Thai junta says no need for foreign observers at next year's election

[webfact]

Thai junta says no need for foreign observers at next year's election

 

FILE PHOTO: Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand does not need international observers to monitor next year's general elections, the foreign minister said on Tuesday, despite criticism from pro-democracy activists that the junta has restricted fundamental civil rights.

 

The government has promised to hold elections between February and May after repeated delays, a contest between supporters of the military and royalist establishment and the populist political forces now led by the Puea Thai Party that was ousted by the military in a 2014 coup.

 

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said past elections in the Southeast Asian country have been credible.

 

"To have others observing means the country is having a problem," he told reporters.

 

The last time Thailand held a successful election was in 2011 when the Yingluck Shinawatra and her Puea Thai Party won by a landslide.

 

In February 2014, an election was disrupted by massive street protests that saw voting blocked in a fifth of the country's constituencies and eventually led to the May 2014 coup.

 

Human Rights Watch said foreign observers should be allowed to monitor the 2019 vote and called on the government to lift the ban on political activities to ensure the election is free and fair.

 

"As the countdown for an election has begun, the Thai military government seems to care about seeking hand-shake and photo opportunities at major international events, but refuses to allow foreign allies to come and witness what is going on the country where the environment for a free and fair election does not exist," Sunai Phasuk, senior Thailand researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters.

 

The military government has recently relaxed some political restrictions by allowing political parties to organise but a ban on campaigning and gatherings of more than five people remains in place at least until December.

 

An election date has not been set but senior government officials have said that it would likely be on Feb. 24.

 

(Reporting by Pracha Harirakspitak, Panarat Thepgumpanat, and Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-07

[webfact]

Allowing foreign observers for poll will be a poor reflection of our abilities: Don

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

FOREIGN MINISTER Don Pramudwinai yesterday opposed the idea of having foreign organisations observe the next general election, maintaining that the country is capable of holding a free and fair national vote.

 

Don said foreign observers typically visit countries with problematic elections. “Allowing foreign observers means we have problems, in their eyes or in our own view. It means we can’t take care of ourselves. And that’s inauspicious.” He added that the best observers of the election could be eligible Thai voters and their compatriots.

 

“My question is whether the media wants our country to be viewed as problematic in the eyes of the international community. The fact is that we have no problems holding an election,” Don told reporters at Government House.

 

For the sake of credibility, politicians and critics have sought foreign monitors to be observers during the general election tentatively scheduled for February 24. The Election Commission (EC) has reportedly taken requests from foreign organisations to observe the national vote.

 

The foreign minister said yesterday that foreign countries are actually following developments regarding the upcoming election through their missions in Thailand. 

 

“We don’t need to rely on foreign countries for everything that we do. Having foreign intervention would mean we are still immature and undeveloped. We can do it ourselves and we have succeeded many times already,” he said.

 

Don cited the national referendum on the Constitution in 2016, which he said had gained praise and acceptance from the international community. He said that this was not a matter of narrowmindedness. “It would be a pity if we have to rely on others all the time.

 

We need outside assistance only if we can’t do it with the knowledge and methods we have.”

 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday dismissed an allegation by politicians that the junta was trying to gain an advantage over political parties by not lifting the political restrictions although the voting date was drawing near. General Prayut, who also heads the ruling junta National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said complete relaxation of post-coup political restrictions would be in line with the relevant laws.

 

“This has nothing to do with the NCPO,” he said at Government House.

 

According to the PM, the law states that talks among relevant parties about the lifting of political restrictions can take place only after a decree is issued setting the election date, which is expected by December. 

 

In response to a warning by some politicians of violence during the poll, Prayut said the government was doing its best to maintain peace and order. “I don’t know who wants to create disorder. If they dare to do so, I don’t think the public will agree with them,” he said. While politicians are still prohibited from campaigning for votes, the premier has frequently made trips to the provinces in recent months, meeting local residents. 

 

He is scheduled to travel to Kanchanaburi today. Prayut’s trips during this period would focus on provinces where the government’s popularity is poor, according to a source familiar with the matter. After each of his trips, relevant agencies would survey local residents about their opinions regarding the PM’s visit, the source said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30358040

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-07

 

[Samui Bodoh]

Wake up, make some coffee, sit down at my computer to read the news...

 

and have my intelligence insulted.

 

Yet again.

 

 

 

[HappyAndRich]

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

To have others observing means the country is having a problem," he told reporters.

No, not at all. It means that Thailand is showing the world they have nothing to hide. That is positive. Not negative.

[JimmyTheMook]

Awesome, it should be totally hilarious. 

[canuckamuck]

Logically the only government that would resist foreign observers would be one that intends to cheat.

Nobody expects this election to be fair, but if they opened it to foreign observers people would give the government the legitimacy they seek. 

[Somtamnication]

Typical answer from typical "junta". What did people expect?

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said past elections in the Southeast Asian country have been credible.

He must have slept during the election in Cambodia this year!  

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

“We don’t need to rely on foreign countries for everything that we do. Having foreign intervention would mean we are still immature and undeveloped.

Yes you are.

[Odysseus123]

It's great stuff!

 

Yevgeny Zemyatin,Aldous Huxley,George Orwell and Franz Kafka are humbled in the dust..

 

On the other hand,Charles Dodson is making up for lost time..

[kannot]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"To have others observing means the country is having a problem," he told reporters.

having?? the fact u  have a military  govt already answers  that!!

[kannot]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

 

“We don’t need to rely on foreign countries for everything that we do. Having foreign intervention would mean we are still immature and undeveloped. We can do it ourselves and we have succeeded many times already,” he said.

so is it 13 coups later now then??

[Aussie999]

"Don cited the national referendum on the Constitution in 2016, which he said had gained praise and acceptance from the international community," well China and North Korea probably do, many other countries do not.

[z42]

Anyone with eyes (Thai or otherwise) can see already that the election is not free or fair even at this stage, 1 man and his associates have had a huge leg up in the form of unrestricted campaigning with bucketfuls of public money to push a purely populist agenda while anyone else even remotely linked to politics is straightjacketed.

 

This abominable guy Don is only towing the party line I suspect, but his levels of delusion about the state of the country and how it is perceived internationally (not a basket case) is frightening. 

 

Does anyone really know (i am actually asking here) how the junta's proxy party / parties can actually lose? Is it even possible or not?

[zzaa09]

I wouldn't be expecting any such election to come about, anyway. 

 

A coup or counter coup or wag-the-dog scenario will dissolve any notion of any open and free election.

That might be much too much for "them" to bear. 

 

Don't get one's hopes up.

[BobbyL]

You just know it is going to be a complete farce. 

[zzaa09]

3 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

You just know it is going to be a complete farce. 

Makes for good Thai theatre, nonetheless.

[Jeremy50]

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

It's great stuff!

 

Yevgeny Zemyatin,Aldous Huxley,George Orwell and Franz Kafka are humbled in the dust..

 

On the other hand,Charles Dodson is making up for lost time..

Are you referring to Charles Dodgson, so, 'Prayut in Wonderland' a fantasy, or something like that? 

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said past elections in the Southeast Asian country have been credible.

Cambodia ?  

 

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Wake up, make some coffee, sit down at my computer to read the news...

 

and have my intelligence insulted.

 

Yet again.

One : remove fun Two : install military government Three : Move to Vietnam

 

Old Don blowing junta sunshine again.   There is a likelihood of the junta losing, and they just can't.  The army will lose far too much face.

Edited November 7, 2018 by yellowboat

[sweatalot]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand does not need international observers to monitor next year's general elections

... may be the international community sees a need ?

[Wiggy]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Allowing foreign observers for poll will be a poor good reflection of our abilities: Don

I think the above would be a more accurate headline.

[ramrod711]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Human Rights Watch said foreign observers should be allowed to monitor the 2019 vote and called on the government to lift the ban on political activities to ensure the election is free and fair.

Is there a credible reason for not allowing observers? To quote my dear, long departed mother, "if you're not doing anything wrong, what does it matter".

[inThailand]

We don't need no stinking observers! Or anyone that can count. 

[Emster23]

"Nobody here but us chickens" said the Fox in the henhouse

[Chang_paarp]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

"To have others observing means the country is having a problem," he told reporters.

 

The last time Thailand held a successful election was in 2011 when the Yingluck Shinawatra and her Puea Thai Party won by a landslide.

 

In February 2014, an election was disrupted by massive street protests that saw voting blocked in a fifth of the country's constituencies and eventually led to the May 2014 coup.

 

 

An election disrupted by riots and interference followed by a coup is not seen as normal outside outside of Thailand. Maybe others might see this as having a problem.

[zzaa09]

50 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

... may be the international community sees a need ?

This false notion of an "International Community" is most amusing. 

 

The invented Eurocentric term is defined as a few select countries, the usual empire builders.

International Community, indeed.

[ross163103]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

"To have others observing means the country is having a problem,"

Exactly!

[DavisH]

It's not a reflection on ability, but on the culture of corruption in this country.

 

Also, if Puea Thai is not dissolved, I predict another landslide win to them (for better or worse). 

[lvr181]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Allowing foreign observers for poll will be a poor reflection of our abilities: Don

OMG! A negative thinker! How unusual. Have they something to hide?

 

How about, it would be an opportunity to prove and show to the world we can run an open "no restrictions" credible election? ???? 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by lvr181
Additional wording

[thaiguzzi]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“We don’t need to rely on foreign countries for everything that we do. Having foreign intervention would mean we are still immature and undeveloped. We can do it ourselves and we have succeeded many times already,” he said.

"we don't need no stinkin' foreign countries"............