Wissanu promises to relax political ban

[snoop1130]

Wissanu promises to relax political ban

By The Nation

 

 

The political ban will be eased in the near future although election campaigning will not be allowed initially, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Thursday.

 

Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai Party called for the complete lifting of all the political restrictions as the general election promised by the junta is just six months away.

 

Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, said that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) was considering a relaxation of political restrictions imposed after the 2014 coup.

 

These include allowing political parties to convene their general meetings to recruit new members, holding primary voting to select their candidates and setting up a party committee to select candidates.

 

“But political parties will not be able to do election campaigning” immediately after they get their candidates following primary voting, Wissanu said. 

 

He explained that election campaigning could start only after a decree is issued on the election date.

 

When asked if political parties can meet their supporters after holding primary voting, Wissanu said: “You have to ask the Election Commission.”

 

The deputy PM said that a new NCPO order issued under Article 44 of the interim charter is required to amend the earlier orders, such as a ban on political gatherings of five and more and restriction on activities by political parties.

 

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai on Thursday issued a statement calling for “complete unlocking of the political bans”. The previous governing party said the easing of political restrictions was required to ensure a free and fair election for the benefit of the people and the country as a whole.

 

Pheu Thai said the NCPO could no longer use possible unrest as an excuse to keep postponing the next election, as the junta often claimed it succeeded in having maintained peace in the country.

 

The party also noted that the junta has been in power for more than four years – longer than any elected government.

 

It called for the lifting of all the NCPO orders that restrict political activities. “The restrictions must be entirely and completely lifted. And it should not be just ‘easing’ of the restrictions, as suggested by Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam,” Pheu Thai’s statement said.

 

Pheu Thai said the complete lifting of the restrictions would allow political parties to start their preparations for the next election, as required by the law.

 

“We are not calling for the benefit of politicians. There is a need to build confidence for the country and to make the election free, fair and credible,” the party said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30352817

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-8-23

[yellowboat]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“You have to ask the Election Commission.”

Why not just tell them its time?  It is a joke.  It is already not enough time, and it is already tainting the election.   Remember the days of the Thaksin haters and their moaning about "buying" votes.  Thaksin in his wildest dreams could not have pulled off what the junta is doing: appointed MP's, campaigning while others can't.  Thailand has become such a sad place.

[greenchair]

There's going to be another event, that might delay elections.

And after that , another event. 

Imo, not likely to be elections in 2019. 

I don't know why they keep kidding themselves. 

[webfact]

PM to invoke Article 44 to ease political restrictions

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will invoke his executive power under Article of the interim Constitution to ease political restrictions in order to allow political parties to partially carry out political activities, Deputy Prime Minister Wassanu Krea-ngam said Thursday.

 

Political activities that will be permitted include holding of general meetings of political parties to recruit new memberships; expressing opinions on election constituencies; holding primary elections to select poll candidates; forming selection panels to choose candidates and coordinating with party members,  according to Mr Wissanu.

 

The deputy prime minister said he didn’t foresee any issue with the prime minister’s exercising his power using Article 44. He noted that the executive order issued by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) banning political activities is equivalent to law.  “Therefore, a law should be issued under Article 44 to amend the order,”  he said. However, he admitted he had no idea when the prime minister would exercise his power under Article 44.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-to-invoke-article-44-to-ease-political-restrictions/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-08-24

[yellowboat]

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

However, he admitted he had no idea when the prime minister would exercise his power under Article 44.

And he is also running for office in a back handed, under the table kind of way.  Is there a Thai phrase for "conflict of interest" ?   There does not seem to be given how the army is helping the junta party while keeping all others gagged.  YOu would think conflict of interest would the most serious of impropriety , but maybe impropriety is relegated to the hounding of bar girls and not applicable to Thai elites. 

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

in order to allow political parties to partially carry out political activities,

what does that mean ? who decides where the lines are ? what penalties for overstepping ?;

still all their rules , for their own benefit

[baboon]

1 hour ago, YetAnother said:

what does that mean ? who decides where the lines are ? what penalties for overstepping ?;

still all their rules , for their own benefit

This is Wissanu we are talking about. A liar and an all round piece of excrement. Why bother even asking questions when he will renage on any guarantees within the next ten minutes if needed...?

 

[connda]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The political ban will be eased in the near future although election campaigning will not be allowed initially, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Thursday.

"Political ban eased" - but - "campaigning will not be allowed initially." What sort of mealy-mouthed clap-trap is that?

Then you still don't have free elections - you have a stacked deck. 
When elections finally come, it will be in appearance only.  Which is the point.

[chama]

Yep, the ban will be lifted one week, and only for a week, after the election. But it might not matter. There is so much animosity building toward the junta that another party's candidate will be elected and then the votes will be voted and surprise, the junta won! They aren't leaving and they are not about to support fair and open elections. But in between prostrations and bows the media is expected to state that everything is on the up and up.

[zzaa09]

Oh well.

So...everyday Thais get on with their rather independent and self-sufficient lives and live as they see fit.

 

Next.

[Cadbury]

On 8/23/2018 at 7:16 PM, snoop1130 said:

Wissanu promises to relax political ban

A Wissanu promise is worth nothing. Of all those within the junta he must be the sleaziest of them all.

[nong38]

On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 3:37 PM, yellowboat said:

Why not just tell them its time?  It is a joke.  It is already not enough time, and it is already tainting the election.   Remember the days of the Thaksin haters and their moaning about "buying" votes.  Thaksin in his wildest dreams could not have pulled off what the junta is doing: appointed MP's, campaigning while others can't.  Thailand has become such a sad place.

They do make Thaksin out be a rather lovely chap in comparison. I wonder if it will rebound?

[BestB]

In one word , it’s a circus.