Wissanu says election will be 'by May 5'

By KAS CHANWANPEN, 
KHANITTHA THEPPHAJORN 
THE NATION

 

A total of 198 politicians from 73 political parties attend a meeting on preparations for the election with authorities at the Army Club yesterday. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.

 

Deputy PM gives dates for first time.
 

THE ELECTION is likely to take place some time between February 24 and May 5 next year, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam announced yesterday.

 

It is the first time that any government official has clearly declared dates for the poll.

 

There is a “strong possibility” that the election will take place in February, Wissanu said, given Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s recent promise to his United Kingdom counterpart Theresa May.

 

The dates were proposed by the Election Commission (EC) yesterday at the first meeting of relevant parties in preparation for the poll. 

 

The meeting was held at the Army Club by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and was attended by government figures, EC officials, Constitution Drafting Commission members and political party representatives. 

 

 

The forum discussed the preparation for the upcoming election, including lifting the NCPO’s ban on political activities.

 

Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, said the ban could be partially lifted from September to December after the bills on Senate and MP elections have been published in the Royal Gazette.

 

After the promulgation, the MP election bill leaves a gap of 90 days before it comes into effect. The EC could use that time to draw up the electoral constituencies and political parties would be able to freely assemble to deal with primary votes and select party executives as the ban would be partially lifted, Wissanu explained.

 

 

The ban on the assembly of five or more people would remain in place, he said, and would only be lifted after the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has decided to nullify the previous orders that imposed the restriction.

 

All the proposals floated in the forum yesterday would be reported to the NCPO who had the absolute power to make any decision

 

, Wissanu stressed, adding that only after the next meeting attended by PM Prayut would the confirmed scheduled be announced.

 

Wissanu also said five factors were influential on the road map to democracy: peace and order during the coronation, the promulgation of the election bills, the local administrative election, the change of the EC and general peace and order in society.

 

Earlier, Wissanu had said he did not expect yesterday’s first meeting to see “complete success”.

 

“I don’t know if this first meeting will be a success. We don’t expect complete success anyway,” he said.

 

The election bills have already been submitted for royal endorsement but it could take up to 90 days- – or until September --– before they are promulgated.

 

The forum yesterday lasted two and a half hours and was attended by 198 politicians from 73 parties.

 

 

While the oldest, the Democrat Party, sent deputy leader Julin Laksanawisit to take part, notable by their absence were Pheu Thai and the new Future Forward parties.

 

Pheu Thai had said that the NCPO lacked the legitimacy to hold talks. Future Forward added that the meeting had not been transparent as the NCPO had not allowed any type of live broadcast. Participants were asked to leave their cellphones outside the meeting room. The NCPO strictly prohibited any recordings or live broadcast.

 

 

One participant, Varawut Silapa-archa, a key figure from the Chart Thai Pattana Party, said he was satisfied with the NCPO’s promise to ease the political restrictions and allow parties to prepare for the next election.

 

“The party is well prepared for the election, whether it is held sooner or later. We have no problem,” he said.

 

He expected the NCPO to soon make it clear how it intends overcoming the legal obstacles restricting parties from operating at the moment.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30348602

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-26

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

Participants were asked to leave their cellphones outside the meeting room.

Oh, the horror of it all.  

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by Bluespunk

17 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Oh, the horror of it all.  

On one level that's quite funny.

 

On the other hand, it is indicative of the junta's approach to freedom of speech, and desire to control every aspect of the political process.

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

Wissanu says election will be 'by May 5'

Wissanu says election in May 2019. PM Prayut says election in February 2019.

Prayut and his team in SNAFU mode as usual.

 

All it takes is a delayed coronation to push the elections further ahead, so any date will do right now. Keepemhappy.

My question is simply this;

 

Given that the Junta has repeatedly lied about an election date, when they again (Again!!!) changed the dates, why didn't the politicians walk out?

 

Message to the non-Junta parties; if you don't begin to question the legitimacy of the process soon (very soon), loudly and publicly, then you will have, in a de facto manner, accepted the process as legitimate. And you will have done a terrible, terrible thing to Thailand by endowing the Junta with electoral legitimacy.

 

Better no election than one that falsely gives legitimacy to the Junta.

 

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

Another day..another meretricious narrative and invented (on the spot) election date.

 

It reminds me of the fine old Aussie saying "I am/we are getting there"

 

But nobody could actually pinpoint where "there" actually was at any given time or place?

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by Odysseus123

Suggestion, February 30th

6 minutes ago, Carib said:

All it takes is a delayed coronation to push the elections further ahead, so any date will do right now. Keepemhappy.

and NO ONE  will dare question that, the ultimate  political weapon....................something else that needs  serious  reform

What is the date set for the coronation? Or is that another moveable feast, or even secret?

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

26 minutes ago, kannot said:

and NO ONE  will dare question that, the ultimate  political weapon....................something else that needs  serious  reform

any reform in that direction would be tantamount to revolution. 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

election with authorities at the Army Club yesterday.

politicians meeting at the army club; that is about right;

the guy with the folded arms in the main photo has the right attitude

Totally meaningless claptrap. 

You cannot trust a word these clowns utter.

The meeting was held at the army club, interesting venue.

Outside the meeting there were several soldiers with loaded m16s, and the invited guests were made aware of this.

Wax Xi JingPing also attending? Because his Winnie The Pooh phone is on that table.

 

 

Edited June 26, 20188 yr by Darcula

Elections will never be completed once the fighting starts.

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Given that the Junta has repeatedly lied about an election date, when they again (Again!!!) changed the dates, why didn't the politicians walk out?

 

Why did they even attend in the first place? But attend they did and, oh, look! Shafted again.

Will this be the final straw? Will it ball locks. They will continue to dance to the junta's fiddles and get nothing in return. I've no sympathy anymore.

Edited June 26, 20188 yr by baboon

And then the junta will engineer some event and proclaim next spring: 'Sorry! Unforeseen circumstances make it necessary for us to delay the election. It will now take place some time between 6 May and 29 September'.

 

And the Thais will smile, nod, and waai ....

36 minutes ago, Darcula said:

Because his Winnie The Pooh phone is on that table

A bit like the animated children voting on the projector screen, says a lot about their method of thinking..........

We should start a sweep.

1. before March 19

2. before June 19

3. before xmas

4. some time in the far future

 

I left out "never" because one should never say never.  ?

2 minutes ago, Mattd said:

A bit like the animated children voting on the projector screen, says a lot about their method of thinking..........

Yes.

Thailand is the HUB of infantile behaviour and non-thinking - didn't you know?!

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Wissanu says election will be 'by May 5'

 

He went on to say that the ban on political gatherings by parties other than the NCPO would be lifted on May 6.

 

 

2 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Wissanu says election in May 2019. PM Prayut says election in February 2019.

Prayut and his team in SNAFU mode as usual.

 

It reminds on the famous question:

"how is sex with your wife?" Answer: "well, some say so and some say so."

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Given that the Junta has repeatedly lied about an election date, when they again (Again!!!) changed the dates, why didn't the politicians walk out?

Politicians are only interested in lining their pockets. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

THE ELECTION is likely to take place some time between February 24 and May 5 next year, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam announced yesterday.

 

It is the first time that any government official has clearly declared dates for the poll.

What a date declaration, between 24 Feb. and 5 May...long time until Feb. many things can happen.

time for a few bombs to go off between now and May, wow 72 parties , might be a 100 come election time, just imagine them knocking at your door in your country, like pinning the tail on a donkey,as i have said before the village headman will tell them who to vote for. 

And yet again, another lie to appease the masses.

49 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

We should start a sweep.

1. before March 19

2. before June 19

3. before xmas

4. some time in the far future

 

I left out "never" because one should never say never.  ?

What odds can you give me on choice 4?

 

Frog-Kisser lie about election.

Always.

Are these "good people"?

 

12 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

time for a few bombs to go off between now and May

 

Queue the "weapons cache" 'discoveries'.

 

Get some chaps to bury a few muskets somewhere near a redshirt.