If there is nothing to hide, why ban election monitors?

By The Nation

 

 

Junta must allow international scrutiny of February’s vote if new government is to have any legitimacy

 

Like it or not, Thailand badly needs international observers at the election in February, for the sake of its own credibility and legitimacy. 

 

Scepticism at official claims the vote will be free and fair is soaring, since it is plain that the ruling junta sees the election merely as a means to perpetuate its power.

 

First, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who claimed to have staged the 2014 coup simply to end political fighting among warring factions, has long since shown his true colours. Instead of retiring from the scene having accomplished his mission, the former Army chief has taken a liking to power, declaring recently that he wanted the top job in government for the rest of his life.

 

Second, Prayut and his junta have spent the past four years creating what a scholar recently termed a “hierarchical capitalist regime” – an alliance between the military elite and big business for the benefit of a narrow clique. The promised reform for the benefit of the people has meanwhile failed to emerge.

 

The junta’s pet Pracharat welfare programme was formed to transfer national budget via the hands of the poor into the coffers of large business conglomerates. Prayut’s administration hands money to the poor to buy goods and services from the rich. He and his government take the political credit while the big companies benefit on the financial side. 

 

That credit has now been cynically transferred to a pro-junta political party, launched under the same name as the junta’s welfare programme. Though newly minted, the Palang Pracharat Party (PPP) is already acting like a beneficent surrogate of the government as it seeks to woo voters.

 

Third, the Election Commission (EC), though set up under junta rule, is supposed to be an independent body responsible for ensuring a free and fair vote. Instead there are credible reasons for believing that it is merely an instrument designed to help the ruling party to win the election. The EC recently redrew constituency boundaries in a way that appears to favour the PPP. 

 

While campaign portraits of the prime minister and his Cabinet are on view all over the country to aid voter recognition, images of former premiers Chuan Leekpai, Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra are prohibited by the EC. The latter are, of course, former leaders of contesting political parties. 

 

Fourth, while some political restrictions were lifted last week, pro-junta politicians have more freedom than their rivals. Political activists remain under close watch and are still being prosecuted for protests against the junta over the past four years.

 

Fifth, senior politicians have accused the junta of using state bodies and officials to manipulate the ballot casting and voters in upcountry provinces.

 

Hence, the scrutiny of international independent observers is badly needed to secure the election from actions of cheating and fraud.

 

Their presence during February’s vote would help the Thai people monitor polling and also the actions of those in power. The first Thai election since the invalidated poll of 2014 cannot produce a fair winner with a legitimate mandate unless endorsed by the international community.

 

Thailand’s international reputation has suffered severe damage from two military coups in less than a decade. Their resulting regimes have taken the country backwards, eroding our standing and legitimacy on the world stage.

 

A strong international standing will be crucial if Thailand is to be effective in its role chairing Asean next year. That standing would be severely weakened by the embarrassing spectacle of an unfair election that brings Prayut and his crew back to power in February. Minus international acceptance, how could the new Thai administration guide Asean forwards?

 

The junta and its government should welcome international observers to monitor the coming election. As its supporters are so fond of saying, “If there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30360699

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-19

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Like it or not, Thailand badly needs international observers at the election in February, for the sake of its own credibility and legitimacy. 

how important is that ? important to exactly whom ? the rest of the world, the leaders,diplomats and think tankers,analysts know what thailand is

14 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

how important is that ? important to exactly whom ? the rest of the world, the leaders,diplomats and think tankers,analysts know what thailand is

Did you even read the article, in the article there are a hosts of reasons why there are grave doubts about the upcoming elections being free and fair. Hence the remark.

Why ban? to save face

I think most of us know there is plenty to hide but its about how we have got here and not about the voting on election day. The hard work to fix this election has already taken place and thats what needs investigating at some time in the future. As for the International community, it will go on caring only about business opportunities and doing deals and not about whether Thailand is just another country with a rigged election system. The 3 major powers in the world, USA, Russia and China are all pretty much devoid of anything like real democracy and have no intentions of complaining about a minnow.

PM for life!

Has a certain ring about it

Observers would surely get in the way of our long barrel approach to politics???? 

Well, I'm sure the corruption endemic in Thai society, the corresponding worship of money and HI-SO's, and the perversion of Buddhism they practice here, will continue unabated no matter who is running the country.

" First, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who claimed to have staged the 2014 coup simply to end political fighting among warring factions, has long since shown his true colours. Instead of retiring from the scene having accomplished his mission, the former Army chief has taken a liking to power, declaring recently that he wanted the top job in government for the rest of his life."

I applaud you for your bravery and "telling it like it is". Breath of fresh air

Where will we go when he shuts down TV?

         The PM wants to stay in government for the rest of his life ????????

       I'm sure the new Parliment building will require Toilet Cleaners, if he's any good at it'

1 hour ago, ocddave said:

Well, I'm sure the corruption endemic in Thai society, the corresponding worship of money and HI-SO's, and the perversion of Buddhism they practice here, will continue unabated no matter who is running the country.

Seconded !

If there is nothing to hide, why ban election monitors?

 

Jeeeeezus...you might be on to something!

 

 

This is hard to read.  I am so full of I told you so and others are too I am sure.   This is no surprise to most of the cranky old men, as we are called, on this forum.  Farangs who are said not able to understand Thailand, whose condemnation is finally being echoed by the local populous.   You don't know how this place rolls I have been told.   I think most do on this forum.   The article spells out a sickening practice.  Hope those who wanted the army in government now see the mess they have made and how the marginalized the country. 

Edited December 19, 20187 yr by yellowboat

5 hours ago, webfact said:

If there is nothing to hide, why ban election monitors?

Actually, they ban international election monitors at their own peril.  If they are not allowed, the elections will not be deemed as 'legitimate' on the world stage.  That simply give other larger world powers leverage in international relationships with Thailand and as such, major world powers will demand concessions, generally economic in nature.  Sort of the price of being allowed to continue to exist as a quasi-democratic entity in name only.  Other world powers aren't moralizing, they simply want a piece of the pie.

4 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I think most of us know there is plenty to hide but its about how we have got here and not about the voting on election day. The hard work to fix this election has already taken place and thats what needs investigating at some time in the future. As for the International community, it will go on caring only about business opportunities and doing deals and not about whether Thailand is just another country with a rigged election system. The 3 major powers in the world, USA, Russia and China are all pretty much devoid of anything like real democracy and have no intentions of complaining about a minnow.

Exactly!
Well stated.

Yes, the slippery slope of, "if you have nothing to hide". Search your computer, search your house, search your body, not to worry "if you have nothing to hide". Never mind presumption of innocence. Let's start with probably guilty. Who is going to provide the monitors? I hope not the UN. The biggest corrupt organization in the world with their own agenda. Highly paid with fat expense accounts where 5 star and first class is the minimum standard. The UN where nepotism and old boy relationships get you appointed. Along with FIFA and the IOC all are in desperate need of full reform.

1 hour ago, Ulic said:

Yes, the slippery slope of, "if you have nothing to hide". Search your computer, search your house, search your body, not to worry "if you have nothing to hide". Never mind presumption of innocence. Let's start with probably guilty. Who is going to provide the monitors? I hope not the UN. The biggest corrupt organization in the world with their own agenda. Highly paid with fat expense accounts where 5 star and first class is the minimum standard. The UN where nepotism and old boy relationships get you appointed. Along with FIFA and the IOC all are in desperate need of full reform.

Presumption of innocence about the Junta! ????

7 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

PM for life!

Has a certain ring about it

How about "life for the pm" as in a sentence. 

6 hours ago, DM07 said:

If there is nothing to hide, why ban election monitors?

 

Jeeeeezus...you might be on to something!

 

 

Come on guys  We all know the election will be fair and every candidate will have the same chance. That is what Thailand is all about. Free and democratic society It is just the Junta has a funny way of showing it.

10 hours ago, YetAnother said:

how important is that ? important to exactly whom ? the rest of the world, the leaders,diplomats and think tankers,analysts know what thailand is

Yeah.

If such is case, all elective processes the world over might be suspect and therefore require "International monitoring". 

Reeks of this make believe superiority complex, emanating from particular civilised Western cultures that view such activity as an empire extension. 

 

Mind your own and recheck yourself firstly. 

No one's business - let the Thais get on however they see fit. 

11 hours ago, webfact said:

declaring recently that he wanted the top job in government for the rest of his life.

Seems to be a virus in Asia.......didn't Xi Jinping do this earlier this year?

14 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Yeah.

If such is case, all elective processes the world over might be suspect and therefore require "International monitoring". 

Reeks of this make believe superiority complex, emanating from particular civilised Western cultures that view such activity as an empire extension. 

 

Mind your own and recheck yourself firstly. 

No one's business - let the Thais get on however they see fit. 

Ahem, the article was written by a Thai and that person expressed concern about the fairness of the election. Thais are minding their own business and see fit to call out the junta for banning international observers. You should mind your own.

10 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I think most of us know there is plenty to hide but its about how we have got here and not about the voting on election day. The hard work to fix this election has already taken place and thats what needs investigating at some time in the future. As for the International community, it will go on caring only about business opportunities and doing deals and not about whether Thailand is just another country with a rigged election system. The 3 major powers in the world, USA, Russia and China are all pretty much devoid of anything like real democracy and have no intentions of complaining about a minnow.

I think you're pretty much on the button here. Look around: Trump, May and that bloke in Aussie....  Macron, Merkel and that POS in Poland. And I'm not even going near commenting on Saudi or Turkey.

 

Crikey, they're all in even worse poop than Thailand. With problems like they have, they're not going to pay Thailand more attention than you can fit in about 3 seconds...

 

I fully expect to see Trump on a *cough cough* extended vacation in Thailand or Cambodia or somewhere pretty soon. Has Phnom Penh got a Trump tower yet? Never too soon to start cooking the books.

 

 

Edited December 19, 20187 yr by HalfLight