11 micro parties throw support to Prayut, Phalang Pracharat

By Kas Chanwanpen 
The Nation

 

 

Eleven micro parties that were last week granted one seat each in the Lower House due to a controversial allocation method announced on Monday they would back General Prayut Chan-o-cha as prime minister and the pro-junta party Phalang Pracharat as the coalition leader.

 

Phalang Pracharat leaders Utama Savanayon and Sontirat Sontijirawong also appeared at the press conference on Monday to receive official documents signed by the 11 parties.

 

Despite their support, the parties also vowed to maintain their independence and to scrutinise Phalang Pracharat’s government.

 

Utama thanked the parties for joining its coalition. All parties would be treated as partners and Phalang Pracharat would welcome any suggestion or criticism, he pledged.

 

Despite the help of the micro parties, Phalang Pracharat remained some 100 MPs short of being able to legitimately claim the right to form government. The remaining seats in contention between the pro-junta block of parties and the pro-democracy bloc were with the medium-sized Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties.

 

Utama reiterated that negotiations were underway and he would prefer to refrain from telling the press about the deal making.

 

The success of the 11 parties remains contentious. Having been short of the vote threshold of 71,000 designated under the Constitution, it was widely debated whether they should be allowed any seats in the House of Representatives.

 

Larger parties that were placed at a disadvantage by the seat allocation by the Election Commission to minor parties are planning to petition against the move. It remains uncertain whether the micro parties will eventually be seated in the chamber.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30369293

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-13

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Well knock me down with a feather ... who'd have thought that was going to happen?

Hopeless.

Thailand's situation is utterly hopeless.

Only one way remains to win the country back to the people. Nothing else will work.

But the Thais (en masse) will not walk that risky road.

 

So: it's all hopeless.

Enjoy your years and years of servitude and bondage, Thailand. 

It is what you have ALLOWED to happen to you.

 

Edited May 13, 20197 yr by Eligius

How many more ways can Prayut find to give himself more votes?

Lemme see

1) Dissolve one party sure to win lots of seats just before the election.

2) Pack as many fake ballots in the box as you can (never mind you end up with twice as many votes as voters).

3) Buy votes

4) Disallow the rival MPs who legitimately won.

5) Give seats to party members who promise to vote for you.

6) Appoint many generals who didn't stand for election.

7) Give seats to parties that never had any voters.

 

Does he have enough votes to make him PM yet?

Small parties back Thai junta chief after rule change gave them seats

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Patpicha Tanakasempipat

 

FILE PHOTO: Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha casts his ballot to vote in the general election at a polling station in Bangkok, Thailand, March 24, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/Files

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Eleven small Thai parties that each gained a parliamentary seat after a disputed electoral rule change will back the main pro-army party, leaders said on Monday, giving the ruling junta chief who launched a 2014 coup enough votes to stay in power.

 

The move came after the opposition Democratic Front accused the Election Commission of rigging the system to ensure a win for former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in the first election since the military seized power from an elected government.

 

Ponlamuang Thai Party leader Sampan Lertnuwat said his party and 10 more would join a coalition with Palang Pracharat, the party led by junta loyalists that nominated Prayuth as its prime ministerial candidate.

 

"After discussing among ourselves, we 11 members of parliament intend to raise our hands in support of Prayuth Chan-ocha," Sampan told a news briefing.

 

"We also support Palang Pracharat to lead the formation of the next government."

 

Palang Pracharat leader Uttama Savanayana appeared at the briefing to acknowledge the vow and take pictures with the parties' leaders.

 

Uttama said the party was still working to court other parties to form a majority in the House.

 

However, it will still take weeks before a new government can be formed, because the junta has not finished appointing the 250-seat Senate that will vote, along with the elected House of Representatives, to choose the prime minister.

 

But the 11 votes of the small parties are likely to ensure Prayuth is the next prime minister.

 

His Palang Pracharat, which won 115 seats in the House, needs 126 to get to the 376 majority required in the combined House-Senate vote to approve the prime minister, assuming the junta-appointed Senate backs Prayuth as expected.

 

The Democratic Front of seven parties opposed to extension of military dominance in government won 245 seats.

 

Initial results of the March 24 vote show the Democratic Front, led by the Pheu Thai party loyal to ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, expected to get 255 seats in the 500-seat elected House.

 

That would be not enough to overcome the Senate votes to choose the prime minister, but a majority in the lower chamber would allow the opposition to block legislation and deny the military party unfettered power.

 

However, the Election Commission announced soon after the preliminary results that it would use a new formula to allocate 150 "party seats" distributed according to the share of the nationwide popular vote secured.

 

The new formula gave one seat to each of 11 tiny parties that would not have qualified under the original formula, with most of them taken from the anti-military Future Forward Party, part of the opposition alliance.

 

The 11 parties won 548,208 votes from a total of about 35 million, or about 1.5 percent of votes cast.

 

(Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-13

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23 minutes ago, Eligius said:

Hopeless.

Thailand's situation is utterly hopeless.

Only one way remains to win the country back to the people. Nothing else will work.

But the Thais (en masse) will not walk that risky road.

 

So: it's all hopeless.

Enjoy your years and years of servitude and bondage, Thailand. 

It is what you have ALLOWED to happen to you.

 

Of course they will not do this en masse, there is a large support for the junta. Something many people here on this board are reluctant to admit. The pro junta parties got quite a few votes. So again the country is quite divided. The anti junta camp is probably bigger, but the pro junta camp is not small either. Its not like the whole of Thailand is against the junta (unfortunately). 

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

But the 11 votes of the small parties are likely to ensure Prayuth is the next prime minister.

How incredibly convenient? A coincidence surely that when Prayut appeared a few votes shy of crossing the line, a controversial and disputed rule change just happened to allocate the right number of votes needed to some small parties, who coincidentally and universally intend to vote the same way. Truly amazing even for Thailand!

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

The 11 parties won 548,208 votes from a total of about 35 million, or about 1.5 percent of votes cast.

1.5% of the winning votes and they now sit in the government. Making a mockery of the system where the party that won the most seats and 7.2 million votes could not form the government. 

"Despite their support, the parties also vowed to maintain their independence and to scrutinise Phalang Pracharat’s government."

 

????

6 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

How incredibly convenient? A coincidence surely that when Prayut appeared a few votes shy of crossing the line, a controversial and disputed rule change just happened to allocate the right number of votes needed to some small parties, who coincidentally and universally intend to vote the same way. Truly amazing even for Thailand!

It's just absolutely disgusting and somehow sad, glad i can just leave unlike thais ????

The trough is like a siren's call; it is just too alluring and is irresistible. And just a short time ago they were nobodies and could only look on wishing and hoping. But the EC came to their rescue with a bit of electoral jiggery pokery.

Now their dreams have been fulfilled and their pockets will be filled and they will be added to the junta political distribution lists, albeit at the bottom.

This is a travesty. It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.

 

27 minutes ago, robblok said:

Of course they will not do this en masse, there is a large support for the junta. Something many people here on this board are reluctant to admit. The pro junta parties got quite a few votes. So again the country is quite divided. The anti junta camp is probably bigger, but the pro junta camp is not small either. Its not like the whole of Thailand is against the junta (unfortunately). 

33% of the country support the Junta, because that's how many Bangkok 'Siam Thais' there are.

The country is entirely united, they all vote for their feudal overlords, but the Bangkok Siams can't accept defeat, which is why they overthrow every legit elected government. Funny thing, the rich educated Siams (they used to be 45%) don't breed as much as the 'uneducated rural' Laos and other ethnic tribes in Thailand, so every election, they get less of the vote.

Edited May 13, 20197 yr by BritManToo

A more befitting headline would perhaps be:

 

"11 Micro Parties Selling out to Prayuth, Phalang Pracharat"

 

That they got seats due to a rather fishy rule change AFTER the election had already taken place probably had something to do with that sudden junta embrace. I'd bet my grandmother that some "talks" between junta cronies and those micro parties took place just prior to that peculiar rule change.

 

 

 

a seat for 30,000 votes from MILLIONS?  it's absurd

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

The new formula gave one seat to each of 11 tiny parties that would not have qualified under the original formula

On one condition......................................................................................

 

Sad state of affairs for Thailand.

 

Edited May 13, 20197 yr by Thaiwrath

53 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Does he have enough votes to make him PM yet?

No, he has lawyers, guns and money!

17 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

33% of the country support the Junta, because that's how many Bangkok 'Siam Thais' there are.

The country is entirely united, they all vote for their feudal overlords, but the Bangkok Siams can't accept defeat, which is why they overthrow every legit elected government. Funny thing, the rich educated Siams (they used to be 45%) don't breed as much as the 'uneducated rural' Laos and other ethnic tribes in Thailand, so every election, they get less of the vote.

Your math is more then a bit off but that is ok if you like to believe this its ok. 

 

65 million Thais... so there are 21.45 million in BKK and are Siam Thais. (not really the number that I know nor are all Thais in BKK Siam Thais). But hey if you make up numbers and stories sometimes they don't match up.  (the true BKK elite is far smaller and there are just people who are not Siam Thais who like the junta). 

 

You are right about one thing though they all support their feudal overlords. 

 

 

19 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

a seat for 30,000 votes from MILLIONS?  it's absurd

Its plain cheating to give a seat to those smaller parties think we all agree on that one.

Just now, robblok said:

Your math is more then a bit off but that is ok if you like to believe this its ok. 

Not my math, there are plenty of documents about the ethnic mix of Thailand.

33% Laos, 33% Siam, and 33% of assorted minority ethnic backgrounds.

You need to lift more dude.

Can this "election" get any more ridiculous?

 

OK- yes, it can, and it will...

43 minutes ago, Thailand said:

"Despite their support, the parties also vowed to maintain their independence and to scrutinise Phalang Pracharat’s government."

 

????

Do I laugh or cry, or just shrug my shoulders at such BS? 

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Of course they will not do this en masse, there is a large support for the junta. Something many people here on this board are reluctant to admit. The pro junta parties got quite a few votes. So again the country is quite divided. The anti junta camp is probably bigger, but the pro junta camp is not small either. Its not like the whole of Thailand is against the junta (unfortunately). 

Reluctant is hardly. I beg to differ as the real details will never be allowed to be seen or found out. They pulled or prodded too many things and there is no above board in most all of their doings to make sure they come out on top, A total farce and disgrace. I edited this to keep it simple. 

Edited May 13, 20197 yr by holy cow cm

Just now, holy cow cm said:

Reluctant is hardly. I beg to differ as the real details will never be allowed to be seen or found out. They pulled or prodded too many things. They either own or control the EC and looks like the courts as well, or its what they said would award them with or what they have on or over them makes them buckle and maybe scared. Other groups they made up from their intent and character and made quite sure that no matter what they would not lose even if it was seemingly to be against the rational of a certain document they drew up to run the law of the country.

 

People and groups were eliminated over absurd notions where their groups are virtually untouchable, and stands that more will be eliminated after as they have not even started yet..

 

They redrew the election lines which is a travesty in itself. They are hardly half of all voters of being adored by and one wouldn't think it being over an actual 20-25% who did actually vote for them. Redo the election under a better program as not taking seats away and giving them to undeserving groups who couldn't make the cut, put the election boundaries back to where they were, stop the charade of being untouchable, and let's see where it comes back to. If they are truly the best liked, they surely don't look like they earned it with honesty. Too much and too many lines were crossed.

the 23% who voted for them included Army, Government offices etc.  I'd be surprised if they really got 15%. Even though all this stinks they then get the rules changed AFTER the result. Now they will try and derail Thanathorn for life as he is the biggest threat to their meal train. Wake up Thailand.

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Not my math, there are plenty of documents about the ethnic mix of Thailand.

33% Laos, 33% Siam, and 33% of assorted minority ethnic backgrounds.

You need to lift more dude.

Then don't call them BKK Thais.. because that is just not true.. and I think i lift enough. Probably too much. 

 

If you had not called them BKK Thais I would not have attacked your math. Anyway I really don't care that much i was just pointing out that the Thais are divided again. 30% is still an awful lot.  I had just hoped that the election would show a far more anti junta view while it certainly did not. The election did not solve a thing. 

2 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

the 23% who voted for them included Army, Government offices etc.  I'd be surprised if they really got 15%. Even though all this stinks they then get the rules changed AFTER the result. Now they will try and derail Thanathorn for life as he is the biggest threat to their meal train. Wake up Thailand.

Yea its sickening they are going after Thanathorn, i see him as honest and a good guy for Thailand. The one I would support. But I had expected a larger anti junta vote. 

 

Unlike you i don't think the election was rigged (yes the allocation of seats to the small parties stinks and is unfair). But i don't think the numbers as they are are fake. But lets agree to disagree there.

Just now, robblok said:

Then don't call them BKK Thais.. because that is just not true.. and I think i lift enough. Probably too much. 

 

If you had not called them BKK Thais I would not have attacked your math. Anyway I really don't care that much i was just pointing out that the Thais are divided again. 30% is still an awful lot.  I had just hoped that the election would show a far more anti junta view while it certainly did not. The election did not solve a thing. 

That's because they enforced the Army vote and all sorts and they still only got 23%. In others words 77% voted for others.

Just now, BobBKK said:

That's because they enforced the Army vote and all sorts and they still only got 23%. In others words 77% voted for others.

Sure but of that 77% quite a few are still pro junta (look at the parties aligning themselves now with the junta again). There are other parties aligned with the junta too. Besides its like saying they got only a few votes while they got MORE votes then the PTP. I find that quite disturbing and not something I had expected. I was starting to believe that Thais were anti junta while in fact they are divided again. 

 

I am just not looking forward to trouble again and the results as they are are just not conclusive neither side seems to have a real majority.