Former Minister Openly Calling For Military Coup.

[sriracha john]

That governance problem is a result of vote buying. If the governance is bad parties does not get elected again in normal countries. While here they know they can make what they want, they get elected again if they push 200 Baht over the table (and that they won't get elected if they don't do it).

How many times do we have to tell you? You take the 200 baht & vote for whoever you like. It's still secret.

Hopefully one less time than we have to tell you that the 2006 election was annulled, in large part, because voting was NOT secret.

Edited October 13, 2008 by sriracha john

[soundman]

That governance problem is a result of vote buying. If the governance is bad parties does not get elected again in normal countries. While here they know they can make what they want, they get elected again if they push 200 Baht over the table (and that they won't get elected if they don't do it).

How many times do we have to tell you? You take the 200 baht & vote for whoever you like. It's still secret.

This was the big problem with the 2005 elections - the booths were arranged so that all the enforcers could see who everybody was voting for and making sure they weren't getting stiffed.

And it doesn't stop the "paid not to vote" people who have to give up their ID card for election day for their 200B.

[geriatrickid]

It is easy to condemn the current government for the allegations of voting fraud. However, please note that it was the former military junta that was in charge for the last election. It was that junta that had an opportunity to allow observers and yet, the Election Commission of Thailand refused to sign a memorandum of understanding with the European Union on election monitoring, saying that the request was an interference in its domestic affairs. The junta could have made a difference had it said yes.

[sriracha john]

With the repeated red and yellow cards (5 more today) and the former House Speaker's banishment, I think we can safely move beyond using the term "allegations" in regards to the current government.

[dotcom]

Where is the King Maker Sanan. He never got to sit at the top of the table?

[Crushdepth]

a ) this guy can go from being in the government and in two days

to publicaly speaking unequivocal insurrection or even treasonous talk,

and yet NOTHING is done about him....

Yeah if there was ever a case for treason, calling for the army to chuck out your own party must be pretty close to top of the list! Amazing Thailand.

[khunjamespittman]

allow the majority of citizens to assemble around the people that they want to be their leaders and help determine their destiny.

That's not how it works in Thailand, not in the rural areas under complete dominance of locally strong political parties, be it South for Democrats, Suphan for Chart Thai, or Isan for TRT/PPP.

Thanks for your comment.

I see many posts here that are very condescending to group (class) of people frequently referred to as rural or farmers. It is presumptuous to assume that we are in any way superior to any other person in our countries. Mutual respect is a far better relationship in a civilized world. Every farmer does not require a Phd in Political Science. If someone believes that a particular group doesn't have some necessity that would make them a more productive citizen (ie. from your implication, able to cast a better vote) then we should try to educate those persons so that the country would be a better place and they could could cast a more informed vote. Having achieved that we should not assume that these people will ever act or do everything we like. In a Democracy everyone has an equal right for their opinions and everyone deserves a mutual respect.

You think there's civil strife now? Just watch what the reaction of the urban middle and upper classes would be to the outcome of an election wherein the poor of this country put aside their regional differences and cast truly informed votes- votes supporting a genuine champion of the poor majority. A truly educated rural vote would - and probably eventually will (hence the perceived need for a New Politics)- result in the kind of governments we now see in much of Latin America- wherein THaksin's paltry attempts at populism will be looked back on (fondly) as nothing more than crumbs that didn't really hurt the tax paying minority too much at all.

Thanks for your comment.

Sorry, I don't find anything worthy of comment. If you are looking for a fight you didn't find it here. Vitriolic comments seldom accomplish anything other that more vitriolic comments. We all understand your hatred. Your words have no affect on your perceived enemies. Hatred is not a solution, only an excuse. From your comments I would suppose that you are too young to have ever seen actual civil strife. Perhaps you read about it somewhere. If you ever were confronted by it then you would never wish it on any human being. I suggest, perhaps, a calmer and more rational approach. The idea is to save Thailand not destroy it.

[unforgiven]

Personally think a coup will be an outright disaster, especially with the current international financial turmoil. Remember the last time the military had a play with the economy?

Dissolve the house, call another election and keep a close eye on the preceding (handing out cards where necessary etc), just like the last time. Yes, it'll be a slow process, but a coup will only slow it down further.

This would be the best idea..........the middle way.They should also try and restrict the vote buying in the villages.A coup only makes it seem like things are really out of controll.I't's time to have the political scene cool off and considering the world wide economic meltdown they'd better get their ducks in order or the 97 meltdown will look trivial

Edited October 14, 2008 by unforgiven

[unforgiven]

It is easy to condemn the current government for the allegations of voting fraud. However, please note that it was the former military junta that was in charge for the last election. It was that junta that had an opportunity to allow observers and yet, the Election Commission of Thailand refused to sign a memorandum of understanding with the European Union on election monitoring, saying that the request was an interference in its domestic affairs. The junta could have made a difference had it said yes.

agreed , they really drop the ball on that

[blaze]

It is easy to condemn the current government for the allegations of voting fraud. However, please note that it was the former military junta that was in charge for the last election. It was that junta that had an opportunity to allow observers and yet, the Election Commission of Thailand refused to sign a memorandum of understanding with the European Union on election monitoring, saying that the request was an interference in its domestic affairs. The junta could have made a difference had it said yes.

agreed , they really drop the ball on that

To permit objective observers to get involved would risk disproving the received wisdom that all governments whose support comes from the north and north east are bought. As long as the assumption of massive vote buying can be taken as fact (in the absense of objective evidence to the contrary), any government which threatens the interests of the establishment can be deemed as illigitimate. Thus coups, royally appointed PMs, street protests are no less valid as a means of establishing a government. Whether or not there is massive vote buying- the assumption that there is supports those who would change the government using non-constitutional methods.

[TAWP]

blaze>> Don't you follow the news regarding red and yellow cards...?

Seems you are still harping that things are only 'alleged'...

[brahmburgers]

It's like building a house - Thai style.

The house being a metaphor for a constitution. The house gets started on an imperfect foundation - built by Gang A (greedy, pompous, self-serving bumblers). The materials are also inferior. Sometimes the house gets near completion but then Gang B (military brass) comes along and tears it down (a coup d'etat). Gang B tries to re-built the house, but has even less house-building skills than Gang A. They get a semblence of a house built, but then the a ragtag group we'll call Gang C (who look a lot like Gang A) gets voted in to power by a corrupt pay-off called 'an election' and the pattern continues.

Edited October 15, 2008 by brahmburgers