Up To One Million Thais Deprived Of Vote: Watchdog

[webfact]

Up to one million Thais deprived of vote: watchdog

BANGKOK, July 5, 2011 (AFP) - Up to one million Thais were disenfranchised ahead of the kingdom's crucial recent election because of outdated lists of voters, an international monitoring group said Tuesday.

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), which deployed observers nationwide for the polls, said the process was "peaceful and orderly" but raised "significant concerns" about the advance voting day held on June 26.

The opposition party linked to ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra won a majority of seats in the July 3 poll, which passed "without any major incident which would call into question the election's results," ANFREL said.

But the group said the use of a 2007 list of advance voters for this year's poll deprived 500,000 to one million people of the right to vote, with the election commission not properly informing voters of the need to re-register.

"To date, this issue is the most substantial problem encountered regarding election administration," said an ANFREL statement. About 47 million people were eligible to vote in the Thai ballot.

ANFREL added that "vote-buying and the detrimental effect of money politics" were still long-term challenges for Thailand, and the group flagged reports of intimidation and isolated cases of violence during the campaign.

Damaso Magbual, chairman of ANFREL, said the military had generally acted "professionally and neutrally" during the election, with some exceptions such as soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes.

Four Thai soldiers were arrested in the northeast for allegedly intimidating opposition activists last week, police said, amid widespread concerns that the powerful army would meddle in the political system around the election.

After ousting Thaksin with a coup in 2006, the military has said it will accepted the result of the vote, which will see his sister Yingluck Shinawatra become Thailand's first female premier at the head of his Puea Thai party.

"I think (the) military will think twice before they do anything wrong, considering what is happening in the Middle East right now," Magbual said.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-07-05

[OzMick]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

[geriatrickid]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

Umm, have you considered the option that the soldiers when rotated out for voting would have left the arms at the barracks like they do elsewhere? Even in gun crazed USA, voters with visible guns are not allowed in polling stations. From a public safety perspective, allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright.

[Nisa]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

Umm, have you considered the option that the soldiers when rotated out for voting would have left the arms at the barracks like they do elsewhere? Even in gun crazed USA, voters with visible guns are not allowed in polling stations. From a public safety perspective, allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright.

Gun laws are different depending on the city and state in the US. Can't speak for all the states but I know Michigan allows citizens to openly carry firearms into the voting booth.

Maybe because voters in the gun crazed US might feel intimidated if they didn't pack some heat when voting

Edited July 5, 2011 by Nisa

[badmedicine]

There's a half-asleep half-red-bulled half-whiskyed cop on the corner of my soi whose packing a very nice and shiny Berretta. No one - neither the kids racing Scoopyi motorbikes or the old grannies hefting their veggies back from the market - gives him or his gun a second thought.

Edited July 5, 2011 by badmedicine

[ginjag]

There's a half-asleep half-red-bulled half-whiskyed cop on the corner of my soi whose packing a very nice and shiny Berretta. No one - neither the kids racing Scoopyi motorbikes or the old grannies hefting their veggies back from the market - gives him or his gun a second thought.

Does that mean that tourists and the like were deprived of a w/e drinking 26th June, ending in a farce, as up to 1 million people were done out of their advanced vote because of out of date lists--amazing. so I just then wonder where were these areas, and what Thais were deprived.

1 million is a fair lot of lost votes, apart from the inconvenience to the tourist trade.

[rakman]

There's a half-asleep half-red-bulled half-whiskyed cop on the corner of my soi whose packing a very nice and shiny Berretta. No one - neither the kids racing Scoopyi motorbikes or the old grannies hefting their veggies back from the market - gives him or his gun a second thought.

Does that mean that tourists and the like were deprived of a w/e drinking 26th June, ending in a farce, as up to 1 million people were done out of their advanced vote because of out of date lists--amazing. so I just then wonder where were these areas, and what Thais were deprived.

1 million is a fair lot of lost votes, apart from the inconvenience to the tourist trade.

In the words of Elder Chicago Mayor Daley: "Vote early and vote often!"

[JAG]

There's a half-asleep half-red-bulled half-whiskyed cop on the corner of my soi whose packing a very nice and shiny Berretta. No one - neither the kids racing Scoopyi motorbikes or the old grannies hefting their veggies back from the market - gives him or his gun a second thought.

Mind you, I expect he's never fired it, never cleaned it (apart from polishing the outside), certainly never oiled it, and the rounds have been in the mag so long that the spring is absolutely buggered!

[ColinChapman]

as up to 1 million people were done out of their advanced vote because of out of date lists

I think they were done out of their vote on July 3rd, because the EC carried over the 2007 advance voting list, i.e. if you registered to advance vote in Bangkok at the last election but your household registration is in Buriram and this time you were at home in Buriram, your name was not on the voter list in Buriram because you were still regiostered to vote in advance in Bangkok. Many people were caught out by this, including Major General Chamlong Srimuang who was pictured in the Bangkok Post looking very disconsolate after having been refused a vote. A big problem for him, because if you don't vote, you are banned from being an MP. The EC apparently didn't tell anyone about this rule, so people didn't realise that they had to explicitly go and register at their home polling station.

My wife and several of her colleagues registered for the advance vote this time and were not told about this rule, i.e. they were not warned that their registration at an advance vote polling station in Bangkok will continue to be in effect for all future elections until they change it themselves.

[hardy1943]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

Umm, have you considered the option that the soldiers when rotated out for voting would have left the arms at the barracks like they do elsewhere? Even in gun crazed USA, voters with visible guns are not allowed in polling stations. From a public safety perspective, allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright.

Being an X military man myself I can honestly say most are not to bright that is why they are there and it applies to every country in the world. Being myself 6'4" and being from the so called gun crazed USA

I myself had never much use for automatic weapon but my observation was that most of short friend loved them and also fast powerful cars. I hope I did not start anything!

[OzMick]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

Umm, have you considered the option that the soldiers when rotated out for voting would have left the arms at the barracks like they do elsewhere? Even in gun crazed USA, voters with visible guns are not allowed in polling stations. From a public safety perspective, allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright.

You are making the assumptions that there was a rotation to vote, and a nearby barracks. Why should a soldier on a remote duty lose his right to vote?

"........... allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright." This was exactly my point - soldiers are authorized persons, handing your weapon to an election official would be unthinkable.

[robokop]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

Umm, have you considered the option that the soldiers when rotated out for voting would have left the arms at the barracks like they do elsewhere? Even in gun crazed USA, voters with visible guns are not allowed in polling stations. From a public safety perspective, allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright.

Gun crazed USA?

Where did you get that from?

[scania]

There's a half-asleep half-red-bulled half-whiskyed cop on the corner of my soi whose packing a very nice and shiny Berretta. No one - neither the kids racing Scoopyi motorbikes or the old grannies hefting their veggies back from the market - gives him or his gun a second thought.

Mind you, I expect he's never fired it, never cleaned it (apart from polishing the outside), certainly never oiled it, and the rounds have been in the mag so long that the spring is absolutely buggered!

Beilieve it or not but they are not allowed to walk around with the guns loaded. They can only keep them there unloaded and the shots in the box.

[londonthai]

soldiers are authorized persons, handing your weapon to an election official would be unthinkable.

soldiers do not carry guns on the street in thailand, unless there is a disorder and they do replace/help cops. That's why it's mentioned about in the report, but there were isolated incidents than en masse.

my wife is registered for voting in a consulate abroad, yet the reminder, with the polling station address, came to our house in bangkok. Surely, there is something wrong with the ec

[Chopperboy]

soldiers are authorized persons, handing your weapon to an election official would be unthinkable.

soldiers do not carry guns on the street in thailand, unless there is a disorder and they do replace/help cops. That's why it's mentioned about in the report, but there were isolated incidents than en masse.

Thai soldiers do carry weapons openly everyday in public, in border towns like Mae Sot, Mae Hong Song, Mae Sai etc..

[thaihome]

Much to do about basically nothing.

The requirement to re-register at your home province if you wish to change back to voting at home has been in place since advance voting came about with the 1997 constitution. It was put in place so people wouldn’t have to register for advance voting each year.

I bet if they made a requirement that you had to register each year, people would be complaining that people were disenfranchised because it was unfair to require people to register each year.

Early Voting Thailand

The soldiers caring weapons were apparently in one of the southern provinces where soldiers are required to carry weapons at all times, an understandable rule it would seem to me.

TH

[OZEMADE]

soldiers are authorized persons, handing your weapon to an election official would be unthinkable.

soldiers do not carry guns on the street in thailand, unless there is a disorder and they do replace/help cops. That's why it's mentioned about in the report, but there were isolated incidents than en masse.

Thai soldiers do carry weapons openly everyday in public, in border towns like Mae Sot, Mae Hong Song, Mae Sai etc..

Most Military that are carrying weapons are on duty, wether it is on the borders or assisting the Police.

[OZEMADE]

Getting back to the TOPIC, what about the Thousands of Thai's that were deprived of voting at the Embassies all around the world.

They were not warned that they had to register their name at the Thai Embassy of the country they were in, 4 weeks before the election.

This was to enable them to Pre-Vote on the 17th & 18th of last Month, giving plenty of time for the votes to be counted back in Thailand.

I wonder who stuffed that up at the Electoral Commission.

[Nisa]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

Umm, have you considered the option that the soldiers when rotated out for voting would have left the arms at the barracks like they do elsewhere? Even in gun crazed USA, voters with visible guns are not allowed in polling stations. From a public safety perspective, allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright.

Gun crazed USA?

Where did you get that from?

I'm from the US and am not a gun advocate nor do I like this label but it is label that is hard to argue with ... http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/08/28/us-world-firearms-idUSL2834893820070828

[Bagwan]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

Umm, have you considered the option that the soldiers when rotated out for voting would have left the arms at the barracks like they do elsewhere? Even in gun crazed USA, voters with visible guns are not allowed in polling stations. From a public safety perspective, allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright.

Gun crazed USA?

Where did you get that from?

Reality? Armed guards at schools?

The US would be a better place if the Constitution said that people had the right to bare arms i.e. rollup their sleeves and work. Maybe something got lost in the translation?

[Nisa]

".............. soldiers bringing weapons into polling booths when they cast their votes."

I suppose some people might feel intimidated by this, whereas the soldiers probably didn't give it a seconds thought. Never in the position, but I can't possibly imagine handing it over while I voted - the potential for something going wrong (and the repercussions) are just too enormous.

Umm, have you considered the option that the soldiers when rotated out for voting would have left the arms at the barracks like they do elsewhere? Even in gun crazed USA, voters with visible guns are not allowed in polling stations. From a public safety perspective, allowing non authorized people with automatic weapons is not overly bright.

Gun crazed USA?

Where did you get that from?

Reality? Armed guards at schools?

The US would be a better place if the Constitution said that people had the right to bare arms i.e. rollup their sleeves and work. Maybe something got lost in the translation?

I tell you one thing that Thailand has over the US and that is a changing constitution. So, many people in the US refer to the constitution and what the founding fathers opinions were when in reality that was 200 years ago and things were very very different. Instead of simply changing the constitution to fit with things now as well as lessons learned we have a supreme court that constantly decides how the constitution will be interpreted.

Although the constitution says "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." but in reality the laws vary from state to state as well as federally in terms of what kind of weapons you may own, who may own them, if you can carry them outside the home and so on ... In places like California you are free to carry a visible weapon in public as long as it is not loaded but you will almost surely be arrested for "brandishing a firearm in a rude, angry, or threatening manner" which could simply mean that the clerk at McDonalds saw your holstered pistol when you complained about not getting enough ketchup.

Lets hope developing nations such as Thailand never take lessons from the US for such things and instead use their head and simply change the constitution since a place like the US no longer needs a "militia" (the sole reason given in the constitution for this right) as the US military budget is near equal to all other countries put together.

[djlest]

i get sick to death of this 'western hypothesizing' of what the Thais may be thinking, feeling, or why 2+2 = 22 instead of 4 in Thailand...

If you don't get it - You don't get it... maybe your just 'thinking too much'

Thais are not scared of guns - because they don'y misuse them or carry them around like egomaniacs in the USA...

Thai police very rarely use their 'weapons' to 'show off' or prance about like in the USA where cops follow god complexes as soon as they are packing.

Thai police rarely even take their guns out of the holsters - but they will happily wander the streets with them,

do the Thais feel threatened by this - absolutely not... and why should they?

Because Thais are not MACHISMO or use guns to inflict western machismo fear into others...

Thai police are certainly corrupt and bent too - but at least they don't have excessive ego issues and testosterone

The same applies for the military...

So is that the real reason voters didn't turn up to vote?

Here is a thought: Just maybe no one was worth voting for - so instead of voting 'bad versus badder'

They just thought - ill leave that job for the others to decide - too much effort for me...

[djlest]

because the EC carried over the 2007 advance voting list, i.e. if you registered to advance vote in Bangkok at the last election but your household registration is in Buriram and this time you were at home in Buriram, your name was not on the voter list in Buriram because you were still regiostered to vote in advance in Bangkok.

so if thats true, hypotetically all the Isarn folk who live in Bangkok but are registered back home - probably didnt vote red due to the deprived voting system...

Now that's a scary thought...