Election Day In Thailand

hammered · April 3, 2006

ITV is reporting that TRT won 44.4% of votes cast with 85% counted. It seems this story is also starting to do the rounds on some international media sites. No official confirmation yet.

jdinasia · April 3, 2006

he should have mentioned that W has one of the lowest approval ratings from his electorate of any Prez ever

Plus · April 3, 2006

His results seem to be different from ITV's published less than an hour ago.

Nevertheless, let the mess begin.

Losing elections was the easiest way out for him.

38 constituencies with no MPs, a lot more with less than 50% and people saying TRT lost there.

Charges brought against EC in "unfriendly court", EC itself "investigating" why Thaksin might have given away money at political rallies.

Wednesday PAD will be in Songkla, Friday back in Bangkok.

Lively week guaranteed.

The commitee he's asking for better recommend him to resign.

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

GO NOW - lyrics - Thai Rak Thai's lament for Thaksin -

We've already said

Goodbye

Since you gotta go, oh you'd better

Go now go now, go now (Go now)

Before you see me cry

I don't want you to tell me just what you intend to do now

'Cause how many times do I have to tell you darlin', darlin'

I'm still in love with you now

Whoa-oh-oh-oh

We've already said

So long

I don't wanna see you go, oh you'd better

Go now go now, go now (Go now)

Don't you even try

Tellin' me that you really don't want it to end this way

'Cause darlin', darlin', can't you see I want you to stay

Yeah, yeah

Since you gotta go, oh you'd better

Go now go now, go now (Go now)

Before you see me cry

I don't want you to tell me just what you intend to do now

'Cause how many times do I have to tell you darlin', darlin'

I'm still in love still in love with you now

Whoa-oh-oh-oh

I don't wanna see you go but darlin', you better go now

Plus · April 3, 2006

In the meantime, airport won't be open in June. Some work is not completed yet, and then - this is officially mentioned for the first time - there will be six-seven months IAA testing.

http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/r...newsid=30000860

You can get away with bloody murder while the whole country is glued to Thaksin's interview.

Anyone is still watching it, btw? We gave up here.

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

His results seem to be different from ITV's published less than an hour ago.
Nevertheless, let the mess begin.

Losing elections was the easiest way out for him.

38 constituencies with no MPs, a lot more with less than 50% and people saying TRT lost there.

Charges brought against EC in "unfriendly court", EC itself "investigating" why Thaksin might have given away money at political rallies.

Wednesday PAD will be in Songkla, Friday back in Bangkok.

Lively week guaranteed.

The commitee he's asking for better recommend him to resign.

Plus - yep - this is amazing Thailand!

Political turmoil and crisis seem to be the everyday norm here now.

Just another day tomorrow of street protests.....intimidating groups of protesters charging round town and a thousand breaking news stories on the political front.

The rest of the world must surely be wondering what the hel_l's goin' on over here.

jdinasia · April 3, 2006

I know this is a stretch ... but could the TRT MP's elect someone else?

britmaveric · April 3, 2006

I know this is a stretch ... but could the TRT MP's elect someone else?

Not going to happen you know that.

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

In the meantime, airport won't be open in June. Some work is not completed yet, and then - this is officially mentioned for the first time - there will be six-seven months IAA testing.
http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/r...newsid=30000860

You can get away with bloody murder while the whole country is glued to Thaksin's interview.

Anyone is still watching it, btw? We gave up here.

Yeah....he's still jabbering away.

Sounds like a party political broadcast to me.

Shame the polls closed thirty-one hours ago!

Plus · April 3, 2006

This is exactly what will happen if he resigns, or recommended to resign. They, of course, won't dare to rebell on their own, even though signs of mutiny reached the newspapers.

Plus · April 3, 2006

Give me good reasons to step down : Thaksin

If he is to step down, he would have good reasons to explain to those who voted for him in Sunday election, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Monday.

He claimed that a total of 16 million have voted for him in April 2 election.

Speaking in a television programme of Channel 11, Thaksin said there were some groups of people who want to oust him.

"I am ready to step down as demanded by those groups. However they should give me good reasons so that I could explain to the 16 million people who voted for me," he said.

In case he steps down, he will have to travel and be busy meeting and explaining to people in many parts of the country on why he has to resign.

He said he is more than ready to resign if his resignation can benefit to the country.

The Nation

lung · April 3, 2006

ufff... just on BBC..

---------------------

Thaksin claims Thai election win

Thaksin Shinawatra

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says his party won more than 50% of the votes in Sunday's snap election.

He said he won 16 million voters, down from 19 million last year, though official results are not yet available.

There were indications of a big protest vote against Mr Thaksin, who called the snap election in a bid to end weeks of instability over claims he is corrupt.

Mr Thaksin said he would set up a committee to look into the crisis, and would resign if it asked him to.

Speaking on live television he said his Thai Rak Thai party had won 349 seats, down from 377 a year ago.

"Last year we got Grade A, now it's Grade B," he said. "There's no difference, we've still passed the examination."

'Solve the problem'

Before Sunday's election, Mr Thaksin said he would resign if he did not win more than half of the vote.

The opposition - who have called for Mr Thaksin to resign, accusing him of corruption and abuse of power - had refused to put up candidates in more than half of the constituencies in protest at the election.

Mr Thaksin said that he planned to set up an independent committee of eminent people to consider a way out of the country's political crisis.

"If the committee asks that I resign, then I will, if that will solve the problem," he told the political talk show.

-------------------

uffff........

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

Give me good reasons to step down : Thaksin
If he is to step down, he would have good reasons to explain to those who voted for him in Sunday election, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Monday.

He claimed that a total of 16 million have voted for him in April 2 election.

Speaking in a television programme of Channel 11, Thaksin said there were some groups of people who want to oust him.

"I am ready to step down as demanded by those groups. However they should give me good reasons so that I could explain to the 16 million people who voted for me," he said.

In case he steps down, he will have to travel and be busy meeting and explaining to people in many parts of the country on why he has to resign.

He said he is more than ready to resign if his resignation can benefit to the country.

The Nation

He's skirting the issue. A clever tactic.