Small Thai Parties Crucial To Poll Result, Leaders Say

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EYE ON THE ELECTION

Small parties crucial to poll result, leaders say

By The Nation

Representatives from four major political parties - invited by the Election Commission (EC) to express their vision for the upcoming general election - committed themselves to the poll yesterday. Most believed small parties would play a key role in deciding which major parties will form the next government.

Chamni Sakdisaet, deputy secretary-general of the Democrat Party, said the poll would help steer Thailand away from political crisis.

He admitted voices on the streets opposing the government were growing louder - but said that Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva's decision to call an early election sought to reduce public pressure.

Chamni urged the EC to perform its duty in a professional manner and ensure that the election was transparent. He predicted that no party would gain a majority in the election and that smaller third or fourth ranking parties would play a crucial role in the forming of the next administration.

Somsak Prisananathakul, a de facto leader of the Chart Thai Pattana party and chairman of advisers to the Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, said it would be up to politicians to set the mood and compete only over policies. But he noted that campaign posters he had seen so far were filled with political attacks and not encouraging.

This, he said, was depressing and would lead to more division.

Somsak praised Election Commissioner Sodsri Sattayatham for her work to close loopholes in election law and urged people to believe in the parliamentary system and not allow "invisible hands" to interfere with the ballot. Somsak did not explain who or what were the "invisible hands" he was referring to.

Not all politicians were as bad as portrayed in popular imagination, Somsak said. He agreed that small parties would play a crucial role in forming the next government.

Plodprasop Surasawadee, Pheu Thai's deputy leader, said the election would determine who should run the country. He said in order to avoid political instability, the Constitution should perhaps be amended to ensure that the party which wins the most votes automatically forms government.

He said people should learn from countries like Japan and Italy that changing government every three months or so was no big deal - if the administration no longer enjoyed the people's confidence.

Plodprasop agreed smaller parties would play a key role, but warned that manipulation of the election would lead to larger street protests. The Ministry of the Interior must be strictly neutral and not try to influence the ballot, he said.

Claims that bureaucrats from the Interior Ministry might interfere in the ballot were played down by Prajak Klaewklajarn, chairman of Bhum Jai Thai MPs. He said many ex-governors running for election had failed to get themselves elected, which proved that the ministry, which is currently led by his party, was not as "influential" as people suggest. Prajak warned, however, that street chaos would ensue if some parties refuse to play by the electoral rules.

The EC held training for election investigators yesterday. EC commissioner Visut Photaen said people should stop doubting the parliamentary democracy. Japan, he said, with its imperial system co-existed with a parliamentary democracy and was thriving.

Everything was set, Visut said, and the Army Chief had clearly announced the election would go ahead and that the military would be impartial.

Another EC commissioner, Praphan Naiyakowit, said the date for the election should be no later than July 3 and the EC would endorse all candidates who win within 30 days after the poll. He admitted, however, that if the public did not accept the election was free and fair things would become very complicated.

Sodsri, who was at another function, claimed she had been told that village headmen and tambon chiefs would be utilised by some to influence the vote.

Another EC commissioner, Somchai Juengprasert, said all parties still believed an election was the best solution to political division, although he said he was unsure if all government officials were impartial. He noted that the organic law preventing bureaucrats from taking sides had yet to be passed by Parliament. He urged officials to act impartially to reduce the risk of a military coup.

-- The Nation 2011-04-05

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In any parliamentary democracy in the world where no party wins an overall majority the small parties become vital as they chose who is ion government, so stating the obvious there. Right now there are several countries where the party with the most seats sits in opposition while a party that did a deal with the little ones is in government either locally or nationally.