MP total 'could fall short' if blockades continue: Feb 2 election

[webfact]

FEB 2 ELECTION
MP total 'could fall short' if blockades continue
The Nation

Fears that protests will keep 95% minimum from being met; EC to discuss possible poll delay with govt, PDRC

BANGKOK: -- A former election commissioner warned yesterday of an impending political deadlock that could make a new House of Representatives unable to function properly.

Sodsri Sattayathum, former member of the Election Commission (EC), expressed her concern yesterday that the February 2 election may end up producing fewer than the required minimum of 95 per cent of House members.

Meanwhile, Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said yesterday it was likely that some commissioners would resign if pre-election violence threatened to escalate. However, he added that he did not think any such resignations would take place in the near future.

"When no other way out is available for the country, the EC members will assess the situation and make our decision when the time is right. We may use this option [resignation] to ease the situation and end the problem," Somchai said.

He met government representatives yesterday to discuss ways of easing the conflict ahead of the February 2 poll. Protests occurred in many southern provinces after candidacy registration for constituency MPs began on Saturday.

Somchai said he would meet with three high-ranking representatives of the government at an undisclosed location, but he declined to identify them.

The discussion would focus on whether the election could be postponed to avoid further violence, he said.

He would also meet representatives of the main group organising anti-government protests, the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), later today.

PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said yesterday the group was happy to meet with election commissioners about the matter.

Sodsri said yesterday that she feared that as candidacy registration was blocked in many provinces, the number of MPs would fall short of the 95-per-cent threshold required to open Parliament.

The Constitution states that the House of Representatives shall be deemed duly formed when a general election returns at least 480 members of the House of Representatives, but not less than 95 per cent of the total number of members.

The House of Representatives is made up of 375 constituency members and 125 "proportional representation" members selected from party lists.

Registrations in seven southern provinces with a total of 32 constituencies remain blocked by anti-government protesters. Sodsri noted that it would only require 25 constituencies to fail to complete registrations for the number of MPs to fall below the 95-per-cent threshold due to Thailand's "proportional representation" method.

She noted that when she was in office, the EC faced a similar problem when no candidates showed up for by-elections after Democrat MPs in the South resigned. Under the current election law, there is no clause to break this "deadlock".

At that time, the EC was prepared to have the Auditor General's Office seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court, she said.

Meanwhile, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said yesterday that 53 countries and two international organisations have issued statements backing Thailand's election. He said they believed that the election would be an internationally accepted means to return power to the people, he said.

The latest statements were issued by Colombia and Mexico, which praised the planned election as a way to promote public participation and benefit Thailand. They said they would closely monitor the situation in Thailand and hoped for a peaceful, democratic and constitutional solution, according to Surapong, who is also in charge of the government's Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order.


-- The Nation 2013-12-30

[truk39]

"The latest statements were issued by Colombia and Mexico, which praised the planned election as a way to promote public participation and benefit Thailand. They said they would closely monitor the situation in Thailand and hoped for a peaceful, democratic and constitutional solution, according to Surapong, who is also in charge of the government's Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order."

Colombia and Mexico...darlings of democracy!!

[Sayonarax]

"The latest statements were issued by Colombia and Mexico, which praised the planned election as a way to promote public participation and benefit Thailand. They said they would closely monitor the situation in Thailand and hoped for a peaceful, democratic and constitutional solution, according to Surapong, who is also in charge of the government's Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order."

Colombia and Mexico...darlings of democracy!!

LMAO! Mexico is monitoring Thailand's progress towards democracy.

Maybe we should ask the US to ship us some arms?

[Scamper]

In addition to the on-going deliberation of the courts as to the constitutionality of Pheu Thai over their contentious bills and actions as of late, is this highly neglected, but growing story. Indeed parliament cannot function with less than 95 % constituencies filled. At present, there are close to 10 % of constituencies that are without registered candidates. They are all situated in the South. And although that is a region Pheu Thai normally doesn't pay much attention to, one guesses they are paying a great deal of attention to it now. The EC - meant to be be a regulating body outside of any current administration - have the sole authority to run elections. If they can't, they have a duty to inform the administration, which they have of course tried to do, and likely will continue to do. So the interior minister's suggestion yesterday that registration could now take place at police stations is completely without legal merit, and oversteps the bounds of both the administration and the police, and outside the vested regulatory control of the EC. The police are not empowered to hold elections. Only the EC is. Indeed, this situation will likely result in the resignations of EC members, as they cannot oversee an election amidst such clear resistance and turmoil. But in the meantime, to assuage the tensions, we have a cheery update from Surapong that a new country joins the list of international excitement. Columbia ! What will be next - Kazakhstan ?

[Baerboxer]

53 now and growing! Perhaps the might be interested in buying some rice or government bonds too?

That's a lot of potential visits for the caretaker PM/DM, number 1 party list candidate, should she be re-elected in the widely supported upcoming farce.

[fab4]

"The latest statements were issued by Colombia and Mexico, which praised the planned election as a way to promote public participation and benefit Thailand. They said they would closely monitor the situation in Thailand and hoped for a peaceful, democratic and constitutional solution, according to Surapong, who is also in charge of the government's Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order."

Colombia and Mexico...darlings of democracy!!

And what do you have to say about the other 51 countries, anything useful?

[fab4]

53 now and growing! Perhaps the might be interested in buying some rice or government bonds too?

That's a lot of potential visits for the caretaker PM/DM, number 1 party list candidate, should she be re-elected in the widely supported upcoming farce.

suthep and his nominated "peoples council" - remind me, just how many countries around the world have expressed their support for that "version" of democracy?

[geriatrickid]

"The latest statements were issued by Colombia and Mexico, which praised the planned election as a way to promote public participation and benefit Thailand. They said they would closely monitor the situation in Thailand and hoped for a peaceful, democratic and constitutional solution, according to Surapong, who is also in charge of the government's Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order."

Colombia and Mexico...darlings of democracy!!

Columbia is indeed the darling because it peacefully ended a long running insurrection funded by the drug cartels.

Mexico, has had multiple democratic changes in its government despite an ongoing insurrection funded by drug cartels.

[Gone]

In my 5 baht opinion, I feel that a fast "snap" election is the best way and if they try to delay the Feb. 2nd election that will only give each side more time to stratogize vote buying and more corruption.

If the just have the election on Feb. 2nd it would barely give Thaksin a chance to set up buying votes (as that's what many are worried about) and also if I'm not wrong, didn't the UN say they would help "police" the election and try to make it as least corrupt as can be?

An election in Thailand will always be corrupt so why not just have a fast one and make it as least corrupt as can be, let the people vote and get on with life?

[siampolee]

geriatickid post # 8.

Columbia is indeed the darling because it peacefully ended a long running insurrection funded by the drug cartels.

Mexico, has had multiple democratic changes in its government despite an ongoing insurrection funded by drug cartels

Your yard stick is definitely a foot short of a full measure.

I larf, I larf, I pee I self

[retsdon]

Political deadlock, a military paralyzed for fear of precipitating a major internal split, angry mobs on the street, the prime minister nowhere to be seen or heard, and now the deliberate derailing of any kind of election process. Not good at all really. People will say that Thailand has been through this before, but I'm not so sure.

It's like watching the build up to a Thai bar fight. Words, more words, scuffle, more words, finger pointing, raised voices, pushing, more words, and just when you think it's all going to peter out - all hell breaks loose and people are literally trying to kill each other. I have a sense that the stuff before - yellow shirts, coup, red shirts, etc, were like the the raised words and scuffles - just a prelude to the real thing.

[DMG333]

53 now and growing! Perhaps the might be interested in buying some rice or government bonds too?

That's a lot of potential visits for the caretaker PM/DM, number 1 party list candidate, should she be re-elected in the widely supported upcoming farce.

suthep and his nominated "peoples council" - remind me, just how many countries around the world have expressed their support for that "version" of democracy?

May be the ancient Persian hahahaha

[DMG333]

53 now and growing! Perhaps the might be interested in buying some rice or government bonds too?

That's a lot of potential visits for the caretaker PM/DM, number 1 party list candidate, should she be re-elected in the widely supported upcoming farce.

suthep and his nominated "peoples council" - remind me, just how many countries around the world have expressed their support for that "version" of democracy?

May be the ancient Persian hahahaha

[rickirs]

Stricly from a constitutional law viewpoint, EC seems to be completely useless. They seem to be the authority on the election process but it couldn't tell Yingluck whether it was constitutional to delay the elections - so she didn't; Yingluck is told it didn't know if it was constitutional for her to resign as interim prime minister - so she didn't. Now with regard to election results possibly producing fewer than the required minimum of 95 percent of House members, the EC "will assess the situation and make their decision (PM resignation) when the time is right." Then follows up with "Under the current election law, there is no clause to break this "deadlock." !! So does this mean according to the Constitution (directly or by estoppel), elections will just continue to be held until the 95 percent rule is met? Maybe an HRM ruling might clarify options available other than a deadlock?

[DMG333]

53 now and growing! Perhaps the might be interested in buying some rice or government bonds too?

That's a lot of potential visits for the caretaker PM/DM, number 1 party list candidate, should she be re-elected in the widely supported upcoming farce.

suthep and his nominated "peoples council" - remind me, just how many countries around the world have expressed their support for that "version" of democracy?

May be the ancient Persian hahahaha

[firestar]

Claim to represent all Thais, specially the wishes of minority parties, then physically block some of these same small parties from taking their own decisions. Yellow democracy at work

Edited December 30, 2013 by firestar

[ratcatcher]

Stricly from a constitutional law viewpoint, EC seems to be completely useless. They seem to be the authority on the election process but it couldn't tell Yingluck whether it was constitutional to delay the elections - so she didn't; Yingluck is told it didn't know if it was constitutional for her to resign as interim prime minister - so she didn't. Now with regard to election results possibly producing fewer than the required minimum of 95 percent of House members, the EC "will assess the situation and make their decision (PM resignation) when the time is right." Then follows up with "Under the current election law, there is no clause to break this "deadlock." !! So does this mean according to the Constitution (directly or by estoppel), elections will just continue to be held until the 95 percent rule is met? Maybe an HRM ruling might clarify options available other than a deadlock?

Maybe an HRM ruling might clarify options available other than a deadlock?

What has Human Resources Management to do with elections?

[moradave]

It seems to me that the EC should be able to oversee candidate registrations to be done in police stations in the disputed provinces. This way the police are not doing the registrations, but are only providing a safe venue for the registrations to occur.

[whybother]

Stricly from a constitutional law viewpoint, EC seems to be completely useless. They seem to be the authority on the election process but it couldn't tell Yingluck whether it was constitutional to delay the elections - so she didn't; Yingluck is told it didn't know if it was constitutional for her to resign as interim prime minister - so she didn't. Now with regard to election results possibly producing fewer than the required minimum of 95 percent of House members, the EC "will assess the situation and make their decision (PM resignation) when the time is right." Then follows up with "Under the current election law, there is no clause to break this "deadlock." !! So does this mean according to the Constitution (directly or by estoppel), elections will just continue to be held until the 95 percent rule is met? Maybe an HRM ruling might clarify options available other than a deadlock?

The only people that have said she can't resign as care-taker PM are PTP people. She needs to talk to her brother who resigned as care-taker PM in 2006.

Sent from my phone ...