to update their website. Will you tell them?

--

Maestro

English web site isn't updated, not sure why.

on the very same page where the outdated information was taken from you can read just one paragraph above:

Information on this web site is subject to change, therefore we advise seeking additional information before traveling to other country ...

yep, they are lttle bit slow in the update process, guess they had never thought about the possibility that someone used this as an argument in the internet to belittle and deride Montenegro and its citizen.

Just read in the Nation that some officers are going to be armed. They are named "CAPO". This is obviously a big mistake.....

The short cut with WWII is easy.

The anacronym CAPO was well chosen (!!!); a capo was a guard in the death camps in German occupied territories during WWII. They were the ones that betrayed their own people and led them to the gas chambers...makes you think if any of the elite read history

it was a 'Kapo' in the camps. and it is pretty much a low argument and low style to come up with.

if you wanna toss a joke on the CAPO just quote The NAtion:

"The authorities will set up the Peace-keeping Operations Command, also known as the government's war room, at the 11th Infantry Regiment in Bangkhen, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Wednesday."

http://www.plushasia.com/article/1353

Wow...that's an interesting article. Especially this part:

...

and it didn't came to your mind that you may have heard that story before and you don't know that the whole fiction got debunked many month ago?

wow, what an expert ...

Sorry this thread has devolved to debating the decency of Montenegro, though being a tiny country nestled between Italy and former Yugoslavia (neither known for their decency), it's not surprising such crap hits the fan.

Even Montenegro defenders have to admit Thaksin is a dark manipulator who is naturally attracted to the same sorts of mafia types. Look at where he's been hanging his hat in recent years: Cambodia, Nicaragua, Ugunda, Liberia (blood diamonds, anyone?).

and where you are coming from?

I am a Montenegrin.

for this week anyway, eh?

i see you understand what i mean.

Thaksin will be very much at home here:

*****************************************************

Dark times for Montenegrin democracy: Opposition leader attacked on the street, freedom of speech on internet threatened, accusations for not cooperating on regional war on crimes…

Posted by Montenegro Open on 02/03/10

Tags: attack, crime, democracy, Medojevic, Montenegro, opposition, Prime Minister

Last few weeks have shown the real face of Montenegrin political system once again. Opposition leader Mr Nebojsa Medojevic was attacked on the street because he publicly spoke about top crime boss in Montenegro, whom he accused to have power over Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. The police arrested the perpetrator, who is said to be family-related to an individual whom Mr Medojevic declared as "shadow ruler" of Montenegro. The attacker threatened to "liquidate" Medojevic, and he described the attack as "classic Mafia-style intimidation."

Opposition recently launched a strong critic of Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, accusing him of protecting organized crime, especially those dealing with illegal drugs' trade.

Serbian B92 reported that Medojevic was attacked by an unidentified person of about 30 years of age, who attempted to strike him and told him to "stop mentioning Branislav Micunovic." Micunovic is a wealthy and very influential businessman, whom Medojevic has called "the most power person in Montenegro," stating that "everything depends on him, even police actions."

Then,shame on USA vicepresident and secretary of state for supporting criminal:

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/newsbriefs/2010/01/21/nb-04

Opposition interpreted that as warning from USA that Djukanovic must resign.Than opposition leaders went to Washington and met with lower staff members-Ilona Telekiif you ever heard of her) highest positioned of them all.Serbian media for some reason supported one of Montenegrin opposition leaders Nebojsa Medojevic who won 5% on last elections.In the end Medojevic sued B92(newspapers you cited above) and said that they are payed by Djukanovic and mafia.All of this becouse they discovered that wanted alleged criminal Stanko Subotic is in fact in Geneva(Switzerland) and Medojevic said earlier that he is hiding in Montenegro,thus proving Medojevic lied.Also Subotic acused Medojevic of taking money from him earlier.Medojevic goes around acusing virtualy everybody,including all Montenegrin people after last elections calling him stupid for not voting for him.He is very offten demanted by those who he cite as sources including German ammbasy when he said that Germany will block Montenegro if Djukanovic does not step down.German ambasador said that this is simply not true and that it is not German stance.There are number of such examples.Sometimes I doubt that he is working for rulling coalition becouse he is making unbeliveably stupid moves.But ok-he can do whatever he wants-I think that he will never come close winning elections with this approach.If he does succeeds,then good luck to him.

Not to be understood wrong-we do have many problems-in justice system especialy,but when compared with 10 years ago when we were in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia together with Serbia,under internacional sanctions and bombed by NATO(although in much lesser extent than Serbia) then it is incrediable move forward.

After reading this post about your sorry country, if you want Thaksin Shinawat/Shinatra, not only should have him, you most certainly deserve him and believe us he'll be a perfect fit right at home in your rats' nest and I'm sure you'll be tickled pink about it.

You say the USA and the EU had to have cleared Thaksin's entry to Montenegro and the Montenegran passport to Thaksin but then you say the US was expressing its view (presumably through its Montenegro desk at DEPSTATE) that your PM Djukanovic needed to change careers, probably most desirably to a sidewalk vendor. You admit your courts and justice sytem is, to be kind, poor. You confirm the opposition of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany to Montenegro's application to EU member state status, tho you say the German ambassador to your country denies Germany's leading role in blocking your accession (diplomatic double talk by European governments is hardly a news bulletin). I saw the report that Germany, France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands are interposing themselves in the Montenegran EU accession matter both of their own choosing and on the behalf of so many other EU member states.

Did the parade of some dozen Western leaders of governments to which you refer who recently met with your blackjack PM Djukanovic, to include the US SECSTATE Clinton and the VPOTUS Biden among so many others, arrive bearing gifts or did they arrive carrying evidence of Djukanovic's criminal activities? You're repeatedly trying to say the EU will admit a gangster mafioso state as a new member?!? Do you take meds?

Your posts defending and apolozgizing for the mafioso owners of your country's economy is better understandable when we read your posts welcoming the corrupt criminal Thaksin to your land. However, you don't only welcome Thaksin effusively - you spent all of your first posts to TVF praising Thaksin as PM and trying to defend the convicted fugitive PM while also pleading his cause in Thailand. Indeed, you state the Thaksin line chapter and verse. Yet you haven't said a syllable as to what Thaksin can or could do for your country, or of what you might hope and work to see Thaksin do for your country. Your focus is on defending Thaksin, the former PM fugitive convict of Thailand, and yapping as to how Thailand would be so much better off with the Great Divider Thaksin back in power in the country that Thaksin is interminibly dissembling. That you don't at all speak to how you could envisage Thaksin contributing to your country speaks volumes as to your purposes, motivations and and aims.

You and your gangster mafioso society and country are a whopper of a piece of work. The government there is well known for the dubious distinction of handing out passports to wealthy convicted swlindlers who are escaping and evading justice and who are in the pursuit of their ill gained and corrupt corporate interests.

your superiority complex stinks.

I am a Montenegrin.

"He said he had seen contrasting photos in a newspaper of protesters sleeping on the road and of Thaksin and his children in a foreign country."

isn't that your typical dumbnut class warrior rhetoric?

and it seems to be the quintessence and sole argument here.

Truth hurts...right..!!

everybody knows that Thaksin has some money. so what is the point?

It makes me sad to think that Patpong, Nana, and Soi Cowboy are considered "Ex-pat" hangouts by the OP.

I don't think it's fair to pin this on the OP.. Just looking around Cowboy or Nana it's really quite obvious that most foreigners there are in Thailand for an extended period of time, not tourists fresh off the plane. There are a couple of course but by no means a majority.

Evidently not all expats have the same tastes; some abhor that sort of nightlife and prefer to visit other areas, or stay home with the family for that matter. Fortunately there are options for all in Bangkok.

but isn't the lament about that this places aren't places for "expats" (anymore)?

because of the tourists, arabs, africans and "japs" and whatever.