Political parties worried as too many holidays in April delay re-registration

[webfact]

Political parties worried as too many holidays in April delay re-registration

By THE NATION

 

Nikorn Chamnong

 

POLITICIANS continued to express concerns over the membership re-registration process for political parties and said it would be difficult to complete the formalities by the end of this month, as required, due to the great number of public holidays.

 

The existing parties are racing against time to adhere to Order No 53/2017 of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), which requires party memberships to be renewed, including the submission of documents and the payment of membership fees, by April 30.

After the Songkran holidays, there will be less than 10 working days left in April. 

 

Anyone failing to register in time will lose their memberships and will have to re-register as new members. However, due to the yet-to-be-lifted junta ban on political movements, parties have been unable to carry out any political activities, including the acquisition of new members.

 

Parties, especially the bigger ones, have promised to do their best to complete the process for all their members nationwide.

 

The junta order has been criticised as an attempt to deliberately reduce the manpower of existing parties ahead of the upcoming election, as the military is expected to remain influential even after the poll.

 

Chart Thai Pattana Party director Nikorn Chamnong said that while his party had managed to use the mailing system and bank payments as ways to facilitate remote re-registration for members, it had been delayed by this month’s long holidays for post offices and banks.

 

“The NCPO should consider this issue and find a solution,” Nikorn said, “or they could be blamed for bullying parties in the system”.

 

The middle-sized Chart Thai Pattana originally had 181 members in Bangkok and 24,710 members in other provinces. It has strongholds in Suphan Buri and Uthai Thani provinces, with 4,000 and 7,000 members respectively.

 

The party’s leader, Theera Wongsamut, said the party faced difficulties because of the junta order banning political activities.

 

“I still buy PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s promise that the election will be held by next February,” Theera said. “However, we have been unable to seek new members, set up new branches or hold major meetings to update our regulations and board in line with the new charter.”

 

The party wants to bring new faces to its board. “New voters from the young generation have increased since the country’s last proper election. They might not know some of the old politicians. Introducing new faces should help,” he said.

 

Meechai Ruchuphan, the junta-appointed charter drafter, said that he firmly believed the election would be held “according to the road map” by next year despite several hindrances.

 

“Some might say conflicts will occur if the election doesn’t happen,” he said. 

 

“However, I view that political conflicts are very usual due to different thoughts and ideologies. What would actually matter is conflict in the form of mob protests. People are not going to accept that.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30343235

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-16

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

POLITICIANS continued to express concerns

politicians, professional liars, complaining; who would have thought ...

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They might not know some of the old politicians. Introducing new faces should help,” he said

Won't matter young or old. If the Junta lose face or power, they'll make up some excuse to be back in power again within the year

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

POLITICIANS continued to express concerns over the membership re-registration process for political parties and said it would be difficult to complete the formalities by the end of this month, as required, due to the great number of public holidays.

I am just wondering if these "POLITICIANS" knew in advance about the many holidays in April, or if this came as a total surprise to them now in the middle of the month... 

[BobBKK]

4 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

I am just wondering if these "POLITICIANS" knew in advance about the many holidays in April, or if this came as a total surprise to them now in the middle of the month... 

I'd say it was designed this way, as everything is, to piss on any parties who are not supporting Prayut to become PM again, again and again

[marko kok prong]

Thailand used to be # 2 in the world for Public holidays,only India had 1 more. So they have fixed that,#1 for public holidays,and #1 for road fatalities,way to go!

[chama]

Almost sounds like some people don't realize that this all part of the road map to keep the current leadership in power with a claim of legitimacy that can be pushed down detractors throats.

[Eligius]

Oh, this is all so boring now. Endless talk, meaningless jawing about this delay and that delay, and this possible problem facing political parties, and that problem ...

 

Can't they see that the whole process is designed NOT to give any real freedom and democracy to the Thai people? That was the plan from the moment of its wicked inception (cooked up, amongst others, by crooks like Suthep and Prayut, a long time ago).

 

None of this talk about this rule and that regulation, this 'constitutional' nicety or that one matters a damn - it's all a farce, a lie, a sham, a deceit and a fraud.

 

The Thais ain't going to get their liberty back unless they fight for it. But it's increasingly obvious that they prefer to grovel on their knees in servitude rather than stand up and fight like warriors for their children's futures. 

 

They have made their bed. Now let them enjoy lying on it.  A wise American leader once said that those who prefer 'security' over liberty deserve neither. Well, Thais - enjoy neither - because you ain't going to get either one.

 

Enjoy your future - permanently wai-ing on your knees in the shameless dirt!

 

 

Edited April 16, 2018 by Eligius