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Abhisit convinces Democrats to affirm leader by mobile vote for all members

By Jintana Panyaarvudh 
The Nation

 

Democrat Party deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon

 

The Democrat Party’s new era will kick off with a primary vote by all members for the party leader, said a top party official.

 

According to the new law governing political parties, they must hold a general meeting to select their party executives within 90 days after the junta lifts its political ban, which is expected any time after June.

 

The Democrats have decided to add a leadership race to that selection process.

 

The primary vote for party executives “is a very new thing for political parties and we think no other party will want to employ the means,” said Democrat Party deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon, Putting the leader position up for a vote “would be the most democratic way,” he said.

 

The idea came from current party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who insisted that it would help maximise participation and engagement within the party and help members feel that they owned the party, the deputy leader said. 

 

Historically, Thai parties have held conventions composed of representatives of designated groups to choose their party leaders and executives. For the Democrats, around 300 representatives of an estimated over 2 million party members would gather and spend most of one day casting ballots and counting the results. 

 

The idea to directly elect the leader faced some resistance when it was debated, Ongart said. Some feared the potential for abuse, such as the party being hijacked if its popularity was very high in the future. People could be mobilised to apply for party memberships in order to vote for a candidate for the leader’s post, he said.  

 

The party is expected to allow members to use mobile devices to cast their votes for the party leader, reflecting party policy to use technology to promote democracy. 

 

Current party members can confirm their membership status via an application called D-Connect from April 1 to 30.

 

Ongart said that so far there was no sign that Abhisit, who has served in the position for 12 years in three terms, would be replaced. 

 

Former party leader Chuan won’t return because he did not think the party needs a saviour, Ongart added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30343722

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-23

[scorecard]

 

For many years there has been the notion that the democrats had links to the military (even were under the control of the military / the toy of the military) and the so called 'elites'. How true it is a big question mark, but this has been played up by other colours hundreds of times to try to damage the dems.

 

Seems to me that Abhisit has been pushing in his recent statements to create a separation from the military and the so called 'elites'. If anything he's left it way too late.

 

IMO his lack lustre performance in the last few years has probably cooked his personal goose for the future.

 

The dems need a new leader and there are several possibilities in their ranks. Plus they need a new organization and decision making processes etc., and put the old guard who had a strangle hold on the party to pasture.

 

Khun Parit, Abhisit's young nephew is looking quite interesting in his recent interviews etc, clearly intelligent and a good debater, and commenting a bit outside of the traditional dem policies etc., but he need to get some experience and be a little older before they might promote him to a very senior position.

 

Pushing him up too soon before he's got the full picture of credibility, and age, might do more damage than good. 

 

 

 

[robblok]

The democrats are light years ahead of the PTP in this case. The PTP their leaders get selected by the big boss while here there is a real vote for the leader. 

[pornprong]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

For many years there has been the notion that the democrats had links to the military (even were under the control of the military / the toy of the military) and the so called 'elites'. How true it is a big question mark, but this has been played up by other colours hundreds of times to try to damage the dems.

 

Seems to me that Abhisit has been pushing in his recent statements to create a separation from the military and the so called 'elites'. If anything he's left it way too late.

 

IMO his lack lustre performance in the last few years has probably cooked his personal goose for the future.

 

The dems need a new leader and there are several possibilities in their ranks. Plus they need a new organization and decision making processes etc., and put the old guard who had a strangle hold on the party to pasture.

 

Khun Parit, Abhisit's young nephew is looking quite interesting in his recent interviews etc, clearly intelligent and a good debater, and commenting a bit outside of the traditional dem policies etc., but he need to get some experience and be a little older before they might promote him to a very senior position.

 

Pushing him up too soon before he's got the full picture of credibility, and age, might do more damage than good. 

 

 

 

Not a notion, but a fact for all but the most obdurate.

 

The Dems are and always have been a toy of the elites and an enemy of the people. 

 

Abhisit is a cowardly puppet, always will be.

 

If anything has cooked his goose, it's the boycotting of multiple elections and the 2010 slaughter that occurred under his watch.

 

Parit = nepotism, not talent.

 

They can push him whenever and wherever they want, the outcome will be the same.......Shinawatra landslide.

[pornprong]

50 minutes ago, robblok said:

The democrats are light years ahead of the PTP in this case. The PTP their leaders get selected by the big boss while here there is a real vote for the leader. 

Let's not get too carried away here.

This move by Abhisit has more to do with his party being split in two.

Abhisit v Suthep.

He's just trying to differentiate between those that openly support the Junta and those that secretly support the Junta behind a window dressing of democracy.

Either way, after the next election, the Democrats are going to be a shadow of the shadow they already were.

We are still yet to see if Abhisit will respect the will of voters in a general election, surely the most important aspect of any wannabe pro-democracy individual or organisation.

[Samui Bodoh]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

For many years there has been the notion that the democrats had links to the military (even were under the control of the military / the toy of the military) and the so called 'elites'. How true it is a big question mark, but this has been played up by other colours hundreds of times to try to damage the dems.

 

Seems to me that Abhisit has been pushing in his recent statements to create a separation from the military and the so called 'elites'. If anything he's left it way too late.

 

IMO his lack lustre performance in the last few years has probably cooked his personal goose for the future.

 

The dems need a new leader and there are several possibilities in their ranks. Plus they need a new organization and decision making processes etc., and put the old guard who had a strangle hold on the party to pasture.

 

Khun Parit, Abhisit's young nephew is looking quite interesting in his recent interviews etc, clearly intelligent and a good debater, and commenting a bit outside of the traditional dem policies etc., but he need to get some experience and be a little older before they might promote him to a very senior position.

 

Pushing him up too soon before he's got the full picture of credibility, and age, might do more damage than good. 

 

 

 

I find your first two paragraphs interesting. 

 

Leaving aside the question whether they deserve to be linked so closely to the military/elites (I believe they do, but others don't), I see little or no effort to distance themselves from those links. To be blunt, Abhisit becoming PM the way he did only solidified those links in my mind forever.

 

In my view the Dems are forever tainted by that and Abhisit personally is stained beyond repair.

 

Does anyone think those taints and stains can be overcome?

 

If so, how? (mere words alone ain't gonna do it...)

 

Edited April 23, 2018 by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

[robblok]

14 minutes ago, pornprong said:

Let's not get too carried away here.

This move by Abhisit has more to do with his party being split in two.

Abhisit v Suthep.

He's just trying to differentiate between those that openly support the Junta and those that secretly support the Junta behind a window dressing of democracy.

Either way, after the next election, the Democrats are going to be a shadow of the shadow they already were.

We are still yet to see if Abhisit will respect the will of voters in a general election, surely the most important aspect of any wannabe pro-democracy individual or organisation.

Be it as it may its still 1000x more democratic then the PTP where one man a convicted criminal selects the leader and influences it all. Its his little private party that he leads.. that is not democratic at all.. But i bet you cant admit that.

[pornprong]

5 minutes ago, robblok said:

Be it as it may its still 1000x more democratic then the PTP where one man a convicted criminal selects the leader and influences it all. Its his little private party that he leads.. that is not democratic at all.. But i bet you cant admit that.

You've put the cart before the horse.

 

The important thing is which party subjects itself to the people and accepts the results.

Clearly, it is not the Democrats.

 

Whomever Thaksin "selects" to lead his party cannot amount to anything without first obtaining the approval of the people via a general election.

If the people don't like the leadership of the PTP, they simply won't vote for them and PTP won't win government.

 

What good is it having a democratic process to select the leadership of a party if that party is simply going to ignore the will of the people at a general election.

Over the previous 18 years the Democrats have been not been 1000x less democratic than PTP,  they have simply been undemocratic, fullstop.

 

[robblok]

6 minutes ago, pornprong said:

You've put the cart before the horse.

 

The important thing is which party subjects itself to the people and accepts the results.

Clearly, it is not the Democrats.

 

Whomever Thaksin "selects" to lead his party cannot amount to anything without first obtaining the approval of the people via a general election.

If the people don't like the leadership of the PTP, they simply won't vote for them and PTP won't win government.

 

What good is it having a democratic process to select the leadership of a party if that party is simply going to ignore the will of the people at a general election.

Over the previous 18 years the Democrats have been not been 1000x less democratic than PTP,  they have simply been undemocratic, fullstop.

 

In short your skirting the issue not wanting to say anything bad about Thaksin and the PTP as expected. 

[pornprong]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

In short your skirting the issue not wanting to say anything bad about Thaksin and the PTP as expected. 

Not the case at all.

Thaksin has his faults.

The path past Thaksin lies through democracy, not through coups.

Had the Democrats been "for liberal democracy" 18 years ago instead of being anti-democratic junta puppets Thaksin may well already be a footnote in the history books.

 

Thailand's woes are not a result of Thaksin's shortcomings but of the Democrats refusal to play the political long game and put the nations interests and democracy before themselves and the quick rewards of coups.

 

To repeat, holding elections to elect party leadership whilst ignoring the will of the people voiced during general elections is not democratic.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, pornprong said:

Not a notion, but a fact for all but the most obdurate.

 

The Dems are and always have been a toy of the elites and an enemy of the people. 

 

Abhisit is a cowardly puppet, always will be.

 

If anything has cooked his goose, it's the boycotting of multiple elections and the 2010 slaughter that occurred under his watch.

 

Parit = nepotism, not talent.

 

They can push him whenever and wherever they want, the outcome will be the same.......Shinawatra landslide.

 

Well your allegiances and who you aim to promote are very obvious, who's your coach? el or his probable script writer?

 

Obdurate - those who refuse to change their thinking etc. No doubt you expect others to respect your opinions, perhaps you should do likewise and respect other people opinion and not try to belittle them for not changing their opinion.

 

On the other hand your idol group has many members / followers who, regardless of facts, convictions, massive evidence of banking fraud etc., still support your idols, in other words they are obdurate.

 

 

  

[pornprong]

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Well your allegiances and who you aim to promote are very obvious, who's your coach? el or his probable script writer?

My allegiance is to democracy, fairness, openness, the rule of law, equality of opportunity.

Coups and Junta's lead to none of the above.

 

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Obdurate - those who refuse to change their thinking etc. No doubt you expect others to respect your opinions, perhaps you should do likewise and respect other people opinion and not try to belittle them for not changing their opinion.

People are entitle to their own opinions, but not their own facts.

 

"Everybody has opinions: I have them, you have them. And we are all told from the moment we open our eyes, that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. ... We are not entitled to our opinions; we are entitled to our informed opinions. Without research, without background, without understanding, it's nothing."

 

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

On the other hand your idol group has many members / followers who, regardless of facts, convictions, massive evidence of banking fraud etc., still support your idols, in other words they are obdurate.

I have no idols.

Refer to allegiances mentioned above.

[candide]

6 hours ago, scorecard said:

Seems to me that Abhisit has been pushing in his recent statements to create a separation from the military and the so called 'elites'. If anything he's left it way too late.

Abhisisit never stated anything that could be interpreted as a separation from dominant elites and also it is not him who caused a separation from the military. It's the military which caused it.

The yellow network (it is a network with various power nodes, not a hierarchy) traditionally had 3 branches: the armed branch (army), the activist branch (PAD/PDRC) and the political branch (the so-called democrats). Now the armed branch is overtaking the role of the political branch, with the help of a part of the activist branch.

The current separation has nothing to do with a sudden burst of love for democracy by Abhisit and the Dems. It is just that they are not happy with the army stealing their job.

Edited April 23, 2018 by candide