Govt delaying local polls to cement its grip on country: Pheu Thai

[webfact]

Govt delaying local polls to cement its grip on country: Pheu Thai

By The Nation

 

Anusorn Eiamsaard

 

The core opposition Pheu Thai Party is pressuring the government to declare a date for local elections, after six years without polls since the 2014 coup.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam declared recently that local election plans were now facing financial obstacle due to the Covid-19 crisis.

 

Pheu Thai spokesperson Anusorn Eiamsaard hit back by saying it was pointless for Wissanu to use Covid-19 issues to cover for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who had already said that the readiness of the Interior Ministry and Election Commission were the main factors in deciding whether the polls should ahead.

 

A budget of Bt800 million has been earmarked for the local elections, which the Constitution decrees are important in distributing power to local areas, said Anusorn.

 

However, the government has tried to suspend political activity in the country for the past six years to make local governments weaker and boost the power of the Defence Ministry, he added.

 

“Prayut Chan-o-cha should be clear on when the local elections will be organized, because this [suspension] is affecting the management, the national budget and power distribution,” Anusorn said. “This attempt to freeze the country will destroy its people,” he added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389707

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-16

 

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[Thaiwrath]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

because this [suspension] is affecting the management, the national budget and power distribution

There is no power distribution, all the power is at the top of the tree, and, if Prayut gets his way, it is staying there !

Politically, this country goes further backwards day after day. 

Edited June 16, 2020 by Thaiwrath

[colinneil]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam declared recently that local election plans were now facing financial obstacle due to the Covid-19 crisis.

 

A more truthful comment, would have been, not much left in the kitty now the all the greedy snouts have been in the trough.

[Paiman]

Who would have thought that.

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

which the Constitution decrees are important in distributing power to local areas, said Anusorn.

No way they want to distribute power. How much power is enough?

[connda]

I'd say the upper crust wouldn't dare allow elections anytime soon.  There will be scores of voters whose lives have been economically destroyed by dictates from local and regional 'leaders' who will be up for election. 
Nope, I imagine each time "election" is mentioned there will suddenly be an upwelling of Covid-19 cases as well as nationwide fear-mongering by all state media outlets.

"If we let you vote, you will all surely die of Covid-19!!!" 

[BobBKK]

Covid has been a Godsend to the military. 68 death on roads yesterday (ONE DAY) and 58 total Covid since January YET they have total control. Masks, temp checks, roadside checks, curfews and destroying businesses.

Who talks about Thanathorn now?  very successful strategy with many Thais swallowing the 'Be Afraid, be very Afraid' line daily.

 

Nice job Prayut!  first you appoint 200 friends to a new Senate, don't stand for election but become PM!  your masters must be very pleased.

[nausea]

Thailand is very weird, there's an unwritten script everybody knows about but no-one talks about, in public anyway. Whether it's fear or just this asiatic collective thing I don't know. Layers off the onion so to speak.

[from the home of CC]

fortunately they are not like the west where  politics takes precedence over saving lives..

[holy cow cm]

I thought all of the essential abductions have been carried out and all the critics were in essence silenced already. Guess not!

[mikey00]

3 hours ago, connda said:

I'd say the upper crust wouldn't dare allow elections anytime soon.  There will be scores of voters whose lives have been economically destroyed by dictates from local and regional 'leaders' who will be up for election. 
Nope, I imagine each time "election" is mentioned there will suddenly be an upwelling of Covid-19 cases as well as nationwide fear-mongering by all state media outlets.

"If we let you vote, you will all surely die of Covid-19!!!" 

Hmmmm, sounds the US

[Srikcir]

'boost the power of the Defense Ministry.'

Already at max boost with PM Prayut's self appointment as Minister of Defense, apart from his self appointment as Supervisor of the National Police and DSI.

Not to mention Army ISOC's authority (2017?) to monitor "grassroots" politicians' performance in compliance with the Junta's 20-year National Strategy Plan enshrined by the Junta in the current Constitution.

Practically speaking for the 'current's Prayut regime, there's not much left to boost. Which means there's little left to improve upon in Thailand's alleged democracy.

[Baerboxer]

PTP - their owner knows all about delaying elections 555!

[Andycoops]

Absolutely no surprise at all.

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

“Prayut Chan-o-cha should be clear on when the local elections will be organized, because this [suspension] is affecting the management, the national budget and power distribution,” Anusorn said. “This attempt to freeze the country will destroy its people,” he added.

Delaying the local elections in the same way as the general elections... 

[Burma Bill]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

to cement its grip on country

SCG by any chance??????

[Isaan sailor]

Not surprised.  Perpetual power.

[RichardColeman]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

The core opposition Pheu Thai Party is pressuring the government to declare a date for local elections, after six years without polls since the 2014 coup.

If - big if - they are run right and counted correctly, be interesting to see the difference between the election results and the local results %'s

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

PTP - their owner knows all about delaying elections 555!

Can you please tell us all exactly how many and what kind of elections they were?

 

I know that the current government took about 5 years for the last one and only got to win when the EC changed the rules from 72,000 votes down to 30,000 votes.

 

Not to mention altering the voting boundaries, forbidding most parties from campaigning until 2 months before the election, the EC taking about a month to declare the official results, causing Thanathorn to have his MP status put on hold and then revoked , causing the FFP to be disbanded as a political party.

 

Whilst I remember they personally hand picked the senate packing it with their family, ex class mates and BFF, instead of public elections.

 

Apart from all that it was a fairly free election.

 

Now they are using Covid-19 to delay the local elections which have not been held since before the coup,

[Dap]

On 6/16/2020 at 3:44 PM, colinneil said:

A more truthful comment, would have been, not much left in the kitty now the all the greedy snouts have been in the trough.

 Hit that nail squarely on the head!

Edited June 17, 2020 by Dap