Thai PM Abhisit Says No Plan For Elections This Year

[webfact]

Thai PM says no plan for elections this year

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Friday he had no plans to hold elections this year because more time was needed for reconciliation following the deadliest political unrest in decades.

"The government is not ruling out dissolution (of the lower house of parliament) or early elections but the atmosphere must be more reconciliatory," he said live on television.

"I am not intending to dissolve the House before the end of the year because at the moment my government has stability to pursue policies which benefit people," he said, adding that it would be better to hold the vote in 2011.

Abhisit had proposed November polls in a bid to end two months of crippling protests in Bangkok by the "Red Shirts" movement, but he shelved the plan because demonstrators refused to disperse until the army quashed the rally.

The British-born, Oxford-educated head of the establishment Democrat Party does not have to go to the polls until the end of next year.

His Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said last month on a trip to Brussels that elections could be held in early 2011.

The mass protests by the Reds, who were campaigning for immediate elections, sparked outbreaks of violence that left 90 people dead, mostly civilians, and nearly 1,900 injured, ending with a deadly army crackdown on May 19.

Abhisit launched a hotline on Thursday for people to ring in with their suggestions for national reconciliation after the kingdom's political crisis.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-07-02

[Pib]

There will be early elections. When? About a month before elections must occur in late 2011...that's about as early as it's going to get.

[gotlost]

Did you really think that there would be. I don't think so.

[david555]

There will be early elections. When? About a month before elections must occur in late 2011...that's about as early as it's going to get.

Because he know he will loose them , he is "damaged"

Edited July 2, 2010 by cdnvic
fixed quotes

[rubl]

There will be early elections. When? About a month before elections must occur in late 2011...that's about as early as it's going to get.

Because he know he will loose them , he is "damaged"

At this moment we still have the problems which made an early election in November a bit of a wishful thinking dream. No progress yet in:

- what constitution to use and with which 'improvements'

- who may stand for election and who may not

- how to ensure the safety of candidates when touring the country side

- what power to give the E.C. and how to staff

- what type of observers to allow / invite

- how to avoid vote buying, illegal promises

- how to enforce acceptance of the election result

I'm not targeting reds only here, apply it to all parties and groups.

Elections November 2011 at the latest are a MUST by law. Better hurry answering my questions & doubts.

[NCFC]

More than eighty lives lost because of this man's massive ego.

[rubl]

More than eighty lives lost because of this man's massive ego.

With feelings running as high is this quote suggests, there's still a lot of work to do surely

Edited July 2, 2010 by rubl

[rixalex]

More than eighty lives lost because of this man's massive ego.

Abhisit is not perfect and he has made mistakes, but i don't believe he has a massive ego.

Thaksin on the other hand does, and it was him who put people's lives in danger by hiring them to take on the army.

[cdnvic]

Lets stay on topic and not rehash the same old arguments over and over again ok?

[SomTumTiger]

No reason to have elections. Abhisit has the support of the majority. They are quite content to allow him to govern. Many of the current government's initiatives are good for the long term benefit of Thai people. (no, not all - the cyber scouts crap, is an example of stupidity).

[landofthefree]

More than eighty lives lost because of this man's massive ego.

Abhisit is not perfect and he has made mistakes, but i don't believe he has a massive ego.

Thaksin on the other hand does, and it was him who put people's lives in danger by hiring them to take on the army.

The more I watch Thai politics the more that I realize that the Politicians love having power, that's why Abhisit won't let go of it by having an election. Next after power comes money, how many poor politicians are there? Maybe it's the same in developed countries but I see politicians here being as bad as each other. Abhisit seems to break promises quite often and blatantly lie. I don't think he is at all interetsed in reconciliation with anyone except maybe the real power houses such as the army. I don't know if other posters feel like me about politics in Thailand but I am just bored with the self interest and meglomania that these politicians display while meanwhile none of the are doing anything to improve the country:angry:.

[rubl]

More than eighty lives lost because of this man's massive ego.

Abhisit is not perfect and he has made mistakes, but i don't believe he has a massive ego.

Thaksin on the other hand does, and it was him who put people's lives in danger by hiring them to take on the army.

The more I watch Thai politics the more that I realize that the Politicians love having power, that's why Abhisit won't let go of it by having an election. Next after power comes money, how many poor politicians are there? Maybe it's the same in developed countries but I see politicians here being as bad as each other. Abhisit seems to break promises quite often and blatantly lie. I don't think he is at all interetsed in reconciliation with anyone except maybe the real power houses such as the army. I don't know if other posters feel like me about politics in Thailand but I am just bored with the self interest and meglomania that these politicians display while meanwhile none of the are doing anything to improve the country:angry:.

Have you read my post #5, or only some of the trollish remarks after ?

Edited July 2, 2010 by rubl

[lensta]

I wonder what will happen at the end of next year when there is still no reconciliation?

Will Abhisit find some way to not have an election because there is still work to be done

or if any party wins except that backed by the army, will there be another coup?

[ratcatcher]

More than eighty lives lost because of this man's massive ego.

Abhisit is not perfect and he has made mistakes, but i don't believe he has a massive ego.

Thaksin on the other hand does, and it was him who put people's lives in danger by hiring them to take on the army.

The more I watch Thai politics the more that I realize that the Politicians love having power, that's why Abhisit won't let go of it by having an election. Next after power comes money, how many poor politicians are there? Maybe it's the same in developed countries but I see politicians here being as bad as each other. Abhisit seems to break promises quite often and blatantly lie. I don't think he is at all interetsed in reconciliation with anyone except maybe the real power houses such as the army. I don't know if other posters feel like me about politics in Thailand but I am just bored with the self interest and meglomania that these politicians display while meanwhile none of the are doing anything to improve the country:angry:.

All people who enter politics enjoy the feelings of power that their positions give them.

Abhisit has no need, legal or otherwise, to call elections until his mandate is over. As you know, during the siege of bangkok, early elections were offered and declined.

He,Abhisit, IMHO, has the country's interest at heart. On the other hand, Chalerm or whoever has risen to the top of the pile over at PTP HQ, has only one interest at heart, the restoration of "The Emperor in Exile".

If you read and understood the remarks on post #5, you would understand why elections at this time would be bad for the country.

Fairly easy to understand.

[landofthefree]

More than eighty lives lost because of this man's massive ego.

Abhisit is not perfect and he has made mistakes, but i don't believe he has a massive ego.

Thaksin on the other hand does, and it was him who put people's lives in danger by hiring them to take on the army.

The more I watch Thai politics the more that I realize that the Politicians love having power, that's why Abhisit won't let go of it by having an election. Next after power comes money, how many poor politicians are there? Maybe it's the same in developed countries but I see politicians here being as bad as each other. Abhisit seems to break promises quite often and blatantly lie. I don't think he is at all interetsed in reconciliation with anyone except maybe the real power houses such as the army. I don't know if other posters feel like me about politics in Thailand but I am just bored with the self interest and meglomania that these politicians display while meanwhile none of the are doing anything to improve the country:angry:.

All people who enter politics enjoy the feelings of power that their positions give them.

Abhisit has no need, legal or otherwise, to call elections until his mandate is over. As you know, during the siege of bangkok, early elections were offered and declined.

He,Abhisit, IMHO, has the country's interest at heart. On the other hand, Chalerm or whoever has risen to the top of the pile over at PTP HQ, has only one interest at heart, the restoration of "The Emperor in Exile".

If you read and understood the remarks on post #5, you would understand why elections at this time would be bad for the country.

Fairly easy to understand.

How do you know that Abhisit has the country's interest at heart? I haven't seen any evidence of this whatsoever, he is just the same as all Thai politicians, Thaksin included, wanting his snout in the trough and craving power.

Edited July 2, 2010 by landofthefree

[rixalex]

I haven't seen any evidence of this whatsoever, he is just the same as all Thai politicians, Thaksin included, wanting his snout in the trough and craving power.

If Abhisit has his snout in the trough i guess there must be evidence of him becoming unusually rich since he came into office. Yes?

[jayjay0]

reprint from post #5

good points

- what constitution to use and with which 'improvements'

- who may stand for election and who may not

- how to ensure the safety of candidates when touring the country side

- what power to give the E.C. and how to staff

- what type of observers to allow / invite

- how to avoid vote buying, illegal promises

- how to enforce acceptance of the election result

I'm not targeting reds only here, apply it to all parties and groups.

Perhaps some of the posters who don't agree with Abhist could tell us why these points are unimportant.

[eggomaniac]

No reason to have elections. Abhisit has the support of the majority. They are quite content to allow him to govern. Many of the current government's initiatives are good for the long term benefit of Thai people. (no, not all - the cyber scouts crap, is an example of stupidity).

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/378810-thailand-polls-reds-yellows-here-to-stay/

According to this poll the Democrats are enjoying a 24% approval rating, not quite a 'majority'.[[[ 'stupid' cyber scouts won't have any problems with your Posts, until after the elections, when the other side will use them against the side that initiated them. ]]]]

========================================================

Elections will be like a fuse that set off the explosives, if they don't go off sooner. [f that assassination attempt on the BJT Party leaders had been successful, saved just because it was raining and the fruit seller moved his booby trapped cart, that would have rocked the ABnormal status that has been reached.

[eggomaniac]

There will be early elections. When? About a month before elections must occur in late 2011...that's about as early as it's going to get.

Because he know he will loose them , he is "damaged"

At this moment we still have the problems which made an early election in November a bit of a wishful thinking dream. No progress yet in:

- what constitution to use and with which 'improvements'

- who may stand for election and who may not

- how to ensure the safety of candidates when touring the country side

- what power to give the E.C. and how to staff

- what type of observers to allow / invite

- how to avoid vote buying, illegal promises

- how to enforce acceptance of the election result

I'm not targeting reds only here, apply it to all parties and groups.

Elections November 2011 at the latest are a MUST by law. Better hurry answering my questions & doubts.

All very good points which have been raised over and over again, for decades, by several groups: insurmountble hurdles to achieving a 'normal' climate.

While Thailand has been 'officially' a democracy since the 1930's, it was not until the end of the last century that interludes, in fits and stops of real representation by the People was able to emerge, to be recently quashed, again.

The WHOLE process is about the red and yellow pigs trying to get their noses in the trough. Corruption is the first rule of the game and the 'willing' participants are, in a perverted sense, also victims of a really stupid, Made in the West, system of Government that does not blend with cultural and historical influences of Thailand. The Khana Ratsadon were divided and squabbling among themselves before they even left France, over marxist and facist ideals. With the 'possible' exception of Khun Chuan Leekpai, who 'somehow' rose to the PM seat from humble beginnings, 80 years of Thai 'elections' and coups have been about gangsters, not politicians.

If there was a stable government they would be able to arrest and convict criminals who close airports and burn malls.

The only way the NEXT elections will go off smoothly is if Thaksin AND Sondhi are BOTH in jail, preferably in the same cell.

I don't know if I am the only one predicting Thailand will break up into 3 or 4 countries. It appears inevitable, to me. The NEXT elections could be the trigger point for that explosion, quite easily.

Rubl's points are quite astute, but if you search Yahoo, Bing, Google, you will find organizations and groups who have been dedicated to these kinds of problems for decades.

How do you convince mobsters to give up their cash cows?

============

not to mention Joseph has been Posting on these points for nearly 3 years now

Edited July 2, 2010 by eggomaniac

[Jingthing]

Good choice not to rush elections now. There could have been early elections, but y'all know what happened when that concession was offered. Next ...

[march]

not to mention Joseph has been Posting on these points for nearly 3 years now

Who is Joseph and what has he been posting?

[shadiadi]

Good way to infuriate the people even more, add a bit more fuel to the fire and it will start all over again.

People might start asking wil their ever be any elections?

[jackdawson]

way to go abby

and 2 think , when they were "camping" at ratchaprasong , the jailed red leaders were offered an election this year

but noooooooooooo , that wasn't good enough

an election on schedule at the end of next year is fine . by then , the PTP should be total mush ( and broke if nothing else)

we need the peace and quietude the PM has brought to this great country . past 2 nights he had even brought great rain to the land , easing the drought . a great man .

Edited July 3, 2010 by jackdawson

[rreddin]

Good way to infuriate the people even more, add a bit more fuel to the fire and it will start all over again.

People might start asking wil their ever be any elections?

In a way it is good that may ordinary Thais do not speak or read English. It is also good the the Bangkok Post does not enjoy a massive circulation. For, if either of these things were true, ordinary This would have been able to read the excellent anaylsis of the "road map" and reconcilliation process that newspaer published a few weeks back.

The BP called it a "road map to nowhere" and poured scorn on the reconcilliation process that is not inclusive. Their article was full of faint praise for the "truth commission", which it said was not intended to discover the truth of what happened but to ensure that there was no blame on the government. This will come as no surpise to that significant part of the population that does not support the governing coalition. However, even they recognize that holding an election, which his coalition is likely to lose, before the commission has whitewashed the government would not be Abhisit's brightest idea.

The fire may have died down but it has not been extinguished.

[Ulysses G.]

Good choice not to rush elections now. There could have been early elections, but y'all know what happened when that concession was offered. Next ...

Jingthing is spot on. 

[tonywebster]

<br>way to go abby<br><br>and 2 think , when they were "camping" at ratchaprasong , the jailed red leaders were offered an election<b><i> this </i></b>year <br><br>but noooooooooooo , that wasn't good enough<br><br>an election on schedule at the end of next  year is fine . by then , the PTP should be total mush ( and broke if nothing else)<br><br>we need the peace and quietude the PM has brought to this great country .  past 2 nights he had even brought great rain to the land , easing the drought .  a great man .<br>

<br><br>lets be honest here, they were no really offered elections this year, it was dangled with the hope if ending the protests and could have been removed at any time as it had so many conditions attached to it. I am sure the red leaders know abhist better than any of us and could see the lies from the liar for exactly what they were.<br>

[tonywebster]

Good choice not to rush elections now. There could have been early elections, but y'all know what happened when that concession was offered. Next ...

Jingthing is spot on.

there was never going to be early elections, I refer you to my post above.

Did you guys honestly believe that?

I don't know what is more embarrassing, Thais buying the propaganda or westerners buying it

[rixalex]

Good choice not to rush elections now. There could have been early elections, but y'all know what happened when that concession was offered. Next ...

Jingthing is spot on.

there was never going to be early elections, I refer you to my post above.

Did you guys honestly believe that?

Yes i do. Had the reds accepted the offer of early elections and gone home (rather than staying to burn Bangkok down), for Abhisit to then retract the offer, there would have been widespread condemnation, and not just from the reds. Abhisit's credibility and any chance of election success would have been ruined.

The offer of elections i believe was genuine, and even if (as you think) it wasn't, the reds should have accepted it and shown Abhisit to be the liar you believe him to be. Red credibilty would have soared. Instead, by their stupid criminal actions, it plummeted. What a masterstroke!

[kissdani]

Good choice not to rush elections now. There could have been early elections, but y'all know what happened when that concession was offered. Next ...

Jingthing is spot on.

there was never going to be early elections, I refer you to my post above.

Did you guys honestly believe that?

I don't know what is more embarrassing, Thais buying the propaganda or westerners buying it

Not many Thai people actually believe Abhisit or support that govt.

[rixalex]

Not many Thai people actually believe Abhisit or support that govt.

Not many people can claim to know what 60 odd million people are thinking. You are clearly the exception.