COVID-19 to determine election timing, and perhaps winners

[webfact]

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Narathiwat on March 24, 2019 during Thailand’s general election. (Photo by Madaree TOHLALA / AFP)

 

OPINION

By Tulsathit Taptim

 

Humans make rules, dissolve parliaments, woo voters, mark ballots, and set up administrations, but the new normal of politics stipulates that they aren’t the ones actually in control. Those activities and their eventual outcomes will be dictated by another life form which most eyes can’t see.

 

The coronavirus has had, and will continue to have, a big say on who stays, who goes and who arrives politically. In divided Thailand, it is more so, but things are hanging complicatedly in the balance for all the players at the moment.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is betting on the COVID-19 situation four months from now, hoping it will have remarkably improved and a lot more vaccines will have come by then. Judging from his latest comments, a House dissolution should not happen soon, if it will happen at all. A few days ago, he said he intended to “stay the course” so “people will stop talking (about a snap election)”. A day later, he said he wanted to “reopen” Thailand within 120 days, and, in that statement, showed every determination to oversee the ambitious agenda himself.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/covid-19-to-determine-election-timing-and-perhaps-winners/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-06-18

 

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[Rampant Rabbit]

Place an X or thumprint next to  the chosen candidate

1 Prayut

2  Prayut

3 Prayut

4 Prayut

5 Prayut

[connda]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Humans make rules, dissolve parliaments, woo voters, mark ballots, and set up administrations, but the new normal of politics stipulates that they aren’t the ones actually in control. Those activities and their eventual outcomes will be dictated by another life form which most eyes can’t see.

Bunk!
It is still humans who make rules, dissolve parliaments, woo voters, mark ballots, and set up administrations.  Not a thing has changed. 

"Covid-19 "Covie" made all the change." Tosh.  So now bestow life on a non-living parasitic genetic replicator and breath anthropomorphic life into it and claim that it's marching around and changing the rules.

No.  People making rules (some of them bad) in reaction to Covie is what drives the change.

[connda]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Bunk!
It is still humans who make rules, dissolve parliaments, woo voters, mark ballots, and set up administrations.  Not a thing has changed. 

"Covid-19 "Covie" made all the change." Tosh.  So now bestow life on a non-living parasitic genetic replicator and breath anthropomorphic life into it and claim that it's marching around and changing the rules.

No.  People making rules (some of them bad) in reaction to Covie is what drives the change.

"No no no.  Don't look at the rampant corruption!!!  'Covie' is to blame.  Btw!  Isn't fearless leader doing a wonderful job???"  <gush>

You can read right through this Op.

[robblok]

14 minutes ago, connda said:

"No no no.  Don't look at the rampant corruption!!!  'Covie' is to blame.  Btw!  Isn't fearless leader doing a wonderful job???"  <gush>

You can read right through this Op.

No you can't covid will have a huge impact on the election. If Prayut messes up more his popularity will sink even more. Right now he has enough votes and power but if people turn away from his parties because of the disaster in the economy it will help the opposition. 

 

So more covid and failure is good for the opposition and bad news for Prayut. It is certainly like all economic things huge in its impact. People complain the most when they lose money and have less income. Political leaning is one thing but once money comes into play people can change who they vote for.

 

 

[RichardColeman]

COVID-19 to determine election timing, and perhaps winners

 

No, the dissolving and limiting of any opposition and making up charges against them will do that. 

 

Its not possible in any free countries  that these cronies could get back in after all these constant fiascos 

[JonnyF]

The result doesn't matter. If Prayut doesn't win he can and will just steal power again, like he did in 2014.

 

That's the beauty of having tanks, guns and soldiers paid for by the people. You can turn these weapons on the very same people that paid for them and steal their Democracy and their Liberty. So the election is simply a farce.

 

 

[TigerandDog]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

No you can't covid will have a huge impact on the election. If Prayut messes up more his popularity will sink even more. Right now he has enough votes and power but if people turn away from his parties because of the disaster in the economy it will help the opposition. 

 

So more covid and failure is good for the opposition and bad news for Prayut. It is certainly like all economic things huge in its impact. People complain the most when they lose money and have less income. Political leaning is one thing but once money comes into play people can change who they vote for.

 

 

and then what happens. A Civilian Govt gets elected and lo and behold another coup and the military takes over again.

[robblok]

11 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

and then what happens. A Civilian Govt gets elected and lo and behold another coup and the military takes over again.

That certainly is not impossible in Thailand.

[robblok]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

The result doesn't matter. If Prayut doesn't win he can and will just steal power again, like he did in 2014.

 

That's the beauty of having tanks, guns and soldiers paid for by the people. You can turn these weapons on the very same people that paid for them and steal their Democracy and their Liberty. So the election is simply a farce.

 

 

How did he steal power in 2014 ? His coalition has an majority. 

 

Not saying that the guy is good but fact is his parties have gotten a majority of the Thai votes. 

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

No you can't covid will have a huge impact on the election. If Prayut messes up more his popularity will sink even more. Right now he has enough votes and power but if people turn away from his parties because of the disaster in the economy it will help the opposition. 

 

So more covid and failure is good for the opposition and bad news for Prayut. It is certainly like all economic things huge in its impact. People complain the most when they lose money and have less income. Political leaning is one thing but once money comes into play people can change who they vote for.

 

 

We all know he wasn't elected by the people. We all know the goal posts were moved. We all know he got rid of a popular opposition party and we all know he controls the guns. If I was to grade the above article it wouldn't be good.

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Humans make rules, dissolve parliaments, woo voters, mark ballots, and set up administrations, but the new normal of politics stipulates that they aren’t the ones actually in control. Those activities and their eventual outcomes will be dictated by another life form which most eyes can’t see.

Seems to have missed staging coup d'etats and everything else Prayut has done to ensure his grip on power. The new normal is having a megalomanic general run things. 

 

Rediculous piece of psudo-journalism. It is of course debatable if a virus is a life form at all.

Edited June 18, 2021 by dinsdale

[itsari]

2 hours ago, connda said:

Bunk!
It is still humans who make rules, dissolve parliaments, woo voters, mark ballots, and set up administrations.  Not a thing has changed. 

"Covid-19 "Covie" made all the change." Tosh.  So now bestow life on a non-living parasitic genetic replicator and breath anthropomorphic life into it and claim that it's marching around and changing the rules.

No.  People making rules (some of them bad) in reaction to Covie is what drives the change.

It is a tongue in cheek remark , keep calm

Covid has changed the way humans will vote . How well there current government has handled the situation will play a large part of the voters preference.  Problem in Thailand is that the voters preference will not prevail .

[rwill]

Covid-19 will have about the same effect on the outcome as the voters.  Not much.

[itsari]

Just now, rwill said:

Covid-19 will have about the same effect on the outcome as the voters.  Not much.

Not much for you or i maybe , but for Thai people it has been a massive burden when considering the economy rather than the declared death rate from covid 19 .

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is betting on the COVID-19 situation four months from now, hoping it will have remarkably improved and a lot more vaccines will have come by then. Judging from his latest comments, a House dissolution should not happen soon, if it will happen at all. A few days ago, he said he intended to “stay the course” so “people will stop talking (about a snap election)”. A day later, he said he wanted to “reopen” Thailand within 120 days, and, in that statement, showed every determination to oversee the ambitious agenda himself

120 days open the country come what may, make himself look like a saviour of the nation and re-elect himself.

[itsari]

5 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

120 days open the country come what may, make himself look like a saviour of the nation and re-elect himself.

Playing for time 

[JonnyF]

37 minutes ago, robblok said:

How did he steal power in 2014 ? His coalition has an majority. 

 

Not saying that the guy is good but fact is his parties have gotten a majority of the Thai votes. 

 

????  Your posts are so far off the mark that I'm never quite sure if you are serious, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you are confusing the 2014 coup with the rigged election in 2019.

 

He stole power in 2014 by using armed forces to remove the democratically elected government. I seem to remember you supported it at the time.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Thai_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat

 

[hotchilli]

1 minute ago, itsari said:

Playing for time 

He's hoping to distract the nation by opening up the country.

Take their minds off what a stuff-up he's made so far and how he got them all back to work.

Regardless of how many tourist actually come to the open doors.

[CALSinCM]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

How did he steal power in 2014 ? His coalition has an majority. 

You gotta be kidding me.  He overthrew the democratically elected civilian government in a military coup.  Did you miss that?  Lol

"His coalition has an majority?"
Yeah.  The M-16 and 5.56×45mm Coalition.

[robblok]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

????  Your posts are so far off the mark that I'm never quite sure if you are serious, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you are confusing the 2014 coup with the rigged election in 2019.

 

He stole power in 2014 by using armed forces to remove the democratically elected government. I seem to remember you supported it at the time.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Thai_coup_d'état

 

Your actually right i was wrong. Yes i supported it at the time. But that time is long gone. I have no love for the general want to see him gone.

[Stargeezr]

COVID had determined a lot around the world so far. Not just for elections etc. Just got these numbers off the 

internet.    As of June 17, ASEAN total deaths 86,517.     As of June 18 2021,  Global deaths 3,845,051.  USA deaths 605,915                                                                                                    Brazil deaths, 498,499. India deaths 385,167.  So ASEAN countries numbers are pretty low in comparison to the big 3 countries.

  China and Russia have likely lost a lot of people as well, but harder to get an accurate count from either of them.

  Just my observation of the situation.

Geezer