Staggering victory that requires careful reading

[webfact]

Staggering victory that requires careful reading

 

 

Chatchard Sittipunt’s stunning landslide may have hidden scrambled messages voters in the capital delivered on Sunday in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, but arguably the real nightmare for the shaken powers-that-be was in the outcome of the city assembly votes.

 

He won competing as an independent, leaving the question of “what if?”. How many votes represented the Pheu Thai Party’s power base? How many of the other votes did he earn for himself through a reputation as a hard-working professional with technical abilities? How many votes were cast by those satisfied that he had, seemingly at least, distanced himself from a highly-controversial figure, or Thaksin Shinawatra to be exact? How many votes were pro-Thaksin ones?

 

Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe

 

Former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang was snubbed, losing to even his ex-deputy Sakoltee Phattiyakul. But if votes for the two Prayut appointees were combined, the number must have worried the second and third places. Is it possible that Aswin and Sakoltee took votes off each other and thus narrowly lost to Suchatvee Suwansawas and Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, who both must have enjoyed solid “loyal” bases?

 

A TV commentator asked whether Suchatvee and Wiroj in fact won far fewer votes than they were supposed to, considering what the Democrat and Future Forward (now Move Forward) parties got in the capital in the 2019 election. Future Forward actually emerged as Bangkok’s champion in 2019 in terms of “popular votes” in the capital, garnering more than 804,000 votes. The Democrats got over 474,000 votes. On Sunday, Democrat Suchatvee and Move Forward Wiroj were neck and neck, but neither won more than 26,000 votes.

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-23

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

[internationalism]

yet another senseless drivel from deranged junta and establishment apologist Tulsathit Taptim. Painful reading

[internationalism]

here yesterday's article just before results:

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2022/05/22/opinion-what-can-we-expect-from-leading-candidates-as-new-bangkok-governor/

 

yesterday's night, after closing polling:

"Chadchart’s victory will likely spell bad news for Prayut and his allies. The engineering graduate is generally seen as a liberal-leaning figure, a political rarity in Bangkok elections, which in previous years were largely dominated by conservative and pro-establishment elements. 

The seismic shift is also felt in the election for the 50-seat Bangkok Council, which took place on the same day, with the opposition parties Move Forward and Pheu Thai surfacing as the clear winners, each having won approximately 28 percent of the votes.

https://prachatai.com/english/node/9837

 

and today's morning:

"Chatchart insists he is an independent candidate, although the fact that he formerly served as Transport Minister under the Yingluck Shinawatra administration and that the main opposition Pheu Thai Party did not send any candidate to compete as Bangkok governor this time means many, including his rivals, regard him as a proxy of the party and that of ousted and fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The fears of Thaksin reclaiming political power will most likely dodge governor Chatchart and potentially become very toxic. Chatchart insisted that he will try to strike a compromise to improve the quality of life in Bangkok and that is why he is not running under the Pheu Thai banner.

 

https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish/posts/pfbid02E5dd5pvGh1pR1V8qb6vsUVCqXkutiYc1J8672FpYj8nEZkn85DUsZMwbZY2MPXXQl

[worgeordie]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

a reputation as a hard-working professional with technical abilities? 

Sounds like the best man won , but as an independant ,things are

not going to be easy for him, dirty tricks are going to be coming

to him from all angles.

regards Worgeordie

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

How many votes represented the Pheu Thai Party’s power base? How many of the other votes did he earn for himself through a reputation as a hard-working professional with technical abilities? How many votes were cast by those satisfied that he had, seemingly at least, distanced himself from a highly-controversial figure, or Thaksin Shinawatra to be exact? How many votes were pro-Thaksin ones?

and the one question that wasn't asked: How many votes from people disenchanted by the Prayut/Prawit regime?

[John Drake]

Coming up next? Disqualification.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

and the one question that wasn't asked: How many votes from people disenchanted by the Prayut/Prawit regime?

As you say, how many voted against the establishment.

People want a new normal, and want change in the regime.

[Lacessit]

Independents are possibly a new force in world politics, they got 30% of the votes in the Australian federal elections last Saturday. A record.

Voters are fed up with parties that foster corruption and ignore them, perhaps a straw in the wind.

[toofarnorth]

gubernatorial , now there's a word I must start using.

[BangkokReady]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang was snubbed, losing to even his ex-deputy Sakoltee Phattiyakul. But if votes for the two Prayut appointees were combined, the number must have worried the second and third places. Is it possible that Aswin and Sakoltee took votes off each other and thus narrowly lost to Suchatvee Suwansawas and Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, who both must have enjoyed solid “loyal” bases?

How many governor spots were they?  I thought there was only one.  How can so many being wining and losing against each other?

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, toofarnorth said:

gubernatorial , now there's a word I must start using.

I prefer omphaloskepsis, so much easier than being gubernatorial.

[internationalism]

"Political science professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, noted ahead of the vote that this was the first significant election since the 2014 coup.

“People are hungry to have a say,” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “The result, if it clearly goes against ruling Palang Pracharath, would be consequential for Parliament, Prayuth and no-confidence.”

 

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2022/05/23/bangkok-governors-election-handily-won-by-opposition-figure

 

[pegman]

16 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

and the one question that wasn't asked: How many votes from people disenchanted by the Prayut/Prawit regime?

Were many Thai people ever enchanted with that bunch?  Not likely that's why they had to resort to a coup d'état to get in power in the first place. 

[internationalism]

Prayuth's reaction to defeat of his party (they won only 2 seats at city council, out of 50 - with 34 going to opposition) is unbelievable arrogant, rude and plain stupid. This defeat, and his reaction, spells his fall at accelerated speed. 

His party pal, Prawit, was reasonable.

Still, the election commission has to approve results within 30 days. They might be digging hard for any irregularities.

This election also intensified calls from opposition, for elected governors in all provinces. Only Bangkok and Pattaya has elected governors. All other cities have them nominated by the ministry of interior.

Some more in this yesterday's night article

https://prachatai.com/english/node/9840