Fierce Battles, Vote Buying Expected In Upcoming Thailand Polls

[webfact]

ELECTION

Fierce battles, vote buying expected in upcoming polls

By The Nation

The Election Commission expects serious vote-buying moves and cut-throat competition in the run-up to the next general elections.

EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said yesterday that rival political parties would be engaged in fierce battles - both on the surface and underground - to win governing power. He also said he expected EC officials and investigators to have a tough time looking into allegations of electoral fraud, saying there would be obstacles and political interference at both the local and national level.

EC member Prapun Naigowit expects severe competition among the parties and their candidates, saying the commission was worried there could be a repeat of incidents such as those at the 2009 by-elections, when some candidates' supporters prevented their competitors from campaigning.

"The EC is worried such incidents will take place again in many areas," he said.

Prapun also warned that the EC might disqualify candidates suspected of being behind or supporting such aggressive action, adding that vote buying was expected given the fierce competition.

Somchai Juengprasert, an EC member in charge of investigation, said it was difficult for his team to find concrete evidence proving that votes had been bought because tactics used were too sophisticated, such as making money transfers directly to the bank accounts of voters.

"In the past, the law only punished vote buyers, but now it punishes both the buyer and seller. So, voters don't file complaints once they get the money," he said.

The commissioners were speaking during a training session held in Bangkok yesterday for 622 EC investigators from 11 Central provinces. The participants included police officers, public prosecutors, as well as EC officials.

Somchai said the EC would focus on stopping candidates found involved in electoral fraud from entering the House of Representatives, and in order to achieve this goal, efficient investigators were necessary.

He said that while the 1997 constitution empowered the EC to disqualify winning candidates even after it has endorsed the outcome of the election, the current charter requires the commission to seek a court order first.

Somchai said that in practice the court process strictly relied on witnesses, and in some cases, the witnesses withdrew their testimony against vote-buying candidates.

"The EC strategy is to complete the investigation while it still has the power to disqualify candidates [within seven days after election]," Somchai said. "The investigators can help us effectively implement EC's strategy to keep bad people out of Parliament."

As for the three organic laws that will be amended for the upcoming election, Apichart said yesterday the EC was preparing the final drafts and he expected the amendments to be handed in for parliamentary deliberation tomorrow.

Apichart said it was the prime minister's intention to help push for the organic laws - rewritten to keep in line with recent changes made in the relevant constitutional clauses - to be passed by Parliament before House dissolution. However, he added that if the House is dissolved before the laws are passed, the EC would need to issue temporary orders for holding the next election without violating the amended charter.

-- The Nation 2011-03-17

[SomTumTiger]

Step up for your 500 baht - Thaksin Shinawatra.

[Bakseedaa]

Step up for your 500 baht - Thaksin Shinawatra.

word from up-country is the rate has gone up to 800 bahts.. so the missus tells me... and if PTP win the election, everyone will be rich within 6 months... That is RICH.....!!!!!

[Thailand]

Step up for your 500 baht - Thaksin Shinawatra.

You think vote buying is one sided?

[givenall]

Let’s just declare the one who is willing to spend the mostfor vote a winner. Why waste time and stop pretending

[Payboy]

Somchai Juengprasert, an EC member in charge of investigation, said it was difficult for his team to find concrete evidence proving that votes had been bought because tactics used were too sophisticated, such as making money transfers directly to the bank accounts of voters.

Something wrong with this statement? Wouldn't bank transfers be easier to trace than a 500 baht note slipped in to someone's hand in a dark soi?

And since when is a bank transfer considered sophisticated?

Edited March 17, 2011 by Payboy

[hammered]

This time there will be a lot more money as there will be the entrance of business groups who dont usually get involved but who suffered in May. That in turn will mean the other side will also spend more. It will have an effect on the outcome, but an effect that is impossible to measure.

[hyperdimension]

Bank accounts of anyone associated with candidates should be monitored.

Undercover people should be hired to pretend to want to accept money for votes.

Everything should be filmed (or at least audio recorded) to capture any evidence of possible vote buying.

Edited March 17, 2011 by hyperdimension

[KKvampire]

An "election" that will be not be worthy of the name. A state found on corruption where those who are not involved want a part of the action rather than changing it.

[ianbaggie]

Step up for your 500 baht - Thaksin Shinawatra.

You think vote buying is one sided?

Yes but only Shinawatra openly campaigns with it as a policy - "and when I come back - You guys wont have to line up for your 500 baht" Thaksin Shinawatra - 04 05 10

[ianbaggie]

I havent seen a Thai election before - I' ve seen and been in the middle of a red shirt protest though - If the election is as eye opening as that, then it will leave me with experiences to post on here for YEARS to come!! Thaksin has already deposited the 40 billion baht for his bribes according to his statement on Wednesday last!!

[monkfish]

Step up for your 500 baht - Thaksin Shinawatra.

The going rate in Chonburi last election was 2000 baht but that wasn't from Thaksins party

Wonder what it be this time around with inflation an all. 3000-4000?

I wonder if civil servants and army will be free to vote how they want?

Edited March 17, 2011 by monkfish

[rubl]

Step up for your 500 baht - Thaksin Shinawatra.

The going rate in Chonburi last election was 2000 baht but that wasn't from Thaksins party

Wonder what it be this time around with inflation an all. 3000-4000?

I wonder if civil servants and army will be free to vote how they want?

Just wondering which election you're referring to. Maybe the last general election December 2007 when the "Democrats completely displaced the Khunploem faction in Chonburi."

"In the ‘loyalist areas’ (south and city for DP, upper north and core northeast for PPP, Suphan-and-around for Chat Thai), there was clearly voting by team: all two/three candidates of the winning party got very similar numbers of votes.

In the south and lower north, voting seems to have been more personal. In over half of the constituencies here, the MPs returned come from two or three different parties."

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/12/27/mapping-the-result/

A few elected candidates were red/yellow carded, but can't find any on Chonburi.

Most polls asking the question 'who you vote for' show civil servants / army almost equally split over PTP and Dem's. Something you'd expect to see.

Edited March 17, 2011 by rubl

[softgeorge]

With vote buying how can you take an election seriously? It's not a good foundation for a fair democratically elected government if you can buy your seat.

[bartender100]

He's coming back, will there be pay back for us Brits, for kicking him out of the UK ?

[Emptyset]

Step up for your 500 baht - Thaksin Shinawatra.

You think vote buying is one sided?

Yes but only Shinawatra openly campaigns with it as a policy - "and when I come back - You guys wont have to line up for your 500 baht" Thaksin Shinawatra - 04 05 10

He was clearly referring to the 500 baht pension given by the Democrats. Nothing to do with vote buying.

[Emptyset]

Most polls asking the question 'who you vote for' show civil servants / army almost equally split over PTP and Dem's. Something you'd expect to see.

Surely he was referring to the fact that the army (or certain commanders, anyway) ordered troops to vote in a certain way. This is detailed in the ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) report on the election, I'll have a look for it later!

[rayw]

How much longer are these really ignorant officials going to take to realise that running such vote buying corrupt elections is a total and utter waste of time, UNLESS monitored by UN or similar unbiased external organisations. As before it will not solve a thing as nobody on the losing side will ever accept the election as true and genuine unless it can be acceptably certified as honest and true by an international external unbiased monitoring body. Surely everyone must have enough brains to realise that, so why waste time and money on yet another pointless and expensive scam election?? Just unbelievably the most stupid brain dead thing to do!!! Come on Thailand time you grew up and stopped acting like spoiled children only then will you ever have a more peaceful stable and fair country.

Edited March 17, 2011 by rayw

[fatfather]

Step up for your 500 baht - Thaksin Shinawatra.

The going rate in Chonburi last election was 2000 baht but that wasn't from Thaksins party

Wonder what it be this time around with inflation an all. 3000-4000?

I wonder if civil servants and army will be free to vote how they want?

In my village it was 500 Baht/head to go to BKK and participate at the red shirt rally, buying votes was mostly only 100 Baht or one/two kg of pork. If a man makes 170 Baht/day 100 Baht for a cross is nice, a bottle of lao khao... Peolple like elections here, easy money

fatfather

[rubl]

Most polls asking the question 'who you vote for' show civil servants / army almost equally split over PTP and Dem's. Something you'd expect to see.

Surely he was referring to the fact that the army (or certain commanders, anyway) ordered troops to vote in a certain way. This is detailed in the ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) report on the election, I'll have a look for it later!

I also remember having read the 'advise by seniors'. That includes military, police, civil servant top, any of the local men / family in a patronage position. It will take more than just a few years to get rid of this as it has been ongoing for decades if not centuries.

[asiawatcher]

"... As for the three organic laws that will be amended for the upcoming election"

Care to explain an organic law?

[canuckamuck]

As usual my wife will take the money and then vote for the other guy. Sum num na she says

[Seanextra]

its 1000 baht here i think your wives are holding out on you guys!