Officials told to stop vote if protesters besiege venue

[chrisrazz]

The anti democracy gang have gone strangely silent today. On Feb 2nd there will be 40 million people going to the polls. Suthep and his thugs won't stop that.

IF (and that is a HUGE IF) the elections continue next week, how legitimate will the result be with so many people being stopped from voting today?

I think the question is really, how legitimate the 'protests' are if there is a huge turnout next week? The result will be irrelevant, the relevance will be the fact that people exercise their right to vote and in doing so, their belief in democracy.

[Spalpeen]

The anti democracy gang have gone strangely silent today. On Feb 2nd there will be 40 million people going to the polls. Suthep and his thugs won't stop that.

IF (and that is a HUGE IF) the elections continue next week, how legitimate will the result be with so many people being stopped from voting today?

.

100% legitimate. If the southern terrorists manage to prevent a few Thai citizens from exercising their democratic rights at a small number of locations it may be necessary to re-run those constituencies as by elections after Suthep has been locked up and things return to normal. Terrorism can never defeat democracy.

A more likely outcome is that the real Thai People will kick them down the road on Feb 2nd.

[pipkins]

EC reporting that in the North, disruption only occurred at few small sites in Surin, Smaut Prakan and Bangkok... As the South only do what Sutheps henchmen tell them, there is not problem there.

Sad, but if they can't stand up to Suthep in the South, they should be made to live under his rule. Som Nam Nah.

CC can revise down Quorum so Parliament can convene. Not set in stone and this is the route Gov. now pushing.

So, Elections still on, no Coup, signs of a backlash against PDRC and more and more people pissed off with Suthep. Bet his backers are livid he didn't get his face off with the Police today.

Looks like the EC forgot all about the election laws about Police not being allowed in unless requested by them. So the blame is squarly with EC and back to Court.. CC really baulking now as they are called upon to interperet the laws they wrote.

Shows the allegiences of EC and CC more and more. Soon, even a Bluesky viewer will get it.. But don't hold your breath, they still talking about millions on the streets.

[rocky3]

So isn't there police and army personnel at the voting sites? EC is doing everything it can to avoid doing it's job. They should be charged with dereliction of duty if the vote does not continue.

I agree with you. Its been shown daily that the EC sides with Sutep. They are making no effort to conduct the election, and should resign in mass so that a proper commission can be appointed to do the job.

[Crushdepth]

So isn't there police and army personnel at the voting sites? EC is doing everything it can to avoid doing it's job. They should be charged with dereliction of duty if the vote does not continue.

The police couldn't figure out they would be needed? Who is derelict in their duty?

[Ulic]

The EC is just a bunch of incompetent buffoons.

[pipkins]

So isn't there police and army personnel at the voting sites? EC is doing everything it can to avoid doing it's job. They should be charged with dereliction of duty if the vote does not continue.

The police couldn't figure out they would be needed? Who is derelict in their duty?

OK slowly for you. It is illegal for the Police to interfere in an election. It was a trap design to bring about more trumped up charges against Gov. This is the same in most countries and it applies to the area outside.

so!!!! Police go in = Government is charged by CC for interfering with election. But PDRC are ok to block it as they are the same cliques.

As it stands though PDRC have just had a few thousand crime reports lodged against them. All on film, all on TV and all reported around the glove already.... Just read BBC, Reutere, Straits Times and Star.... They all say the same and lets home they go to jail for this one day.

Even the nation have just learnt this in a very interesting on-line conversatoin.

Get it, EC did not ask for the police even though they (as the EC) should know their own law inside out. Police did the right thing and the EC is taking the blame for this.

EC is taking blame from any comentator who knows anything about law. It was another failed trap and they failed to do their duty for the sole reason that they are part of the Coup attempt. It is easy, but you have to open the mind a bit.

Everybody else has it now, even The Nation. So why are some intellects on here struggling with this basic concept.

Frustrating as it is for many people. The backers of this coup still think they could win with violence and this is their tack.

Charges now filed against EC for closing polls too early!!!!! Lets hope this lot get justice in the New Thailand after Suthep. What this all demostrates to the world is that the Government were right to try and change such a disgusting self serving Constitution in the first place

[billd766]

The anti democracy gang have gone strangely silent today. On Feb 2nd there will be 40 million people going to the polls. Suthep and his thugs won't stop that.

IF (and that is a HUGE IF) the elections continue next week, how legitimate will the result be with so many people being stopped from voting today?

.

100% legitimate. If the southern terrorists manage to prevent a few Thai citizens from exercising their democratic rights at a small number of locations it may be necessary to re-run those constituencies as by elections after Suthep has been locked up and things return to normal. Terrorism can never defeat democracy.

A more likely outcome is that the real Thai People will kick them down the road on Feb 2nd.

Just what in your opinion constiutes a "Real Thai Person"?

Thaksin and Yingluck

Abhisit and Suthep

Chalerm and Jatuporn

My wife (or anybody elses wife) and my neighbour next door

The people in the village

The people in BKK

The Royal Family

Monks or roadsweepers

The men and ladies in the gas stations

The Army and the police

Give me an honest and truthful answer

My answer to you is that they ARE all "Real Thai People2 where people likeyou and I are not.

[billd766]

So isn't there police and army personnel at the voting sites? EC is doing everything it can to avoid doing it's job. They should be charged with dereliction of duty if the vote does not continue.

I agree with you. Its been shown daily that the EC sides with Sutep. They are making no effort to conduct the election, and should resign in mass so that a proper commission can be appointed to do the job.

If they resign then who will appoint a new EC Commission? The caretaker PTP government perhaps?

[Scamper]

This is what happens when an administration forces a vote that large swaths of the population don't want and when a caretaker administration invokes the power of the emergency decree during an election campaign. It's called chaos. It's called a stalemate, and that stalemate exists even if every single protester came off the streets. This will be quorum-less parliament. Pure and simple. That is the reality the administration really ought to be concerned with. Because their legislative power left on December 9 with the dissolution of parliament, and they'll never get it back again. There is no path forward for the administration - either through the legislature, or through the courts. It's time to listen to the people. It's time for a process of peaceful reform talks, with the full participation of all parties and all the people to map a course forward together.

[kirk0233]

So isn't there police and army personnel at the voting sites? EC is doing everything it can to avoid doing it's job. They should be charged with dereliction of duty if the vote does not continue.

Yes, the EC issued a statement warning the authorities that the emergency decree must not violate the Constitution by causing advantages or disadvantages to the election candidates; but no warning to Suthep's group who said they would prevent citizens from voting.

[diehard60]

Sounds like the EC is telling YL <deleted>> you, since she wont agree to cancel elections then the EC will make it easy for the people to do it

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

why shouls she? She was given the authority by the King himself to have to election. suthep is the one going against the Kings wishes.

[geriatrickid]

So isn't there police and army personnel at the voting sites? EC is doing everything it can to avoid doing it's job. They should be charged with dereliction of duty if the vote does not continue.

Well, at least the EC isn't hiding behind carefully worded statements any longer. and everyone can see what the EC is.

[kirk0233]

This is what happens when an administration forces a vote that large swaths of the population don't want and when a caretaker administration invokes the power of the emergency decree during an election campaign. It's called chaos. It's called a stalemate, and that stalemate exists even if every single protester came off the streets. This will be quorum-less parliament. Pure and simple. That is the reality the administration really ought to be concerned with. Because their legislative power left on December 9 with the dissolution of parliament, and they'll never get it back again. There is no path forward for the administration - either through the legislature, or through the courts. It's time to listen to the people. It's time for a process of peaceful reform talks, with the full participation of all parties and all the people to map a course forward together.

Seems to me it is Suthep who needs to listen to the people and respect their vote and right to vote.

[thesetat2013]

Well lets see. The court ruled yesterday that election date could be chAnged legally. And it was not the king who ordered an election within a certain time frame. It was the constitution. She only sought the kings approval to step down and be caretaker.

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

[Spalpeen]

The anti democracy gang have gone strangely silent today. On Feb 2nd there will be 40 million people going to the polls. Suthep and his thugs won't stop that.

IF (and that is a HUGE IF) the elections continue next week, how legitimate will the result be with so many people being stopped from voting today?

.

100% legitimate. If the southern terrorists manage to prevent a few Thai citizens from exercising their democratic rights at a small number of locations it may be necessary to re-run those constituencies as by elections after Suthep has been locked up and things return to normal. Terrorism can never defeat democracy.

A more likely outcome is that the real Thai People will kick them down the road on Feb 2nd.

Just what in your opinion constiutes a "Real Thai Person"?

Thaksin and Yingluck

Abhisit and Suthep

Chalerm and Jatuporn

My wife (or anybody elses wife) and my neighbour next door

The people in the village

The people in BKK

The Royal Family

Monks or roadsweepers

The men and ladies in the gas stations

The Army and the police

Give me an honest and truthful answer

My answer to you is that they ARE all "Real Thai People2 where people likeyou and I are not.

.

Yep, all of them. And come Feb 2nd 40 million of them will be out teaching the fascists a lesson. Looking forward to that day.

[Mrgk]

This is what happens when an administration forces a vote that large swaths of the population don't want and when a caretaker administration invokes the power of the emergency decree during an election campaign.

Gee, I wonder why they felt the need? Could it have something to do with the (recurring) campaign to overthrow democracy in Thailand that is currently underway, one might wonder?

It's called chaos. It's called a stalemate, and that stalemate exists even if every single protester came off the streets. This will be quorum-less parliament. Pure and simple. That is the reality the administration really ought to be concerned with.

As the "Quorom-less" parliament has been caused by the "protests" (a.k.a. the sabotage of the election), the two issues would appear to be intertwined.

It's time to listen to the people. It's time for a process of peaceful reform talks, with the full participation of all parties and all the people to map a course forward together.

"Listening to the people" would involve holding elections and refraining from attempting to overthrow governments through force or subterfuge. Giving in and holding "peaceful reform talks" in practice means surrendering to Suthep and his backers. Hence, I would prefer to see gravediggers of Thai democracy, yourself included, opposed by whatver means are compatible with one´s conscience.

Edited January 26, 2014 by Mrgk

[LevelHead]

There will of course be charges from some people of collusion between the EC and protestors. But is it correct ?

Why have the EC not asked the Police and Army to make voting possible ?

Why have the EC not asked the Police and Army to clear the protestors away and allow people to enter to vote ?

Why has the EC simply said if any protestors around then shut down the polling booth ?

Very strange......................

In my opinion.

[Mrgk]

I haven't heard any report that voters were blocked. But it seems like the election officials just face some difficulty with getting to the polling site. And in a democracy, everyone is allowed to exercise their rights to protest. And EC also recognizes the law too...and everyone needs to do the same and stop trying to be "cyber pseudo lawyers".

To make it clear: A legitimate (in the sense that it is compatible with a stable democracy) protest is a form of speech aimed at making one´s opinion on some public matter known to the world.

On the other hand, to "protest" with the goal of, say, preventing people from getting to work, or to prevent voting, or to intimidate others, is a form of violence masquerading as speech. As such it is a particularly insidious form of violence, as it blurs the distinction between mob violence and speech.

[Mrgk]

Why has the EC simply said if any protestors around then shut down the polling booth ?

Very strange......................

In my opinion.

We all know the answer, of course, but the behavior of the EC and the Constitutional Court is nonetheless instructive for another reason. When Suthep & Co. say that they want more "Checks and Balances", what they mean is that they want more institutions like the EC and CC in place, so that governing Thailand in a way that contradicts the wishes of themselves becomes impossible. When you hear "Checks and Balances", think "Dictatorship by proxy".

[BlueNoseCodger]

Well lets see. The court ruled yesterday that election date could be chAnged legally. And it was not the king who ordered an election within a certain time frame. It was the constitution. She only sought the kings approval to step down and be caretaker.

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

If Abhisit won't stand for election and continues to back Suthep's grab for power, what is the point of cancelling election and restarting it? Nothing would change, perhaps Suthep would have sold his land by then and had enough money to fund his stages, and his guards, so it would just be Bangkok restart #2 or #3 or whatever number he's up to now.

Yingluk made an offer to them already, but they declined to promise not to block future elections.

Worse, yesterday we had Abhisit at the army party openly threatening the elected PM with his "resign before its too late" speech. Today we have him on Facebook threatening empeachment for some bogus claim or other. He's making it clear he won't go the elections route to power.

Suthep is silent.

Abhisit is really flailing.

EC has no legal power to block elections, and even had an angry Bangkok voter mob on its door today.

I don't see that anything has really changed here. We're still heading for elections and its still likely to be a high turnourt majority PT vote.

Edited January 26, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger

[LevelHead]

Well lets see. The court ruled yesterday that election date could be chAnged legally. And it was not the king who ordered an election within a certain time frame. It was the constitution. She only sought the kings approval to step down and be caretaker.

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

If Abhisit won't stand for election and continues to back Suthep's grab for power, what is the point of cancelling election and restarting it? Nothing would change, perhaps Suthep would have sold his land by then and had enough money to fund his stages, and his guards, so it would just be Bangkok restart #2 or #3 or whatever number he's up to now.

Yingluk made an offer to them already, but they declined to promise not to block future elections.

Worse, yesterday we had Abhisit at the army party openly threatening the elected PM with his "resign before its too late" speech. Today we have him on Facebook threatening empeachment for some bogus claim or other. He's making it clear he won't go the elections route to power.

Suthep is silent.

Abhisit is really flailing.

EC has no legal power to block elections, and even had an angry Bangkok voter mob on its door today.

I don't see that anything has really changed here. We're still heading for elections and its still likely to be a high turnourt majority PT vote.

The Constitution Court failed to give clear guidance.

They only said the election could be postponed in certain circumstances (like war or national disaster) BUT they did not say the present situation warrants it or not.

Which means in effect that Yingluck would put herself into the firing line if she postponed the election as the court many then rule, with no guidance given in their last ruling, that the present protests do not warrant a postponement and so YL and the PTP are in breach of the constitution.

There will be a lawsuit against her by the Democrat Party and PDRC if she postpones it.

There will be a lawsuit against her by the same people if she does not.

The saving grace for her is that if there is an election then she has not violated the constitution and so there is nothing wrong.

If she postpones the election and there is no war or National Emergency (countrywide) she could be found guilty by the courts of incorrectly postponing it.

So the election has to carry on as planned, with by elections as needed until all seats are filled, if it takes 1 month or 6 months or 2 years - this is the way the Thai Constitution is written and so this is the law in my understanding.

All of the above is just my opinion of course.

[tingtongteesood]

Just the same endless crap and mantras from the same people repeated ad infinitum, could the people in charge possibly start grouping articles about the elections for example all together in the same thread so we have to put up with each monotonous mantra a few less times ? Would save us all some time and effort.....

[BlueNoseCodger]

The Constitution Court failed to give clear guidance.

They only said the election could be postponed in certain circumstances (like war or national disaster) BUT they did not say the present situation warrants it or not.

Which means in effect that Yingluck would put herself into the firing line if she postponed the election as the court many then rule, with no guidance given in their last ruling, that the present protests do not warrant a postponement and so YL and the PTP are in breach of the constitution.

There will be a lawsuit against her by the Democrat Party and PDRC if she postpones it.

There will be a lawsuit against her by the same people if she does not.

The saving grace for her is that if there is an election then she has not violated the constitution and so there is nothing wrong.

If she postpones the election and there is no war or National Emergency (countrywide) she could be found guilty by the courts of incorrectly postponing it.

So the election has to carry on as planned, with by elections as needed until all seats are filled, if it takes 1 month or 6 months or 2 years - this is the way the Thai Constitution is written and so this is the law in my understanding.

All of the above is just my opinion of course.

The constitution does not have Democrats written into it, and elections does not need them, there are plenty of opposition candidates who want to win peoples votes. Thailand rejects Democracts at the polls anyway, so they would not change the winner.

The CC said Both EC+Government need to agree to cancel an election, so without a promise that Suthep's violence and intimidation will stop, or that Abhisit will take Democrats back within the constitution democracy, there is no point in delaying elections and government are right to reject these stooges of dictatorship.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Edited January 26, 2014 by BlueNoseCodger