I Will Not Resign: Thaksin

h90 · April 3, 2006

it is worth to risk social peace for ousting a thief and murder and it might been worth to have some people killed.

as sooner thailand can get rid of this evil person as better it is for everyone. The best might be he go with all his fantastilions of bath in a other country...

You forget why PAD wants to oust Thaksin - corruption.

As if corruption would be unheard of in Thailand...

And by trying to oust Thaksin they risk social peace and fractionalising of the society. But, sorry, i forgot, they don't need to think about those consequences because that is not their job, their job being to oust Thaksin because they won't run for office.

And after me the flood, let others deal with the consequences of my actions.

God, it must be very comfortable to be so self righteous...

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

They are smarter for abstaining than I originally gave them credit for.

They decided to boycot only after consultations with PAD, who told them in no certain terms what they think about their participation.

Remember? They came with proposals to Thaksin who snubbed them. Then they announced the boycot, then Thaksin run back with his counter proposals, then they hesitated, then they talked to PAD, then they took a gamble and it worked.

Plus - I'm starting to believe that the Peoples Alliance For Democracy could now be stronger than any other of the existing opposition parties - including the Democrats.

Me thinks, you're spot on.....and if there's any doubt now.....developments in the next few weeks and months will surely prove you right.

I envisage them merging, formally, at some date in the future.

I truly hope so.

Edited April 3, 2006 by bulmercke

george · April 3, 2006

Thai Rak Thai flops in Phuket poll

PHUKET: -- Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) candidate Dr Sriyada Palimapan has failed in her bid to be elected Member of Parliament for Phuket District 1.

In District 2, counting of votes from two polling stations has yet to be completed, but the unofficial tally so far indicates that Wisut Santikul, also of the TRT, has also failed to get elected.

Dr Sriyada garnered a total of 11,910 votes, but these were far outweighed by the 41,903 “no votes” cast by voters in District 1. Even discounting the “no votes”, Dr Sriyada’s tally was far short of the 20% of all registered voters required for an unopposed candidate to be elected; she polled 12.04%.

K. Wisut has so far received 13,088 votes – 12.53% of the total electorate in District 2. A total of 49,181 people ticked the “no vote” box on their ballot sheets. An official result is expected later this morning.

In District 1, voter turnout was 64.89% while in District 2 it is likely to finish closer to 70%.

--Phuket Gazette 2006-03-03

ColPyat · April 3, 2006

Thanks PAD for the help creating further delay before the country can get back to normal business again...

How can you say this - it wasn't the PAD who called the elections.

It was Chamlongs move to the PAD that forced him to call the snap elections in order to stop some of his MP from deserting his party.

It takes two to tango.

Why, in his strong position, from his viewpoint, with about 44 or so percent (or 52 according to him) of the population behind him, should he follow the extraparliamentary demands of disgruntled former allies and their organisation?

Remember - it's politics, not an AA meeting. Politics is dirty games and powerstruggles.

Plus · April 3, 2006

And how did the "gamble" work?

Two months ago they were nobodies and should they have paritcipated in elections they would have gone down together with Thaksin.

Now Thaksin's resignation and TRT's collapse is only a matter of time and Democrats are as clean as babies, and they didn't have to do anything!!!

You say Thaksin is still the PM - not for long, you realise that. Whatever numbers he brought up, it's not enough to start a crackdown, and crackdown was the only other option he had, wasn't it, Britmaveric?

Protests will continue until the issues of corruption are addressed - elections didn't remove their cause.

britmaveric · April 3, 2006

it is worth to risk social peace for ousting a thief and murder and it might been worth to have some people killed.
as sooner thailand can get rid of this evil person as better it is for everyone. The best might be he go with all his fantastilions of bath in a other country...

You forget why PAD wants to oust Thaksin - corruption.

As if corruption would be unheard of in Thailand...

And by trying to oust Thaksin they risk social peace and fractionalising of the society. But, sorry, i forgot, they don't need to think about those consequences because that is not their job, their job being to oust Thaksin because they won't run for office.

And after me the flood, let others deal with the consequences of my actions.

God, it must be very comfortable to be so self righteous...

Lots of evil people need to be gone including members of the opposition and the PAD.

britmaveric · April 3, 2006

Plus - think PM can wait it out. People aren't going to be able to protest forever and he knows that. I wager they'll convene the parliment somehow and get on with things. Not sure protesting will do much good, I have a feeling a crackdown is coming as previewed by Thaskin himself.

thebear · April 3, 2006

Thanks PAD for the help creating further delay before the country can get back to normal business again...

How can you say this - it wasn't the PAD who called the elections.

If Thaksin peacefully resigned or stepped aside to clear his name, nothing would have happened. TRT had 374 MPs and solid policies that needed constant government and parliament's attention. They would have simply selected another PM and we would have the Cabinet working full steam right now.

Whose stupid idea was it to dissolve a strong Parliament?

Staying on topic - people ask all sorts of background questions, should they be addressed?

PAD bashing/defending seems to be more off topic here.

The right to agreee or disagree with another persons opinion, and to a degree to debate such isuues as ma arise, is a fundamental feature of democracy. Everybody has a different perspective on the issues which should be respected.

I think that the one thing that most, if not all, expats and Thai's alike would agree regardless of the how's, why's and wherefores is that overall democracy in Thailand has progressed in leaps and bounds.

mfindlay · April 3, 2006

The Posting from the BBC

Thaksin claims Thai election win

Mr Thaksin had hoped snap elections would resolve the crisis

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says his party won more than 50% of the vote in a snap election he hoped would end a crisis over corruption claims.

But he acknowledged support for his Thai Rak Thai party had dropped, and pledged to set up a committee to try to resolve the political crisis.

He said on live television he would resign if the committee asked him to.

Official results from Sunday's vote are not yet published, but Mr Thaksin said his party had won 57% of the vote.

If the committee asks that I resign, then I will, if that will solve the problem

Thaksin Shinawatra

The prime minister told a political talk show that 16 million people had voted for his party, down from 19 million in last year's election.

He said Thai Rak Thai 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."

By-elections

Mr Thaksin had called Sunday's snap election in an attempt to end weeks of instability over claims by the opposition that he was corrupt and had abused power.

But the main opposition parties refused to put up candidates, and in 278 out of 400 constituencies Mr Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party ran unopposed.

THAI PARLIAMENT

The parliament has 500 seats

Of these, 400 are directly elected. A candidate must win 20% of the votes in a seat to be an MP

The other 100 seats are elected by proportional representation. A party must win 5% nationally to be eligible

All 500 must be filled for parliament to convene

Only a convened parliament can elect a PM and form a government

Unfilled seats require by-elections

Thai election: Q&A

The election commission said earlier on Monday that enough votes had been counted to declare Thai Rak Thai the winners.

But there were also indications of a big protest vote, particularly in Bangkok and in many parts of the far south.

Candidates in 38 constituencies - all in opposition strongholds in the south - failed to win the 20% of votes needed to become MPs, and by-elections now need to be held.

All 500 seats in parliament must be filled for it to convene legally, which, under the constitution, must happen within 30 days of the poll.

Election Commission secretary-general Ekachai Warunprapha said they planned to run two rounds of by-elections within that period.

'Not shocked'

Before the vote, Mr Thaksin said he would step down if he failed to win 50% of the vote.

He told the TV programme he was "not shocked" by the result.

HAVE YOUR SAY

I hope that [the PM] will step down and finally allow the country to heal

Sakabatou, Bangkok

Press dismisses poll 'trick'

Send us your comments

"I always knew I would lose popularity in Bangkok. But people in the countryside still voted for Thai Rak Thai," he said.

But he went on to outline plans for an independent committee of eminent people - which would include three former prime ministers - 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 said.

Mr Thaksin has been under increasing pressure following his family's decision in January to sell its shares in one of Thailand's biggest telecom groups, Shin Corp, which netted them and others $1.9bn.

The move angered many urban Thais who took to the streets in protest, complaining that the prime minister's family had avoided paying tax and passed control of an important national asset to Singaporean investors.

ColPyat · April 3, 2006

it is worth to risk social peace for ousting a thief and murder and it might been worth to have some people killed.

Ahhhh. There we are...finally.

So, it is now worth to get some people killed. Nice.

How many then, please?

1?

10?

100?

1000?

More?

So, that is now the "peaceful" position of the PAD spporters?

Corpses? No problem.

Destruction of busines? No Problem.

Long lasting social conflicts? No problem.

You have given there the exact reason why i cannot support the PAD.

By the way, as you so graciously have decided over the life of "some people", where will you be when the killing starts?

May i guess - debating behind the safety of the computer screen.

Truly shocked...

...not exactly.

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

Thanks PAD for the help creating further delay before the country can get back to normal business again...

How can you say this - it wasn't the PAD who called the elections.

It was Chamlongs move to the PAD that forced him to call the snap elections in order to stop some of his MP from deserting his party.

It takes two to tango.

Why, in his strong position, from his viewpoint, with about 44 or so percent (or 52 according to him) of the population behind him, should he follow the extraparliamentary demands of disgruntled former allies and their organisation?

Remember - it's politics, not an AA meeting. Politics is dirty games and powerstruggles.

This is another important issue to consider.

Chamlong has a stature of invincibility. He was the "victor" in the 1992 stand-off, even if it was achieved through the intervention of His Majesty The King.

Thaksin has to defeat Chamlong.....and Chamlong.....as Thaksin knows very well..... is totally committed to the cause of deposing Thaksin.

For Chamlong there's no turning back!

This is another obstacle Thaksin has to deal with, if he's to hang onto power.

Plus · April 3, 2006

It was Chamlongs move to the PAD that forced him to call the snap elections in order to stop some of his MP from deserting his party.

NO, it was his own idea to call the elections, it wasn't Chamlong who demanded them. PAD denounced elections from the first day. Thaksin thought elections would solve his problems, they didn't.

Chamlong has got nothing to do with results of his wiggling about. He told Thaksin what to do and how to avoid the mess we are in now. Is it his fault Thaksin didn't listen and decided to play the worst scenario?

>>>>>>>>>>

Look, there's a pattern here:

If it wasn't Thaksin's fault, it's Chamlong's, if it's not Chamlong's, it's the Mercury in the wrong planet's path, if it's not Mercury, it's childhood trauma. Where does it stop?

For you, Colpyat, it always stops on Chamlong, however, for some personal reasons.

ColPyat · April 3, 2006

NO, it was his own idea to call the elections, it wasn't Chamlong who demanded them. PAD denounced elections from the first day. Thaksin thought elections would solve his problems, they didn't.

Can i assume that you don't play chess?

By the way, do you also support the opinion of your fellow PAD supporter, that killing "some people" is worth it?

lung · April 3, 2006

not forgot this one's

election2006-results

At least 38 constituencies in 15 provinces, mostly in the South, will see by-elections after the Thai Rak Thai candidates running unopposed failed to get votes from at least 20 per cent of the eligible voters, Election Commission secretary-general Ekkachai Warunprapha said yesterday.

The provinces are Krabi (three constituencies), Chumphon (2), Trang (3), Nakhon Si Thammarat (5), Narathiwat (3), Prachuap Khiri Khan (1), Pattani (2), Phang Nga (1), Phatthalung (2), Phuket (2), Yala (2), Songkhla (7), Satun (1), Surat Thani (3) and Phetchaburi (1).

(nation)

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

good night

Edited April 3, 2006 by lung

george · April 3, 2006

Please keep on topic.

Thanks! /Admin

lung · April 3, 2006

ok... one more from

the nation

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

PM abuse rampant on spoiled ballots

It may have been expressed in many different ways but the intriguing message that election officials came across while counting votes in Sunday's election was too common to be dismissed as a natural mistake.

Among the more than 1 million invalid ballots counted as

of yesterday were an unknown number that were disqualified because voters chose to spell

out their dislike of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The most prevalent messages on the invalid ballots, according to vote counters, were "Thaksin get out" and "Thaksin, you are evil".

Other messages, some conveyed in just one short sentence and others occupying almost the entire ballot, contained vulgar abuse and profanities. Besides written messages, many voters drew funny pictures, including a square-faced cartoon character, apparently aimed at mocking Thaksin, according to election officials.

A voter, who wanted to be identified only as Nok, told The Nation she intentionally wrote down on the ballot "Thaksin, you are the worst of all evil" although she knew it would make her vote invalid.

"I just wanted to show that I no longer want him as prime minister," she said.

As of yesterday, the Election Commission (EC) estimated the invalid ballots from Sunday's election would exceed 1 million or about 3 per cent of the overall figure of eligible voters. The tally is a record breaker since Thailand first introduced elections under a democratic regime more than half a century ago.

An election official in Phichit province confirmed yesterday that many ballots he counted contained the same hand-written message "Thaksin get out".

"Other ballots were marked too many times or randomly crossed all over," said the official.

In Phitsanulok, a polling official said he also saw anti-Thaksin messages written on ballots while manning a vote-counting centre on Sunday night.

"I saw "Thaksin get out" on many ballots. Some others wrote "Hate square-faced man", the official said.

The director of the EC provincial office in Yala, Varothai Naewbantad, said a large number of voters made their ballots invalid by intentionally writing on them.

"They just wrote down what they wanted. Some messages were way too rude to be disclosed," he said.

Varothai said this had never happened before and the number of invalid ballots in Yala in past elections was remarkably low as voters had a good understanding of politics and the election process.

Director of the EC provincial office in Chachoengsao, Chukiat Rojanapinan, said the record of invalid ballots in all constituencies of the province exceeded 10 per cent, the highest in its history.

"In the last election, we had 3.6 per cent of invalid ballots. But this time, it is clear that voters intended to make their ballots invalid," he said.

-----------

one more election

and they will got it

--

Plus · April 3, 2006

Can i assume that you don't play chess?

I used to, but have no one to play with in Thailand.

Chamlong had no other choice. He commited himself from the day he publicly came out against Thaksin. Once the decision has been made and his hand touched the piece he couldn't put it down.

I don't know how long he planned his attack, but the timing was perfect.

The decision to fight Thaksin was a moral one, not political. Thaksin doesn't do "moral".

I'm off to sleep, I want to read the paper as soon as it arrives.

Good night, everybody.

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

it is worth to risk social peace for ousting a thief and murder and it might been worth to have some people killed.

Ahhhh. There we are...finally.

So, it is now worth to get some people killed. Nice.

How many then, please?

1?

10?

100?

1000?

More?

So, that is now the "peaceful" position of the PAD spporters?

Corpses? No problem.

Destruction of busines? No Problem.

Long lasting social conflicts? No problem.

You have given there the exact reason why i cannot support the PAD.

By the way, as you so graciously have decided over the life of "some people", where will you be when the killing starts?

May i guess - debating behind the safety of the computer screen.

Truly shocked...

...not exactly.

To be in a position of strength when it comes to negotiating or bargaining.....you sometimes have to have something more than words and rhetoric and policies to back you up. That's one of the reasons why governments spend so much on their armed forces and weaponry.

Defence budgets are not just meant solely for defence!

You need clout to back up your authority.

In this terrible situation that is now developing, it appears that pro-Thaksin supporters, anti-Thaksin supporters and the government have the where-with-al for creating and instigating violence to further their aims.

I'm not condoning violence, in any way, but this appears to be the way things are slowly, but surely goin'.

konangrit · April 3, 2006

The Nation:

"BACK ON THE BRINK

thaksin's 'victory' declaration

Belligerent PM proposes a reconciliatory panel to end impasse, but downplays significance of 'No votes' and loss in Bangkok; insists 16 million party list votes justify his possible and immediate return to power

A defiant Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday claimed victory in Sunday's snap election but, despite proposing a "reconciliatory" panel to solve the current political impasse, risked polarising the country further by dismissing the significance of the huge number of abstention votes cast and his party's loss in the capital.

Speaking to the public for the first time since the election, Thaksin repeatedly called for "unity", respect for the rules of the game and cited the Bush-Gore dead heat in the 2000 US presidential race to back his argument that a nation deeply divided politically could still function.

Citing the 16 million party-list votes in Thai Rak Thai's favour compared to approximately 10 million abstention votes, he challenged his opponents to offer the electorate a satisfactory reason for him to step aside.

"Tell me how the country would be better off without me [as prime minister]," Thaksin said in an interview on Channel 11 last night. "There must be good reasons for me to stay or quit. The 16 million [who voted for Thai Rak Thai] should be told how the country will be reconciled if I step down."

Thaksin, who vowed before the polls not to take the premiership again if his party received less than 50 per cent of the votes cast, last night insisted that he had won well above that mark.

Looking tired with bloodshot eyes and sometimes distracted, Thaksin strongly suggested his party would go ahead and serve as the core of the new government, possibly with him still at the helm. But he did not rule out a temporary "exile" from politics if the "reconciliatory" panel he is proposing agrees that he should step aside.

The Thai Rak Thai leader downplayed the three-million-vote drop from the party's tally of 19 millions votes in last year's election, a number he has often cited to legitimise his rule.

"It's like getting a B [grade] instead of an A," he said. "Last year the turnout was 32 million but this year only 28 million cast their ballots. We only lost 2.8 million votes. It's definitely not a failure."

Thaksin claimed that his party had won 349 parliamentary seats, a decline from 377 seats last year.

But while he highlighted his party's "victory" in party-list votes, Thaksin barely discussed the fact that, in the constituency contests nationwide, many TRT candidates received fewer votes than the abstention votes. In Bangkok, Thai Rak Thai candidates received more votes than the abstention votes in only nine of constituencies. About 51 per cent of Bangkok voters ticked the "no vote" box, deemed a protest vote against Thaksin.

The Thai Rak Thai leader defended rural masses who voted for his party, saying that the urban middle class, media and academics liked to unfairly brand rural people as uneducated.

Thaksin's post-election belligerence is likely to further galvanise the People's Alliance for Democracy, whose massive street protests in the capital were suspended for the election and will be resumed this weekend. But he appeared unfazed by the possibility of renewed confrontation. He cited the 2000 US election when Democrat candidate Al Gore lost narrowly to Republican George W Bush by about 2,000 votes in Florida, saying the country did not tear apart because everybody respected the rules.

Although observers say the strong abstention vote in the capital and many other parts of the country is a slap in the face for the ruling party, Thaksin said the phenomenon was somewhat expected as his party has conducted opinion polls regularly since the House dissolution in February.

"In fact, I was the one creating the atmosphere for competition because the opposition parties boycotted the election. I declared on March 3 that fans of the three opposition parties do have a choice. So the 'no votes' must have come from these fans while the rest were from people who believe Sondhi [Limthongkul] and those who no longer like me."

Apparently desperate trying bring about reconciliation, Thaksin proposed the creation of an independent commission to end the political stalemate and offered to resign if the new panel recommended it. The commission could consist of three former parliament presidents, three Supreme Court presidents, three former prime ministers and rectors of state universities.

He said there were four potential candidates from the party to replace him if he stepped down. He named former House Speaker Bhokin Bhalakula and Somkid Jatusripitak, but refused to identify the other two.

A party source said the other two could be caretaker agriculture minister Sudarat Keyuraphan, and caretaker deputy premier Surakiart Sathirathai.

Asked at yesterday's party meeting to take a break from politics following the voting against the Thai Rak Thai, Thaksin defiantly asked who had made such suggestion.

"You tell me what good it would do if I skip the politics. Anyone?" a TRT source quoted him as saying.

Thaksin then told the meeting he would make a speech to announce his stance on the "Krong Sathanakarn" television programme on Channel 11. He assigned Bhokin Bhalakula to prepare the speech and all explanations to be made on the programme."

ColPyat · April 3, 2006

In this terrible situation that is now developing, it appears that pro-Thaksin supporters, anti-Thaksin supporters and the government have the where-with-al for creating and instigating violence to further their aims.
I'm not condoning violence, in any way, but this appears to be the way things are slowly, but surely goin'.

And this the exact reason why i cannot support either vocal side in this soap opera. For me it's a classical case of "Ma katgan eng" - the dogs biting each other.

A terrible situation brought up by both sides equally, only thinking of their own benefit, not thinking of the consequences effecting all.

asd · April 3, 2006

Resign? Nope i will not resign.I don't worry about no vote.

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

In this terrible situation that is now developing, it appears that pro-Thaksin supporters, anti-Thaksin supporters and the government have the where-with-al for creating and instigating violence to further their aims.

I'm not condoning violence, in any way, but this appears to be the way things are slowly, but surely goin'.

And this the exact reason why i cannot support either vocal side in this soap opera. For me it's a classical case of "Ma katgan eng" - the dogs biting each other.

A terrible situation brought up by both sides equally, only thinking of their own benefit, not thinking of the consequences effecting all.

This is all of Thaksin's doing.....just as the incessant bloodshed in the South is.......

Got to disagree with you there mate.

nasa · April 3, 2006

Anyways let's see where this soap opera leads to next.

A much weaker THB hopefully

Come on, grow up. He commands a much greater majority than any other leader I can think of, and whether you like it or not, the majority are for him.

He is liked because he is the first one to provide real benefits for the poor in the rural areas. The main reason why he is hated by the Bangkok lot.

Agree!! He should stay on as majority still want him. He have help the poor and those in the rural areas.

seonai · April 3, 2006

"Helping the poor" is/was just a step ladder. Are all you pro Thaksin folks out there not aware of this? How to make yourself look popular??????

I am astounded on this thread that so many people need to write diatribes to make themselves understood. It takes a second or two to say what you think.

I love reading all the comments here in one way but a lot of it is off topic and so personal................

Anon999 · April 3, 2006

I'd really like to see some more offical results...

It was stated by the EC that on Wednesday the official results will be announced.

penzman · April 3, 2006

He talks about resigning and then goes on with "reconciliation" which won't happen. Stock up on sleeping pills and facial creme Dr.!

Thaksin making statements before any official results are known says a lot about him. He's now bragging about 16 million TRT votes but I d like to know what was the voter turnout this time around and how it compares to the last 2 elections. The B he gave himself was generous.

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

"Helping the poor" is/was just a step ladder. Are all you pro Thaksin folks out there not aware of this? How to make yourself look popular??????
I am astounded on this thread that so many people need to write diatribes to make themselves understood. It takes a second or two to say what you think.

I love reading all the comments here in one way but a lot of it is off topic and so personal................

Sometimes we can express ourselves succinctly.....and sometimes we choose otherwise.

Perhaps, our opinions are too wordy and laboured......

But, the fact that we have our spouses, dependents, investments and our futures tied up with the outcome of this current political crisis may have something to do with it.

Don't mean to sound patronizing seonai.

lukamar · April 3, 2006

Anyways let's see where this soap opera leads to next.

A much weaker THB hopefully

Come on, grow up. He commands a much greater majority than any other leader I can think of, and whether you like it or not, the majority are for him.

He is liked because he is the first one to provide real benefits for the poor in the rural areas. The main reason why he is hated by the Bangkok lot.

Agree!! He should stay on as majority still want him. He have help the poor and those in the rural areas.

I think the majority has spoken for the third time. I wll also say that the "no vote" was actually quite impressive. How many of those "No Votes" that were actually garnered outside Bangkok by the PAD we will never know. The no vote to some extent in the rural areas could have resulted from people who didn't like TRT and had a choice of No Vote or spoiling their ballot. There appears to be a large percentage, compared to normal that took that route rather than voting TRT or the PAD No Vote campaign.

Thaksin may not have helped the upcountry poor in the long run but they perceive that he did and perception is everything in an election.

Here is hoping all parties soften their stance and negotiate some form of an end to this or at least agree to a cease fire, so to speak, until after the Kings National Celebrations.

bulmercke · April 3, 2006

PM abuse rampant on spoiled ballots - The Nation -

To what extent was this election rigged?

It may have been expressed in many different ways but the intriguing message that election officials came across while counting votes in Sunday's election was too common to be dismissed as a natural mistake.

Among the more than 1 million invalid ballots counted as of yesterday were an unknown number that were disqualified because voters chose to spell out their dislike of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.