Parties will get 60 days to campaign – 'plenty of time', says Wissanu

[webfact]

Parties will get 60 days to campaign – 'plenty of time', says Wissanu

By The Nation 

 

 

Parties will be permitted to campaign for the next general election from December, after the junta lifts restrictions on political activities, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Wednesday.
 

He said parties would have more than 60 days – “plenty of time” – for campaigning before the national vote, which is expected to be held on February 24.

 

 “That’s more than enough,” he said, noting that in the past, parties had often had fewer than 40 days to campaign after an election had been called. 

 

Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, said political parties could start preparing for the election as soon as the law on MP elections takes effect, but they would have to wait longer before they started campaigning.

 

He expected the ruling junta National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to lift its bans on political activities no later than December.

 

The deputy PM said the law barred Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Cabinet members from contesting the election, although they may become advisers or executives of political parties.

 

Wissanu said elections for local administrators would be held 90 days after the general election, as agreed by the Election Commission. 

 

“If the general election is held in February 2019, local elections will take place around May 2019,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Wednesday dismissed speculation of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle. He said that the prime minister was unlikely to shake up the Cabinet unless ministers resigned.

 

“I didn’t hear the prime minister say anything about this. It’s just media speculation,” General Prawit told reporters when asked about the matter.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30353834

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-06

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Parties will get 60 days to campaign – 'plenty of time', says Wissanu

The junta will have a very short time to defend its mind numbing, bone headed moves over the years.  

[jayboy]

2 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

The junta will have a very short time to defend its mind numbing, bone headed moves over the years.  

Though it has in effect been campaigning in favour of its candidate for at least a year with populist policies copied from Peua Thai.

[PatOngo]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“That’s more than enough,” he said

As is four years of olive green oligarch's!

[baboon]

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

The junta will have a very short time to defend its mind numbing, bone headed moves over the years.  

They won't have to. You can bet your boots that criticism of them will be disallowed. If you want a glimpse of what the campaigning will look like, go back to the sham constitution referendum: that's their idea of a fair fight.

Edited September 6, 2018 by baboon

[JAG]

"Plenty of time": it's not as if they are going (to be allowed) to win, now is it?

[BobBKK]

"Plenty of time" to catch up with our 2 year provincial blitz, populist policies and enticing unethical people from other parties to our party.

 

He is SHAMELESS

 

 

 

[Lupatria]

Actual score in the 'Thai style democracy' campaign game:

 

Military vs others- 1566 days : 60 days

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

in the past, parties had often had fewer than 40 days to campaign after an election had been called. 

In the past they didn't have to conduct primary elections.

• Prayut has yet to suspend that legal requirement.

In the past they didn't have to rebuild their party membership.

• Not a problem for new parties but for the mid-size and large parties it's a major effort.

In the past they didn't have to recruit new party leadership.

• Now that Prayut pro-military supporters have been "raiding" opponent party leadership, parties can't respond in like until allowed by Prayut.

And finally in the past no politician had absolute power to change at will election laws and rules.

[AsiaHand]

Oh No here come 60 days of two pickup trucks with BLARING loud speakers all day long roaming in and out the streets of every small town.Good work for the pickup drivers,Bad for our ears.

[Cadbury]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Parties will get 60 days to campaign – 'plenty of time', says Wissanu

The truth is that it is very little time when compared to the many months of electioneering that one other unofficial politician has been doing in the Provinces on behalf of the Junta Party. 

[Ossy]

It's a relief to have it confirmed, with this latest demonstration of their unfair, dictatorial control, that Wissanu and his army-game playmates can't think beyond step 1 of an issue and that, with each of these bully-boy statements, the public get a clearer and clearer picture of what they might get, if they were persuaded to sustain their existence, next year. 'One out - all out' will hopefully be the shout that gets louder and louder with each of these patronising statements.

[Thailand]

And the time started 59 days ago.

[DM07]

Maybe that is a good thing: they will spend much campaign money on a campaign, that is destined to loose anyways!

Or do we really believe in fair and right elections?

[holy cow cm]

Maybe better as they can hit the points of why not to vote for the junta and with luck the people would get so hot and stay hot remembering it when going to the polls. But as always the Junta will be on the Offense and squash everything as there is no defense needed, as they the offenders as it will be seen will be eliminated by junta imposed laws and legal means. 

[VBF]

Notice the sentence starting:

 

"If the general election is held in February 2019.........."

 

So no definite  date yet then? 

 

 

[window]

8 hours ago, yellowboat said:

The junta will have a very short time to defend its mind numbing, bone headed moves over the years.  

Hopefully the Thai People are smart enough to vote them out.

[chama]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

The deputy PM said the law barred Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Cabinet members from contesting the election, although they may become advisers or executives of political parties.

Does this mean what I think it does? Not so sure this is believable!

[chama]

60 days....in most countries the public would be happy to limit the bickering and mudslinging to 60 days but in a country where anyone with a mobile cabinet and three friends gets four times this while their rivals are held to 60 days there has to be concern.