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Thailand Fights Vote Buying With Black Magic...


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Posted (edited)

REUTERS, Sunday December 2, 3:15 PM

Thailand fights vote buying with black magic, jail

BURIRAM, Thailand (Reuters) - From solemn Buddhist prayers and "black magic" rituals to stiffer fines and longer jail terms, Thailand is going to extraordinary lengths to ensure a clean election this month.

Few analysts believe it will make any difference in the Southeast Asia nation with a long history of patronage and rampant vote buying.

But Kasem Wattanatham, election chief in the northeast province of Buriram, hopes supernatural forces will prevail where more worldly efforts to fight vote fraud do not.

Kasem called in a 90-year-old faith healer to lead 200 officials and police in a "black magic" ceremony where they swore not to breach election laws.

"We are all Buddhist. We all believe in supernatural powers," he said before the faith healer led the group in prayers inviting spirits and gods to hear their oath. "I will show no bias toward any party or politicians. If I show any bias then I deserve any karma that may come to myself and family," the group chanted.

"If I perform my duties righteously, then may my family and I (will) be happy and prosperous".

Academics estimate up to 20 billion baht ($600 million) will be spent on handouts, gifts and bribes to voters in the Dec. 23 election held more than a year after the bloodless coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The coup leaders who promised to clean up Thai politics after ousting the former billionaire telecoms tycoon have made eradicating vote buying a top priority.

Last month, in a ceremony organised by election officials at Bangkok's most sacred Buddhist temple, representatives from 11 political parties took an oath pledging to refrain from vote buying.

VIAGRA FOR VOTES?

More coercive measures are be used as well.

Vote buying can draw a jail sentence of up to 10 years, while the recipient of a bribe could get up to five years in prison. Fines of up to 100,000 baht can also be imposed.

The Election Commission will rule this week on one of the first cases of alleged fraud, involving a petrol station owner in Nakhon Ratchasima accused of buying votes who denies any wrongdoing.

Vote fraud often does not involve a simple exchange of cash. It can be school fees, food handouts or even medicines.

Sayan Nopkham, the brother of a People Power Party candidate in Pathum Thani province, said a rival candidate was discreetly handing out Viagra to voters in his constituency.

"He hands out one or two Viagra pills to middle-aged men when he is campaigning. Another trick is to hand out bags of rice," said Sayan, who declined to name the candidate or party.

He said officials know about it, but do nothing.

One of the more controversial aspects of the anti-vote buying campaign is its reliance on district and village chiefs to report and stop fraudulent activities.

In fact, it is likely to increase fraud because these people are often linked to political parties which can then "operate illegally without fear of being reported", Adam Cooper of the Asian Network for Free Elections wrote in a commentary.

The campaign is "misguided" and "will exacerbate a problem that most people agree is widepsread," he said, citing a poll that found nearly two-thirds of respondents would accept a bribe.

Cooper said more transparency in selecting provincial election commissions, a bigger role for domestic poll observers and improved voter education would be more effective.

"Such measures will not eliminate vote buying overnight," he said. "But if anything is to be done about vote buying, it will require careful analysis and thoughtful planning".

Edited by 7

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