Election officials may face criminal charges

[rickirs]

How about some criminal charges against the police for doing absolutely nothing to prevent armed red shirts from driving up to the anti-government protesters, killing one and wounding at least four others in a fusillade of gunfire. Oh yes, it seems that they all got away...

OR for that matter, for doing NOTHING when voting venues are being blocked and locked form access by voters by Suthep's anarchists, or enforcing the State of Emergency to keep Protestors to no more than five? When you allow anarchists to control, you allow opportunity for counter violence.

[rickirs]

Shocked. I expected to read that charges would be filed, because they had negligently opened polls knowing full well that it was likely to become a volatile situation.

Postponement at the least seems to be the prudent thing to do, as the government, nor police seem to be capable of ensuring the safety of the people. Be they the protestors, the anti protestor protestors, or the voting public.

The "Government" does not have neither armed personnel nor authority to ensure that protestors to comply with laws. That is the responsibility of the National Police. And if the police are unable to do their responsibility to protect VOTERS, then the military needs to assume police responsibilities. As long as Suthep continues to lead this insurrection without any legal recriminations such as arrest and enforcement of the State of Emergency, there will be no good date for the elections.

[rogerdee123]

It seems everyone will be facing criminal charges .. except the real criminals.

[rickirs]

This is BS. EC officials are just government workers who also feared for their lives. Blame Chalerm and his useless corrupt police force for not maintaining order.....and this has been going on months now....roads are still blocked because police have done nothing to remove protesters. So, as expected, people take matters into their own hands. Now blood is on his hands and Yinglucks for not forcing the police to do their job. They are lazy spoiled rodents...they lot of them.

Yingluck fails to force the police to do their job to protect VOTERS and EC workers? And exactly how would that work? That she should write a letter begging the police demanding they do their job - "pleazzze"? The "Government" has no armed forces to protect anyone; it has only the rule of law but not the instrument of physical enforcement. But now maybe she can ask the military to fill the Police role to create a safe zone around every voting venue to ensure voter access, voter and EC worker safety without fear or incrimination to exercise their constitutional right to vote. If the military choses to continue to recluse themselves, then you have a de facto coup and the loss of Democracy.

[rickirs]

So in the parts of Thailand where most voters are anti- thaksin, the opposition is preventing people from voting. Woo Thaksin must be scared witless.

Anti-Thaksin protestors WILL NOT BE VOTERS in this election simply because there is NO Democrat candidate to vote for on the ballot. And they have been instructed by Suthep NOT TO VOTE that would otherwise allow them to vote for OTHER OPPOSITION PARTIES that are on the ballot. So why would Thaksin worry about Suthep's supporters not voting or even voting, albeit for other opposition parties? Especially since the TPT is the majority party made even more so without election opposition of the Democrats. No, Suthep is fearful that if his insurrection does not succeed in gaining control of the government, he not only will lose his political career, but face "meaningful" prosecution.

[Siripon]

I won't be surprised if many EC officials in Bangkok and the south are suddenly sick next Sunday morning and cannot go to work, or even resign 2 hours before the polls open.

[rickirs]

May be time to put the clocks back 78 years, have Thailand governed by one absolute ruler revered by everybody, democracy in Thailand does not work.

Democracy has and does work in unison with a royal ruler. Look at Jordon and Denmark. But critical to such successes is a constitution that is UPHELD and ENFORCED. A democractic government cannot operate in a vacuum and between Suthep, the EC, and the National Police, that is what is happening now in Thailand. Leaving out of the formula for the moment the military who seem still "on the fence" about what their interests are.

[Melyn]

"officials who were biased and who did not do their job properly could face criminal charges"

Would that also include the likes of police, army, government workers including teachers etc? Just wondering.

Well it would be most apparent Tarit himself should top the list of

"officials who were biased and who did not do their job properly".

He wrote the book on it

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[Melyn]

I won't be surprised if many EC officials in Bangkok and the south are suddenly sick next Sunday morning and cannot go to work, or even resign 2 hours before the polls open.

They could quite simply ask for government assurances that they will be protected by the police and stand down if violence ensues

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[webfact]

DSI chief accuses election officials for not carrying out their duties

BANGKOK 27 January 2014 (NNT) — Tarit Pengdith, Chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), has accused the Election Commission (EC) of neglecting their duties.

Mr. Tarit, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Surapong Tovichakchaikul, said at a press conference that on January 26, the pre-election day, 66 out of Thailand’s 76 provinces were able to follow through with the election.

Ten provinces in the South namely Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Phatthalung, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phuket, Chumphon, Songkhla, Surat Thani, and Krabi, as well as Bangkok had encountered obstructions from the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protesters who prevented the public from exercising their voting rights.

Mr. Tarit further stated that, according to reports by the Royal Thai Police, the Election Commission (EC) and its officials failed to carry out their duties properly. Some areas had closed the polling stations earlier than the actual closing time at 3 pm, even without any obstructions from the protesters.

The DSI Chief stated that such negligence of duties constitutes an act of violation of section 157, and will be dealt with accordingly by the government.


-- NNT 2014-01-27

[spirit47]

The EC and everybody with a little bit knowledge can tell him that the 2.Feb. election failed already. And for this, the emergency state is the most important point.

[culicine]

I won't be surprised if many EC officials in Bangkok and the south are suddenly sick next Sunday morning and cannot go to work, or even resign 2 hours before the polls open.

They could quite simply ask for government assurances that they will be protected by the police and stand down if violence ensues

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They needed to ask that under the current circumstances? If Yingluck wants this election to go ahead, I would have thought she would have commanded the police/military to prepare for any outcome. Perhaps skype has been down recently. But I guess that puts the police in harms way and we can't have that can we? Chalerm better grow a pair before next Sunday or things are going to get seriously out of hand.

[rogerdee123]

May be time to put the clocks back 78 years, have Thailand governed by one absolute ruler revered by everybody, democracy in Thailand does not work.

Democracy has and does work in unison with a royal ruler. Look at Jordon and Denmark. But critical to such successes is a constitution that is UPHELD and ENFORCED. A democractic government cannot operate in a vacuum and between Suthep, the EC, and the National Police, that is what is happening now in Thailand. Leaving out of the formula for the moment the military who seem still "on the fence" about what their interests are.

The Military are just letting the facts speak for themselves.

[looping]

The good thing about today, it was a dry-run for February 2nd...As the saying goes, :"It doesn't matter what happens, it's what you do about it that counts".....Now the Democratic, pro-electoral majority have seen what the unelectables will try to do, in order to avoid voting....And they can assess how best to control it......It also exposes the EC, not that anymore could be exposed...They have been mirroring the coup-monger mantra's about voting avoidance, and they used the slimmest of reason to do so.....According to the UDD/RS, they were looking for a reason....To the point if a guy a block away gave out a yell,...Their reaction?..."Close the polling station... I know this is an exaggeration but that is the way the RS's are talking....

The only problem of course, is the Elitist user-friendly judiciary....That will protect these EC people who had every intent, almost pre-emptively, to scuttle voting where they had the least bit of cover to do so..

.I note with interest some opinions here, faulting attempts to hold those responsible to conduct an election, for not doing it, and holding them to account. In many cases there seems to be a double standard---One for Thailand, and one for their own country....The anti-electoral and anti-electoral Democracy in whatever form seems to be acceptable here, when I know they would be livid if it happened in their home country.

I seem to remember Abhisit offering an election in 2010, as per RS demands, then they refused and eventually forced a crackdown.

This was after months of violent intimidation and bullying, including an attack on Abhisit's car, if you remember.

But that was different, right? Thaksin needed the crackdown.

Those machete wielding, tyre burning, hospital raiding thugs are now in power, and let's just use one of their policies, the rice pledging scheme, as an example of how UTTERLY useless they are, unless you judge them on their ability to fill their own pockets.

An election won't solve any problems, not before some systems can be put in place to deter the further rape and pillage of Thailand.

Is that simple enough to understand?

It's very difficult for some people, including some of the international media, to see past the fact that the election is being blocked.

Thai public opinion cast out the RS because the Reds laid siege to Bangkok in 2010 by camping in the city, tying up the city and for being involved in bloodshed and riot. The RS still haven't ever recovered from it.

Thai public opinion is against Suthep and his militants in the streets because they have camped out in Bangkok, laid siege to the city and want to stop the election.

The vast and moderate Thai political center rejects mob action Red or Yellow and wants to express its support Sunday for continued democracy and stable government in Thailand by voting in peace and security.

It's clear the voters, the government and the international community are all on the same side.

That would be the vast majority of Thais, the ones who think that corruption is ok as long as they benefit from it? No quick fix for that.

This protest is a desperate measure to save Thailand, just as the coup was in 2006.

I agree that's it's just my perspective, which, for the moment, I'm entitled to. Before the coup, half of these posts would have been deleted for fear of the forum being closed, by a certain 'democratically elected' person.

That would be the vast and moderate Thai political center, yes, the one that recoils at the extremism, intolerance and intemperate nature of Suthep, his mob and his backers. Yes, the vast majority of Thais who firmly support democracy and who oppose your feudal council with its secret blank check agenda of "reform."

And yes, the 2006 military mutiny coup d'état was the desperate act of desperate men in uniform and out of uniform, and the country to include fahlang continue to suffer the consequences of the coup, i.e., the loss of democracy which has compounded the country's problems and confounded its leaders and its citizens from the top to the bottom.

No more suspensions of democracy thank you by anyone at any time for any desperate motive, cause, fascist design.

Keep drinking the Lao Khao...

[soalbundy]

Seems everybody is suing everybody else,at least the lawyers are having a nice time. Up go the lobsters.

This political situation reminds me of a saying by the German comedian Karl Valentine:....

"We would have really wanted to,but we weren't able to trust ourselves"

[tingtongteesood]

The EC told the government weeks ago that to continue with this pointless sham election apart from being a huge waste of money would also most likely lead to violence. Of course the fugitive in Dubai flat out refuses to postpone the election as he wants his amnesty as soon as possible and wants to continue robbing from the people of the country. He has to wait 3 more months and if his party are in power then BAM - Hello amnesty! And more problems for the country caused by the crazy criminal on the run. Then they will try for the trillions loan to steal more for themselves and pay the farmers for the rice scheme for a couple more years plunging the entire country further and further into a USA style rising debt they can never pay off.

The EC gave in to protestors demands easily as they are doing the right thing and trying to avoid the violence. Good on em for standing up to the Corrupt Criminal Caretakers Party.

If they do face criminal charges I would be very surprised. And now this idiotic statement by the criminal party has given reason if they didn't already have it to side with the protestors as they have been accused of doing as if they win then they definitely will not face charges. The more people the caretaker idiots turn against them the harder it becomes to maintain their grip on power. Keep putting your feet in your mouths guys, you are doing an awesome job !

[KimoMax]

Is'nt this the same EC that was in place during the last election when the PTP won ?

Good EC if you win. Bad EC if things don't go your way.

Should'nt it be the job of the Caretaker Government, Prosecuters, and the Judiciary to make decisions to prosecute or not from reports by Police witnessing aledged EC misconduct and not the CMPO ?

Even in Thailand; since when did the RTP (CMPO are working in a RTP capacity) become the Judiciary branch of the Government ?

Just another example of RTP being Judge, Jury, and Executioner here beyond their authority and let the proper branches of Government make the decisions of prosections and comments about who will face charges

Edited January 27, 2014 by KimoMax

[Arkady]

He is just frothing at the mouth. No hope of criminal charges for EC commissioners.

There is no mention of the EC commissioners.

Whether you want to believe it or not there are multiple allegations of officials,

- Closing polling stations early

- Creating delays resulting in long lines so as to discourage voting

- Behaving in a hostile manner and not providing assistance at polling sites as they are required to do

The complaints were being made by voters who were frustrated by the behaviour of the personnel who's job it was to carry out the poll activity.

If people who are supposed to carry out their duties in an unbiased manner instead to so in a manner which undermines the integrity of the process and who display an overt bias, then they must be treated accordingly. The EC has the legal obligation to carry out the advance polls. Those polls were allowed to proceed by the constitutional "court".

Perhaps you're right and, and if precedence is anything to go by (not necessarily the case in a civil law system) there will be criminal charges. In 2006, after the elections were annulled due to incorrect positioning of of the poll booths, the EC commissioners were all convicted of malfeasance and sentenced to one day in prison suspended. I don't know if that meant they couldn't get visas for the US or not.

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