Abhisit declares he will not go to his polling station to vote on Sunday

[smileydude]

This thread is showing some encouraging signs... judging by the number of "likes" for posts strongly disaproving Abhisit and the Dem's behavior, compared with the small number of "likes" for posts in his favor.

Like in the Thai society, it proves that it is only a small minority that supports the anti-democratic dirty moves of Suthep, the Dems and their yellow followers.

In the long run they cannot win anything anyway.

It is just a pity that the country must pass such a difficult period only because of some power seeking individuals.

Abhisit not voting? No problem. If he disappears from the political scene forever... even better !

But preventing the other people to cast their votes is clearly criminal.

I disagree as I don't think the demographics of the population here on Thai Visa Forum represent Thai's.

I sense a very strong western belief that voting is the best way to express democracy.

I agree in principle but if the system does not have checks and balances like for example a Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) as they have in Canada and the US the current government can ram thru any spending it likes as long as they control the majority of seats. This leads to bad governance and corruption. That is the issue here. Reform before elections.

Suthep has an agenda, that is to completely rid Thailand of Thaksin's influence and his cronies.

I think its rather unrealistic and extreme as you cannot get rid of all the red shirt ideologists and more importantly it does not address the widening income gap and discontent.

We really need to find common ground and start from there. You can't rid the country of nor suppress either side. You can improve good governance and accountability through reform of the system but alot of people are missing the point and gravitating towards hatred for certain individuals.

Hopefully this is the storm before the quiet.

[samuidave]

Absolute disgrace for the leader of the wrongly called Dems!

Probably the least democratic act within a democracy one can do is vote.

Upholding democratic principles is paramount, while adhering to illegal, democratic procedures makes one a pawn of those who are undermining democracy itself.

Your political education is arrested, albeit in purpose. Open your eyes and seek a clearer understanding of affairs.

[samuidave]

"Tomorrow, I won't go to exercise my voting right because this election is not unconstitutional"

"NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL"

Well spotted! Freudian slip perhaps?

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

ARE you so dense as to not spot a typo when it stares you in the face? No wonder you think the Thaksin regime is a good one considering your interpretive skills.

[seajae]

now we have red/shina sympathizing non thais trying to tell us all about the thai language, hypocrites springs to mind.

[Richard W]

Absolute disgrace for the leader of the wrongly called Dems!

What an idiot, he won't vote this weekend because his party has boycoted the elections!

Who would he vote for?

I believe there is a 'none of the above' option, i.e. abstention, option on Thai ballot papers.

[samuidave]

Abhisit says he will not go to the poll

BANGKOK: -- Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says he will not go to the poll tomorrow.

That's good, it means in addition to the murder charges he is up against, this scumbag will be banned from politics for not voting.

Use you ducking head. Just how democratic is mandatory voting in the first place? The Soviet Union supported such practices. You can appreciate that there are varying degrees of the applicability of any law, don't you?

[pantareiyingluck]

Is AV suggesting a Royal Decree is unconstitutional?

No. He is suggesting this election is..

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same thing friend - and BTW the dems amended the "constitution" that they now say is "unconstitutional"

The constitution is not unconstitutional. The election is.. very.very different. It's not the same thing at all.

Personally I think he's wrong about not voting. But it's his choice and it should be the choice of all Thais!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

True. It is his choice but to make it public is poor. Very poor behavior. It proofs he isn't a leader. I am 57 and never heard of any country / political conflict where a well known politician spreads the word to refrain from a very valuable right: voting. These elections couldake a difference but he decides to make a different difference. Not constructive. Undermining. And against the outspoken wish for UNITY.

Be a bit more humble and take your seat at the negotiation table. And avoid bloodshed! Or are you deaf.

[Hugh Jarse]

Absolute disgrace for the leader of the wrongly called Dems!

...wrongly called Dems was how the Economist magazine this week referred to The Democrat Party. Well worth a read is this weeks edition. Concise and to the point unlike many of the utterances on this thread.

[pantareiyingluck]

If nothing else, I love it how some Thai people can demonstrate for many months, peacefully. I also have a lot of respect for the leaders of the demonstrations, who put their lives at risk every day. Mr. Abhisit made his choice and will live with the consequences, just like everyone else, on both sides.

At least he is not a sheep!

or a camel herder.

Or the man with the flute all mouses simply followed.

[binjalin]

If nothing else, I love it how some Thai people can demonstrate for many months, peacefully. I also have a lot of respect for the leaders of the demonstrations, who put their lives at risk every day. Mr. Abhisit made his choice and will live with the consequences, just like everyone else, on both sides.

At least he is not a sheep!

or a camel herder.

Or the man with the flute all mouses simply followed.

no he's just a ostrich stick his head in the ground - hoping to wake up and "it's all over" and the Dems take power by DEFAULT

how PATHETIC

Khun Abhisit - try Democracy? try appealing to the normal voters? not just your rich in BKK? you might find you 'might' WIN an election LOL

[samuidave]

Is AV suggesting a Royal Decree is unconstitutional?

No. He is suggesting this election is..

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

same thing friend - and BTW the dems amended the "constitution" that they now say is "unconstitutional"

The constitution is not unconstitutional. The election is.. very.very different. It's not the same thing at all.

Personally I think he's wrong about not voting. But it's his choice and it should be the choice of all Thais!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

True. It is his choice but to make it public is poor. Very poor behavior. It proofs he isn't a leader. I am 57 and never heard of any country / political conflict where a well known politician spreads the word to refrain from a very valuable right: voting. These elections couldake a difference but he decides to make a different difference. Not constructive. Undermining. And against the outspoken wish for UNITY.

Be a bit more humble and take your seat at the negotiation table. And avoid bloodshed! Or are you deaf.

You are clearly a well trained believer in this sacred right to vote, even if it means voting in the most democratically bankrupt affairs being passed off as an honest election.

The privacy of voting is a right that anyone can forfeit. There is absolutely nothing sacrosanct about it.

[Espinete]

Dear Robert. My name is Willy Rotterdam. I gathered documents and press releases which might help to strengthen the case you are working on. It is about an opposition figure acting as a HiSo donkey. He doesn't move.

[casualbiker]

Lesse Majeste in its purest form. Royal Highness The King appoints a caretaker until fresh elections will be held on 2nd of February. Abhisit publicly accuses the elections as a farce. So.......

Stupid. Stupid post

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[mjef]

Didn't he say that he would not comment on whether he would vote or not so he didn't influence others in the party voters decision. So what happen with that?

Exactly! I've been counting their lies for a while now. Oh god they lie! Especially Suthep. And they're the worst liars I've ever seen in my life!

[GrantSmith]

Dear Robert. My name is Willy Rotterdam. I gathered documents and press releases which might help to strengthen the case you are working on. It is about an opposition figure acting as a HiSo donkey. He doesn't move.

Umm.. What?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[GrantSmith]

born and educated in the UK from wealthy family, spoilt brat who doesn't want for anything in his life ,throws his teddy out of pram cos he cant get his own way as usual

Born in England, Abhisit attended Eton College and earned bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Oxford.^[6] He was elected to the Parliament of Thailand at age 27, and promoted to Democrat Party leader in 2005, after his predecessor resigned following the party's defeat in the 2005 general election.[7

Have you checked Thaksins..

He ain't exactly from a rice farmers family ..

.Also :

At least hes Thai

Donald Trump, is that you?

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[Stone Inscription 1]

Abhisit is showing that he is a coward. How can you support democracy if you shun voting? His position is ridiculous.

[pipkins]

I think Abhisit is due a serious re-think.

He must have seen the news and realise that Suthep is finished. He'll have to start thinking how he can retake number one spot back now.

With any luck, none of these PDRC or Dems will ever pollute the air of Thai Government Institutions with their presence

[englishoak]

Casualbiker I can find nothing that relates to your EC TV mention of senate voting and Mark.. i suppose its just another thing said for the sake of it, I can however say the indications is that a candidate cannot stand in the following election if they do not vote in the previous one, that is clear.

Of course they make things up including changing the written law to suit in court as they go but i cannot see how Mark can not vote then stand as a candidate in the next election from what i can read or find.

Abhisit is a puppet that much is clear and his time in the UK obviously taught him nothing about democracy, he's pathetic and flip flops all the time ... "don't thai to me" is very appropriate for this limp d+++ excuse for a politician.

[icare999]

Absolute disgrace for the leader of the wrongly called Dems!

...wrongly called Dems was how the Economist magazine this week referred to The Democrat Party. Well worth a read is this weeks edition. Concise and to the point unlike many of the utterances on this thread.

yes lets have taksin one party regime no thanks ill go with sup hep and pray taksin looses or all you red bs people if you lives here will see soon enough pathetic brainwashed sheep

[Mackie]

I believe you all understand English. Is there anything there you don't understand? A very reasonable man. Has always been. Unfortunately, there aren't any reasonable people on the other side of the political divide. They're simply not ready to compromise. All because of the amnesty bill.

We don't mind if we lose 'fair elections': Abhisit

Text Size

Published: Thursday, 16 Jan 2014 | 11:52 PM ET

By: Leslie Shaffer | Writer for CNBC.com

Play Video

Thai Democrat Party: We don't mind losing elections

Thursday, 16 Jan 2014 | 9:15 PM ET

Abhisit Vejjajiva, Leader of Thailand's Democrat Party, explains that his party is not boycotting elections in order gain power as they will not accept any positions in power regardless of election results.

The leader of Thailand's main opposition party is trying to differentiate its positions from the demands of street demonstrations led by his one-time deputy, saying it isn't seeking to suspend the country's democracy.

"The Democrat Party stands nothing to gain from the coup d'etat. (It) stands to gain nothing even if the protestors win. We will not be assuming power. We will not accept any position in power. We do not have anything to gain from violence," Abhisit Vejjajiva, the leader of the Democrat Party told CNBC in an exclusive interview.

"We do not actually mind if we lose fair elections. And we've always accepted election results," he said.

Dario Pignatelli | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Abhisit Vejjajiva, former Thai Prime Minister and leader of the Democrat Party

Abhisit wanted to be clear his party's decision to boycott the election, set for February 2 in an unsuccessful effort by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to defuse the street protests, was not due to widely held expectations she and her party will be swept back into power.

"Even their private polling showed they were slipping. In fact, one poll that was released before dissolution (of parliament) had us ahead. But that's not the point," he said. "The problem occurred because the government betrayed the trust of the people," he said, citing the amnesty bill.

Representatives of the government did not immediately return emails requesting comment.

The protests, which began in late October, were triggered by parliament's consideration of a government-backed amnesty bill that could have allowed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup d'etat, to return home without facing time in prison for a 2008 graft sentence.

Play Video

Thai Democrat Party: Why we are boycotting elections

Abhisit Vejjajiva, Leader of Thailand's Democrat Party, explains that the governing party has lost its popularity among the people, which has resulted in a lack of trust.

Ironically, the bill also would have granted immunity to politicians implicated in 2010 violent protests which killed about 90 people, including Abhisit, who was prime minister at the time, and Suthep Thaugsuban, the leader of the street protests, who was his deputy. Both have been charged with murder.

While the amnesty bill was dropped, the street protests have broadened out to an explicit call for Yingluck, who is Thaksin's sister, to step down. In addition, protesters are calling for replacing their country's democracy with an unelected "people's council" for an undefined period of time.

(Read more: Do Thai protestors have the government in checkmate?)

However, Abhisit wanted to differentiate himself from the protestors' demand.

"We are not proposing the suspension of democracy," he said. "What we are proposing is the government recognize that the Electoral Commission has said the February elections cannot be free and fair. That they step back, invite all sides, open up political space for some kind of compromise so we can move to elections that can be accepted by all sides," he said.

To be sure, the Yingluck government attempted to call a meeting earlier this week of the commission, the protestors and political parties to discuss the timing of the election. Neither the commission nor the opposition leaders attended.

In addition, while the Election Commission initially proposed delaying the election in late December, it has since determined that the law does not allow for a change of election date.

"The government needs to reach an understanding with the Election Commission and not invite 60 or 70 people around the table and also people who are just going to come up and say it cannot be done legally,"Abhisit said to explain his party's absence. "If the government meets with the Election Commission, gets the Election Commission to invite political parties around, we would participate."

—By CNBC.Com's Leslie Shaffer; Follow her on Twitter

@LeslieShaffer1

[Cnxforever]

If nothing else, I love it how some Thai people can demonstrate for many months, peacefully. I also have a lot of respect for the leaders of the demonstrations, who put their lives at risk every day. Mr. Abhisit made his choice and will live with the consequences, just like everyone else, on both sides.

At least he is not a sheep!

or a camel herder.

Or the man with the flute all mouses simply followed.

no he's just a ostrich stick his head in the ground - hoping to wake up and "it's all over" and the Dems take power by DEFAULT

how PATHETIC

Khun Abhisit - try Democracy? try appealing to the normal voters? not just your rich in BKK? you might find you 'might' WIN an election LOL

His name translated into English means "privileged" - you think he would get off his high horse and mingle with the common folk?

He was born into the "elite" - the shallow HISO - that's the people he mingles with.

Everything else is below him - it is his birth right to rule over the peasants ........hahaha

[englishoak]

We are not proposing the suspension of democracy," he said.

really so why has he been backing the suspension of voting until the PRDC council of no one reforms their blank piece of paper list ?

No democrat I have ever known met or read about other than Thai trys to BS you can boycott, block and suspend elections ( he supports the PRDC so is complicit ) and claim its democratic, further more the gov invited them to take part in talks and reform committees and they refused point blank.

like I say he flip flops all the time and is a puppet. Muppet and im debunking your attempt at spin Mackie. Mark is no lover of fair elections only ones that are shoehorned into a place the dems can gain power, just like the last time without ever being elected as a winning party by the Thai people... pathetic

[HD 205]

Abhisit is partying like it's 2006.

[Mackie]

We are not proposing the suspension of democracy," he said.

really so why has he been backing the suspension of voting until the PRDC council of no one reforms their blank piece of paper list ?

No democrat I have ever known met or read about other than Thai trys to BS you can boycott, block and suspend elections ( he supports the PRDC so is complicit ) and claim its democratic, further more the gov invited them to take part in talks and reform committees and they refused point blank.

like I say he flip flops all the time and is a puppet. Muppet and im debunking your attempt at spin Mackie. Mark is no lover of fair elections only ones that are shoehorned into a place the dems can gain power, just like the last time without ever being elected as a winning party by the Thai people... pathetic

Your head is really spinning. You might be suffering from vertigo.Your opinion is just your opinion. Not a fact of life. People are entitled to their opinions. There is no need for me to spin anything. People are free to read the interview and draw their own conclusions. Abhisit was for a compromise, the other side was not.

[HD 205]

We are not proposing the suspension of democracy," he said.

really so why has he been backing the suspension of voting until the PRDC council of no one reforms their blank piece of paper list ?

No democrat I have ever known met or read about other than Thai trys to BS you can boycott, block and suspend elections ( he supports the PRDC so is complicit ) and claim its democratic, further more the gov invited them to take part in talks and reform committees and they refused point blank.

like I say he flip flops all the time and is a puppet. Muppet and im debunking your attempt at spin Mackie. Mark is no lover of fair elections only ones that are shoehorned into a place the dems can gain power, just like the last time without ever being elected as a winning party by the Thai people... pathetic

Your head is really spinning. You might be suffering from vertigo.Your opinion is just your opinion. Not a fact of life. People are entitled to their opinions. There is no need for me to spin anything. People are free to read the interview and draw their own conclusions. Abhisit was for a compromise, the other side was not.

Do you support Suthep?

[GrantSmith]

Casualbiker I can find nothing that relates to your EC TV mention of senate voting and Mark.. i suppose its just another thing said for the sake of it, I can however say the indications is that a candidate cannot stand in the following election if they do not vote in the previous one, that is clear.

Of course they make things up including changing the written law to suit in court as they go but i cannot see how Mark can not vote then stand as a candidate in the next election from what i can read or find.

Abhisit is a puppet that much is clear and his time in the UK obviously taught him nothing about democracy, he's pathetic and flip flops all the time ... "don't thai to me" is very appropriate for this limp d+++ excuse for a politician.

Yes believe there is some mention of having 'voting right' restored by voting in the upcoming senate election..

I believe the last paragraph of Section 23 of the Election Act deals with it (albeit very vaguely)

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[englishoak]

Hmm

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Thailand_2007/Chapter_2 interesting section 23

http://anfrel.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ThaiEOMReport_Edit_4-final_edit.pdf

http://thailaws.com/law/t_laws/tlaw0344.pdf

i can find no ref to senate and voting right restored though If you can provide a link grant that would be great

~Edit ahh maybe this http://www.elections-lebanon.org/elections/docs_6_G_8_1_14.aspx

Section 23

In case where the elector fails to attend an election for voting without notifying the appropriate cause of such failure under section 21 or section 22 or has notified the cause but it is not reasonable, such person shall be deemed to be a person fails to attend an election for voting who does not notify the appropriate cause of such failure under section 68 paragraph two of the Constitution and shall lose the rights as follows:

(1) The right to petition an election of members of the House of Representatives, senators, local administrators or members of the local assembly;

(2) The right to petition an election of Khamnan or Phuyai Ban under the law on local administration;

(3) The right to be a candidate in a election of members of the House of Representatives, senators, local administrators or members of the local assembly;

(4) The right to be a candidate in an election of Khamnan or Phuyai Ban under the law on local administration;

(5) The right to request the National Assembly for the consideration of law uuder the law on public request for the introduction of bills;

(6) The right to request the local assembly for the issuance of local ordinances under the law on public request for the introduction of local ordinances;

(7) The right to request the Senate for the resolution removing a person under the organic law on counter corruption;

(8) The right to request for the removal from office of a member of the local assembly or a local administrator under the law on voting for the removal of a member of the local assembly or a local administrator. The loss of rights under paragraph one shall be for a period as from the election day on which such elector fails to attend for voting to the election day on which such elector attends therefor.

Its ambiguous so we must return to sections 21/22

Section 21. In an election, any elector who fails to attend an election for the appropriate cause shall notify the person appointed by the Election Commission to each constituency of the cause of such failure not less than seven days before the election day. If the person appointed thereby considers that the notified cause is not reasonable, he or she shall notify the elector without delay by the period not less than three days before the election day.

The rule on consideration of the notification under paragraph one shall be prescribed by the Election Commission in the Government Gazette. In this regard, the Election Commission shall specify the details of cause of failure to attend an election of electors as guidelines for the consideration of the person appointed by the Election Commission.

In notifying the cause of failure to attend an election for voting under paragraph one, the elector may make it in writing and entrust a person to summit it to the Election Commission or send such notification by postal mail.

The Election Commission shall post up the list of persons submitting such notification, the place and method of notification at Changwat Office, Amphoe Office, Municipal Office, Tambon Administration Organization Office, Phuyai Ban Office and an appropriate densely populated area.

Section 22. In case the time of thirty days after the election day is elapsed, the Election Commission shall notify the name of electors who fail to attend an election for voting and do not notify the cause of failure under section 21 or notify it but such notification is not reasonable for the purpose that the elector shall notify the person appointed by the Election Commission the cause of such failure within sixty days as from the date of the notification. The person appointed by the Election Commission shall finish the consideration within ninety days as from the end of the period of notification of the cause and shall notify the elector of the result thereof without delay provided that the provisions of section 21 paragraph two, paragraph three and paragraph four shall be applied mutatis mutandis.

In other words the EC has the last word........... that means seeing as the EC is compromised and a sham of neutrality Mark will probably get a get out of jail free card

[Stone Inscription 1]

I believe you all understand English. Is there anything there you don't understand? A very reasonable man. Has always been. Unfortunately, there aren't any reasonable people on the other side of the political divide. They're simply not ready to compromise. All because of the amnesty bill.

We don't mind if we lose 'fair elections': Abhisit

Text Size

Published: Thursday, 16 Jan 2014 | 11:52 PM ET

By: Leslie Shaffer | Writer for CNBC.com

Play Video

Thai Democrat Party: We don't mind losing elections

Thursday, 16 Jan 2014 | 9:15 PM ET

Abhisit Vejjajiva, Leader of Thailand's Democrat Party, explains that his party is not boycotting elections in order gain power as they will not accept any positions in power regardless of election results.

The leader of Thailand's main opposition party is trying to differentiate its positions from the demands of street demonstrations led by his one-time deputy, saying it isn't seeking to suspend the country's democracy.

"The Democrat Party stands nothing to gain from the coup d'etat. (It) stands to gain nothing even if the protestors win. We will not be assuming power. We will not accept any position in power. We do not have anything to gain from violence," Abhisit Vejjajiva, the leader of the Democrat Party told CNBC in an exclusive interview.

"We do not actually mind if we lose fair elections. And we've always accepted election results," he said.

Dario Pignatelli | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Abhisit Vejjajiva, former Thai Prime Minister and leader of the Democrat Party

Abhisit wanted to be clear his party's decision to boycott the election, set for February 2 in an unsuccessful effort by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to defuse the street protests, was not due to widely held expectations she and her party will be swept back into power.

"Even their private polling showed they were slipping. In fact, one poll that was released before dissolution (of parliament) had us ahead. But that's not the point," he said. "The problem occurred because the government betrayed the trust of the people," he said, citing the amnesty bill.

Representatives of the government did not immediately return emails requesting comment.

The protests, which began in late October, were triggered by parliament's consideration of a government-backed amnesty bill that could have allowed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup d'etat, to return home without facing time in prison for a 2008 graft sentence.

Play Video

Thai Democrat Party: Why we are boycotting elections

Abhisit Vejjajiva, Leader of Thailand's Democrat Party, explains that the governing party has lost its popularity among the people, which has resulted in a lack of trust.

Ironically, the bill also would have granted immunity to politicians implicated in 2010 violent protests which killed about 90 people, including Abhisit, who was prime minister at the time, and Suthep Thaugsuban, the leader of the street protests, who was his deputy. Both have been charged with murder.

While the amnesty bill was dropped, the street protests have broadened out to an explicit call for Yingluck, who is Thaksin's sister, to step down. In addition, protesters are calling for replacing their country's democracy with an unelected "people's council" for an undefined period of time.

(Read more: Do Thai protestors have the government in checkmate?)

However, Abhisit wanted to differentiate himself from the protestors' demand.

"We are not proposing the suspension of democracy," he said. "What we are proposing is the government recognize that the Electoral Commission has said the February elections cannot be free and fair. That they step back, invite all sides, open up political space for some kind of compromise so we can move to elections that can be accepted by all sides," he said.

To be sure, the Yingluck government attempted to call a meeting earlier this week of the commission, the protestors and political parties to discuss the timing of the election. Neither the commission nor the opposition leaders attended.

In addition, while the Election Commission initially proposed delaying the election in late December, it has since determined that the law does not allow for a change of election date.

"The government needs to reach an understanding with the Election Commission and not invite 60 or 70 people around the table and also people who are just going to come up and say it cannot be done legally,"Abhisit said to explain his party's absence. "If the government meets with the Election Commission, gets the Election Commission to invite political parties around, we would participate."

—By CNBC.Com's Leslie Shaffer; Follow her on Twitter

@LeslieShaffer1

[Stone Inscription 1]

I hope you are not saying that you actually believe any of this ?!? Abhisit is a Hakka Chinese just like the Shinawatra family, and their political principles are very similar.

If he, and the Democrats, really believe in democracy they will come up with some, any, ideas that might be popular with the electorate and win the election. But so far they have only come up with one policy, the Shinawatras are bad for Thailand. They need to do better than that. Get some policies guys for the people and the country and not stop acting like another special interest group.

Change in Thailand has come from democratically elected governments not from people on the sidelines.