February 2 election to go ahead as scheduled: PM Yingluck

[webfact]

FEBRUARY 2 POLL
Election to go ahead as scheduled: PM
Hataikarn Treesuwan

BANGKOK: -- The snap election will not be delayed from February 2, as the majority of participants at a special meeting held to consider the matter agreed it should go ahead as scheduled, caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced on Wednesday.

Yingluck was speaking after attending the meeting, which considered the Election Commission's recommendation that the election should be postponed. Representatives from 37 parties participated in the meeting, which was held at the Air Force Auditorium.

"The election will be held on February 2. The meeting was united against a delay as suggested by EC. The government and EC have no authority to postpone the poll," she said.

EC secretary general Puchon Nutrawong represented EC at the meeting. The five EC commissioners did not attend.

Neither Permanent Secretary for Justice Kittipong Kittayarak, who earlier posted on his Facebook page that the election should be postponed for three to six months nor any representatives of the Democrat Party and the antigovernment People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) were present.

Yingluck said she regretted that the EC had refused to join this forum because the government wanted to be made aware of any problems concerning the election.

Rak Thailand Party leader Chuwit Kamolvisit walked out from the meeting, saying he saw no benefit from attending the event as the key stakeholders, such as the Democrats and the PDRC leaders, were not present.


-- The Nation 2014-01-15

[Nowhereman60]

I wonder if Chuwit had his pet dog with him today. Excuse me Ms PM I have to take my dog out to pee. I love that election poster of him and his dog.

[thesetat2013]

37 out of the 66 that managed to get thru the protests to register their party for elections were there. Good odds they were are Thaksin supporterd

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[rubl]

""The election will be held on February 2. The meeting was united against a delay as suggested by EC. The government and EC have no authority to postpone the poll," she said."

Translation:

"Don't blame me or my (care-taking) government, it was the others who were against. I can't do anything."

Edited January 15, 2014 by rubl

[Scamper]

Now boys and girls - let's all gather round, and see the administration playing our favourite game " Let's Be Government ! " The rules are quite clear :

Rule number one : There are no rules ! Isn't that fun ? More fun coming up :

Rule number two : We can make up our own rules ! It gets even better :

Rule number three : We can change our mind whenever we want to !

As we come gradually back to Earth, it is hard to imagine a situation more inane as this from Pheu Thai. But we will try to yet again stress the obvious :

The EC is the sole authority for elections. What they say goes. Period. The Supreme Court has affirmed it. And now the Constitutional Court will likely affirm it as well. The administration says that the EC doesn't have this authority. That's called a constitutional crisis. They also say they don't have the authority themselves. Yet they have already contradicted themselves by proposing a three month election delay to the PDRC. The administration contradicts themselves yet again by stating that a forum they set up has the constitutional authority to make that decision. So Yingluck and Pheu Thai - apparently satisfied with all these contradictions, proclaims the meeting a stellar success. The conclusion of the meeting ? The EC is wrong and we are right. So there.

This would make sense if the administration was indeed playing a child's game. As they are not, this declaration shouts more clearly than any other that this administration has no longer any right to govern.

[webfact]

Thai PM says election best way to end crisis
by Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI

BANGKOK, January 15, 2014 (AFP) - Thailand's prime minister urged anti-government protesters Wednesday to vent their anger against her at the ballot box, insisting that elections were the best way to solve the country's deepening political crisis.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has faced weeks of mass street demonstrations seeking to force her elected government from office and install an appointed "people's council" in its place.

The protesters aim to rein in the political dominance of Yingluck's billionaire brother, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, whom they accuse of controlling the government from self-exile.

Yingluck hosted talks Wednesday to discuss a proposal by the country's election commission to postpone the polls, but the opposition as well as the kingdom's ostensibly independent election commissioners refused to attend.

While she did not completely rule out a delay, Yingluck reiterated her concerns that the constitution does not allow a postponement of the February 2 polls.

"If people don't want this government they should go out and vote," she said.

Many of her opponents, who include much of the country's royalist establishment, do not want the February polls to go ahead, fearing they will only return the Shinawatra family or its allies to power.

They say electoral reforms are needed before a vote is held in at least a year's time, but deny they are seeking to suspend the country's fragile democratic system.
Defiant demonstrators vowed to keep up their efforts to oust the prime minister with their self-styled "Bangkok shutdown" by occupying key intersections in the city.

Tensions flared overnight after two people were slightly wounded in a shooting by unknown gunmen at an anti-government rally in Bangkok's commercial district, while a small blast shook a house owned by the opposition leader's family.

"The two incidents are a signal that the people's revolution has almost succeeded," rally leader Suthep Thaugsuban told reporters as he led a march through upscale neighbourhoods of Bangkok.

Armed provocateurs have a history of trying to stir tensions in the politically polarised kingdom, and several people -- including a policeman -- have been killed by unidentified assailants since the protests began more than two months ago.

Late on Tuesday a small bomb or a firecracker was hurled at a house belonging to the family of opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, a former prime minister who faces a murder charge for a deadly military crackdown on street protests when he was in office in 2010.
Nobody was injured.

Protesters blocked key intersections in the capital for a third straight day, but there was more traffic on the roads, in a possible sign that the attempted "shutdown" was losing momentum.

Rally leader Suthep was greeted by crowds of supporters -- many of whom handed over fistfuls of banknotes to help fund the rally -- during his march through wealthy residential areas of Bangkok on Wednesday.

The firebrand opposition politician even threatened Tuesday to take the prime minister and several cabinet ministers captive if they do not resign.

While he is renowned for his blustery rhetoric, the threat reflects an air of impunity surrounding rally leaders who have not been detained despite warrants for their arrest.

Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said in a televised address Wednesday he had urged the police to "quickly arrest Suthep and his aides otherwise our country will fall into anarchy".

The main protest movement has distanced itself from a threat by a hardcore anti-government faction to seize air traffic control or the Thai stock exchange.

The rallies were triggered by a failed amnesty bill that could have allowed Thaksin to return despite a jail term for a past corruption conviction.

The tycoon-turned-politician has strong electoral support in northern Thailand, but he is reviled by many southerners, Bangkok's middle class and members of the royalist establishment.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-01-15

[ChrisY1]

PTP: ~120% .....other parties: 2%....YL and the PTP win.....doesn't sound right to me......

Would this happen with 68 million voting forms available for a voting population of 48 Million?

[waza]

Election to go ahead as scheduled: PM

Because my caddy told me to

[spirit47]

Now boys and girls - let's all gather round, and see the administration playing our favourite game " Let's Be Government ! " The rules are quite clear :

Rule number one : There are no rules ! Isn't that fun ? More fun coming up :

Rule number two : We can make up our own rules ! It gets even better :

Rule number three : We can change our mind whenever we want to !

As we come gradually back to Earth, it is hard to imagine a situation more inane as this from Pheu Thai. But we will try to yet again stress the obvious :

The EC is the sole authority for elections. What they say goes. Period. The Supreme Court has affirmed it. And now the Constitutional Court will likely affirm it as well. The administration says that the EC doesn't have this authority. That's called a constitutional crisis. They also say they don't have the authority themselves. Yet they have already contradicted themselves by proposing a three month election delay to the PDRC. The administration contradicts themselves yet again by stating that a forum they set up has the constitutional authority to make that decision. So Yingluck and Pheu Thai - apparently satisfied with all these contradictions, proclaims the meeting a stellar success. The conclusion of the meeting ? The EC is wrong and we are right. So there.

This would make sense if the administration was indeed playing a child's game. As they are not, this declaration shouts more clearly than any other that this administration has no longer any right to govern.

She is like the most other woman, love to burn money...

[Thailand]

Brilliant!

[Costas2008]

She is living in Cuckoo land

[Gweiloman]

Now boys and girls - let's all gather round, and see the administration playing our favourite game " Let's Be Government ! " The rules are quite clear :

Rule number one : There are no rules ! Isn't that fun ? More fun coming up :

Rule number two : We can make up our own rules ! It gets even better :

Rule number three : We can change our mind whenever we want to !

As we come gradually back to Earth, it is hard to imagine a situation more inane as this from Pheu Thai. But we will try to yet again stress the obvious :

The EC is the sole authority for elections. What they say goes. Period. The Supreme Court has affirmed it. And now the Constitutional Court will likely affirm it as well. The administration says that the EC doesn't have this authority. That's called a constitutional crisis. They also say they don't have the authority themselves. Yet they have already contradicted themselves by proposing a three month election delay to the PDRC. The administration contradicts themselves yet again by stating that a forum they set up has the constitutional authority to make that decision. So Yingluck and Pheu Thai - apparently satisfied with all these contradictions, proclaims the meeting a stellar success. The conclusion of the meeting ? The EC is wrong and we are right. So there.

This would make sense if the administration was indeed playing a child's game. As they are not, this declaration shouts more clearly than any other that this administration has no longer any right to govern.

Genuine question seeking clarification as you seem to know to know a lot about the constitution. Please feel free to correct any of my points below if incorrect.

As I understand it, YL dissolved parliament and scheduled new elections for 02 Feb. This was given Royal approval and everything up to this point is within the law.

The EC is set up to oversee the election, to ensure that it is fairly conducted.

Because of the problems in the South preventing some candidates from registering, the EC is of the view that any elections will be nullified due to the lack of a quorum. They therefore suggest postponing it.

However, YL says that the Govt has no authority to postpone the poll - true or false?

She also said that the EC has no authority to postpone the poll - true or false?

Under what circumstances can either the Govt or the EC postpone the poll?

[zydeco]

The elections will go on but the rice payments will not.

[slapout]

The caretaker PM has the chance to solve the problem herself, (resign) and again she deligates others to do it for her. ( vote me out). She has had a couple of good years in the limelight, being waited on, and coached by her brothe and his cronies who were placed next to her. She is a walking, living example that some people will never learn to pour water out of a boot with instructions and a flashing light on the heel.

[whybother]

Thai PM says election best way to end crisis

Which rock has she been hiding under?

[catmac]

Well done, YS, for not giving in to the mob.

Like most senior Civil Servants in Thailand, the EC has shown itself to be utterly useless at doing its job, which is to organise and run the election. It is the perogative of the PM to decide on the date of that election within the parameters set down by the Constitution. It is not for the EC to decide when or if an election should or should not be held. A mentally challenged monkey could have foreseen that there would most likely be problems in registering candidates in the South, yet the EC refused to make any provision for that, either deliberately or through stupidity.

As the PDRC don't want elections under any circumstances, and the Dems won't play until Suthep's "reforms" have fiddled the system to ensure that they will win, why on Earth should anybody care less about their views. As it is, YS has made several offers to talks and meetings - even offering to postpone the election - only to be snubbed by Suthep.

So let's go ahead full-steam to Feb 2nd and let the real people of Thailand make their voices heard.

As an aside, so glad to see confirmation from the media that Suthep's farce is beginning to crumble, "Protesters blocked key intersections in the capital for a third straight day, but there was more traffic on the roads, in a possible sign that the attempted "shutdown" was losing momentum."

[icommunity]

The proposal of EC commissioners was unconstitutional. They might have violated election law by pressuring the government and small parties to accept an unconstitutional proposal because the commissioners refused to attend the meeting to hear the opinions of concerned parties.

Sent from my ME371MG using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[bunny11kk]

The evil crab has turned itself to be a bloody broken record!!!!!!! HELP! PLEASE STOP IT! She is doing her best to keep people on the street.

[crazykopite]

I for one will be glad when February 3rd arrives my daughter will be arriving on the 4th thankfully she has only a 2 hour stop over before she gets her connecting flight down to the islands far away from the maddening crowds

[Nowhereman60]

The evil crab has turned itself to be a bloody broken record!!!!!!! HELP! PLEASE STOP IT! She is doing her best to keep people on the street.

one question bunny, paid or unpaid.

[waza]

The proposal of EC commissioners was unconstitutional. They might have violated election law by pressuring the government and small parties to accept an unconstitutional proposal because the commissioners refused to attend the meeting to hear the opinions of concerned parties. Sent from my ME371MG using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The EC was only invited to give rational to their call for an election postponement, therefore there was no need for the whole commission to be present. After all they have an election to organise and the caretakers requests for more extra funds, above the budget, to consider. Therefore, "EC secretary general Puchong Nutrawong was assigned to represent the commission."

But considering that Yingluck had taken an election postponement off the agenda, he was wasting his time, as was evident by Chwit's actions......

"Mr Chuwit abruptly withdrew from the meeting after announcing that it would be useless to attend a forum which could not reach a concrete conclusion. He immediately left the forum after a brief speech."

Edited January 15, 2014 by waza

[Siripon]

The election, if it does take place will be a complete farce and waste of money.

How many no votes? 11 or 12 million if the Democrat voters all vote no, plus the million plus PAD who no in the last election.

Yingluck has only one answer for every question- 'I won (and will win) the election, therefore I have the right to rule'.

Sorry my dear, there's more to governing than just winning an election- as you're finding out now.

[Nowhereman60]

Do you get that strange feeling that the EC is trying it's best to avoid doing it's job.

[madmitch]

So, there's an election in just over two weeks.

Has any participating political party issued a manifesto yet?

[SICHONSTEVE]

She is living in Cuckoo land

In and around the clouds!!!

I actually think its brilliant as well - I can't wait for her to try and convene parliament.

[whybother]

So, there's an election in just over two weeks.

Has any participating political party issued a manifesto yet?

Apparently one of the PTP signs says "Let us continue what we are doing".

[DLock]

If the EC and Government can't change the election date, that they announced...who can?

[icommunity]

The election, if it does take place will be a complete farce and waste of money.

How many no votes? 11 or 12 million if the Democrat voters all vote no, plus the million plus PAD who no in the last election.

Yingluck has only one answer for every question- 'I won (and will win) the election, therefore I have the right to rule'.

Sorry my dear, there's more to governing than just winning an election- as you're finding out now.

The mess is created by EC commissioners from the start. They have not been carrying their duties and responsibilities diligently. All that they have been behaving are emboldening those who are impeding the democratic system of government with the king as the head of State. No problem if DEM and PAD supporters want to vote 'no'. If we still want reconciliation and unity to move the country forward, we should return PTP with mandate stronger than last GE. The DEM has always block reconciliation process with their distortion, untruth, misinformation, lies.

[JetsetBkk]

Now boys and girls - let's all gather round, and see the administration playing our favourite game " Let's Be Government ! " The rules are quite clear :

Rule number one : There are no rules ! Isn't that fun ? More fun coming up :

Rule number two : We can make up our own rules ! It gets even better :

Rule number three : We can change our mind whenever we want to !

As we come gradually back to Earth, it is hard to imagine a situation more inane as this from Pheu Thai. But we will try to yet again stress the obvious :

The EC is the sole authority for elections. What they say goes. Period. The Supreme Court has affirmed it. And now the Constitutional Court will likely affirm it as well. The administration says that the EC doesn't have this authority. That's called a constitutional crisis. They also say they don't have the authority themselves. Yet they have already contradicted themselves by proposing a three month election delay to the PDRC. The administration contradicts themselves yet again by stating that a forum they set up has the constitutional authority to make that decision. So Yingluck and Pheu Thai - apparently satisfied with all these contradictions, proclaims the meeting a stellar success. The conclusion of the meeting ? The EC is wrong and we are right. So there.

This would make sense if the administration was indeed playing a child's game. As they are not, this declaration shouts more clearly than any other that this administration has no longer any right to govern.

Genuine question seeking clarification as you seem to know to know a lot about the constitution. Please feel free to correct any of my points below if incorrect.

As I understand it, YL dissolved parliament and scheduled new elections for 02 Feb. This was given Royal approval and everything up to this point is within the law.

The EC is set up to oversee the election, to ensure that it is fairly conducted.

Because of the problems in the South preventing some candidates from registering, the EC is of the view that any elections will be nullified due to the lack of a quorum. They therefore suggest postponing it.

However, YL says that the Govt has no authority to postpone the poll - true or false?

She also said that the EC has no authority to postpone the poll - true or false?

Under what circumstances can either the Govt or the EC postpone the poll?

Excellent questions.

But don't expect an answer any time soon.

[icommunity]

The proposal of EC commissioners was unconstitutional. They might have violated election law by pressuring the government and small parties to accept an unconstitutional proposal because the commissioners refused to attend the meeting to hear the opinions of concerned parties. Sent from my ME371MG using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The EC was only invited to give rational to their call for an election postponement, therefore there was no need for the whole commission to be present. After all they have an election to organise and the caretakers requests for more extra funds, above the budget, to consider. Therefore, "EC secretary general Puchong Nutrawong was assigned to represent the commission."

But considering that Yingluck had taken an election postponement off the agenda, he was wasting his time, as was evident by Chwit's actions......

"Mr Chuwit abruptly withdrew from the meeting after announcing that it would be useless to attend a forum which could not reach a concrete conclusion. He immediately left the forum after a brief speech."

Caretaker PM did not take the unconstitutional proposal off the agenda. EC commissioners were making excuses not to hear the views of those present.

It is normal for Chuwit to behave in such manner. His action did not represent all those who were at the meeting

Sent from my ME371MG using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app