We’ll have final say on special order to waive primary voting, says junta

By The Nation 

 

 

The ruling junta will have the final say over whether to issue a special order to waive a legal requirement for political parties to hold primary voting to select their candidates ahead of the next general election, key junta figures said on Tuesday.

 

Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said that waiving the requirement on primary voting was a major issue raised by party representatives attending a meeting with the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) on Monday.

 

“We will have to consider their request,” he said at the Defence Ministry.

 

Prawit, who is also defence minister and a key NCPO figure, said he had informed Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha about his discussion with the politicians at the Army Club.

 

He said the meeting on Monday had gone well and without any problems. “That’s a good sign,” he added.

 

Political parties have called on the NCPO to issue an order under Article 44 of the post-coup interim charter to waive a requirement under the new electoral law for parties to hold primary voting to select their election candidates. 

 

The parties have said they will not have sufficient time to comply with the requirement, as the junta ban on political activities has yet to be lifted.

 

Prayut, who also heads the NCPO, said on Tuesday that the junta would consider the proposals by the political parties in order to determine whether to follow their suggestions.

 

He called on all groups of people not to disrupt peace in the country. “We are heading towards an election,” he added.

 

The prime minister was speaking at Don Mueang military airport following his return from the United Kingdom and France, where he met the government leaders of both countries.

 

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Tuesday that in addition to the 150 days allowed by the Constitution for the Election Commission (EC) to hold the election, the agency also had another 60 days to announce the official results of the national vote.

 

He said the timeframe was clearly stated in the new charter in effect since April last year. 

 

Moreover, the Constitution Drafting Commission has made a clear interpretation of the relevant clause, concluding that the EC has 60 days to announce the election results after the national vote, Wissanu added.

 

In a related development, National Legislative Assembly president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said on Tuesday that the NLA is scheduled to vote on July 12 on whether to endorse nominations for new EC members.

 

Pornpetch said he did not think the selection process of new election commissioners would affect the next national vote, as the current EC members were still able to perform their duty in preparing for the election.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30348687

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-6-26

There is so much that is awful, truly appalling here that it is difficult to know where to begin.

 

OK, one point will suffice: the junta are giving themselves two full months after the 'election' before they reveal the results?!!!!! Honestly - this alone should send warning bells clanging in every politician's and Thai's ears. 

 

And some people still say that the junta 'could not possibly fiddle the results of the election'. 

 

So what in God's name (or rather, the Devil's!) do they need two months for, before telling the Thais what the election outcome is? Is it just conceivable, just possible, that all sorts of shenanigans, manipulations of figures and statistics might be put in place - and that the junta will reveal a result which miraculously puts the junta back in (never to be relinquished) power ...?

 

Honestly, the game is up, the writing is skyscrapered all over the wall - and the Thais should REJECT this fake 'election', which is an insult to all decency, honour, justice, and intelligence, from start to finish.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 20188 yr by Eligius

48 minutes ago, Eligius said:

There is so much that is awful, truly appalling here that it is difficult to know where to begin.

 

OK, one point will suffice: the junta are giving themselves two full months after the 'election' before they reveal the results?!!!!! Honestly - this alone should send warning bells clanging in every politician's and Thai's ears. 

 

And some people still say that the junta 'could not possibly fiddle the results of the election'. 

 

So what in God's name (or rather, the Devil's!) do they need two months for, before telling the Thais what the election outcome is? Is it just conceivable, just possible, that all sorts of shenanigans, manipulations of figures and statistics might be put in place - and that the junta will reveal a result which miraculously puts the junta back in (never to be relinquished) power ...?

 

Honestly, the game is up, the writing is skyscrapered all over the wall - and the Thais should REJECT this fake 'election', which is an insult to all decency, honour, justice, and intelligence, from start to finish.

 

 

 

 

Ah, Yes! All due to the new charter of last year, which people weren't allowed to say anything bad about, before it got voted in. I wonder if any of the local folk are starting to wake up to the fact that they have been robbed way worse, than by any of the preceding politicians, because rights should be considered the number one priority, and they are vanishing one by one..

They forgot to mention they'll have final say on the outcome also.

1 minute ago, coulson said:

They forgot to mention they'll have final say on the outcome also.

Exactly, Coulson! This is something I have mentioned a number of times over the past months: the junta will still hold full power until a new 'government' is sworn into office. They can do whatever they want. AND THEY WILL !

1 hour ago, Eligius said:

There is so much that is awful, truly appalling here that it is difficult to know where to begin.

 

OK, one point will suffice: the junta are giving themselves two full months after the 'election' before they reveal the results?!!!!! Honestly - this alone should send warning bells clanging in every politician's and Thai's ears. 

 

And some people still say that the junta 'could not possibly fiddle the results of the election'. 

 

So what in God's name (or rather, the Devil's!) do they need two months for, before telling the Thais what the election outcome is? Is it just conceivable, just possible, that all sorts of shenanigans, manipulations of figures and statistics might be put in place - and that the junta will reveal a result which miraculously puts the junta back in (never to be relinquished) power ...?

 

Honestly, the game is up, the writing is skyscrapered all over the wall - and the Thais should REJECT this fake 'election', which is an insult to all decency, honour, justice, and intelligence, from start to finish.

 

But given the evidence of the past four years and counting, they won't, even if an 'election' does take place. A few angry editorials, a few grumbles and all will be back to normal, junta-style.

How is the watch investigation going on, by the way? And what did happen to the democracy plaque in Bangkok? Thought so. Nowt.

 

To the brave Thai democrats and activists, I am afraid hope is pretty much lost. To quote Viktor Chernomyrdin:

"We hoped for the best, but it turned out as always."

Edited June 26, 20188 yr by baboon

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

the agency also had another 60 days to announce the official results of the national vote.

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

concluding that the EC has 60 days to announce the election results after the national vote, Wissanu added.

As anyone who has seen a shop assistant use a calculator for the most simple of additions or subtractions can tell you, the standard of maths here isn't so high. 60 days could be considered optimistic. 

Good , then they have time to weed out all the thaksin puppets.

Good , then they have time to weed out all the thaksin puppets.

Of course, why leave it up to the electorate, after all they seem to always vote those Thaksin puppets in. Much better to have a few idiots in government that the elite can control. Such as the current lot. Me thinks the term democracy is wasted on you

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It is not so much the people that vote that counts but rather those that count the vote


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If any Thai feels the itch having free and fair elections, why not stage a coup? After all it's not against the law or constitution now.

8 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

If any Thai feels the itch having free and fair elections, why not stage a coup? After all it's not against the law or constitution now.

There is no law, there is no (valid) Constitution in Thailand.

 

So, yes - anything goes!

Or 'we'll have final say on how to sway the elections so it goes our way and we can declare 'democratic' elections despite the fact we have stifled any other parties that don't suit our agenda.'

 

Fixed!

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the meeting on Monday had gone well and without any problems.

 

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

at the Army Club.

Yes, that would not be the place for politicians to aggravate military generals with "problems."

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The ruling junta will have the final say over whether to issue a special order to waive a legal requirement for political parties to hold primary voting to select their candidates ahead of the next general election

Remember the junta holds absolute power until the elected government is installed, not when elected. And NCPO Chief and PM Prayut holds himself out as a potential candidate in the interim.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the current EC members were still able to perform their duty in preparing for the election.

Which is quite amazing as none met the new qualifications for EC membership as determined by the Selection Committee appointed by the junta-appointed NLA. Furthermore, none of the 14 candidates to replace current EC members were accepted by the NLA. Which would have been a conundrum as continuation of current EC members would have violated the 2017 Constitution. But that's okay as the NLA simply gave them an exemption. Which too violated the Constitution's amendment provision.

15 hours ago, Eligius said:

So what in God's name (or rather, the Devil's!) do they need two months for

Time to sort out all the Swiss bank accounts, sell assets here and get the hell out of Dodge before they are lynched.

15 hours ago, BuaBS said:

Good , then they have time to weed out all the thaksin puppets.

Because there won't be any army puppets will there?

Just curious how long did they have in the previous constitution to give the results ? Because those two months are worrisome (unless something like that was also there in the previous constitution). I really don't know just asking. There is a difference between waiting two months to give the results and having the option open to do so. 

 

That is why I am asking if there was a provision like that in the previous constitution and they never used it then its just a backup law, just in case.

17 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ah, Yes! All due to the new charter of last year, which people weren't allowed to say anything bad about, before it got voted in. I wonder if any of the local folk are starting to wake up to the fact that they have been robbed way worse, than by any of the preceding politicians, because rights should be considered the number one priority, and they are vanishing one by one..

Many in my office, were among those whistleblowers, that followed that crook, Suthep!

They all see nothing wrong with the current state of affairs!

So...no...no one is waking up to anything!

They have their som tum and their Saengsom!

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The parties have said they will not have sufficient time to comply with the requirement, as the junta ban on political activities has yet to be lifted.

I'm sure they realize this is by design....?

10 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Many in my office, were among those whistleblowers, that followed that crook, Suthep!

They all see nothing wrong with the current state of affairs!

So...no...no one is waking up to anything!

They have their som tum and their Saengsom!

Same here: most of my Thai colleagues were in support of Suthep and his silly whistle-blowers (many joined in). As far as I can see, most of them still would support the junta over, say, a Yingluck (or equivalent) government.

 

The more 'educated' the Thai, often the more fascist in their sympathies ('my rights and vote count more than those of a bunch of ignorant country bumpkins' ....).

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prawit, who is also defence minister and a key NCPO figure,

An indication of the quality of the membership. How can anything go wrong with the Toad at the helm?

17 hours ago, BuaBS said:

Good , then they have time to weed out all the thaksin puppets.

Look guys, a "but, but, but...Thaksin!" post!!

Rare as snow leopards these days and the reasons for that has apparently completely eluded BuaBS. Kind of sad really.