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

[DavidHouston]

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

"NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL"

Note that this is a translation problem, not a misstatement by Abhisit:

His Facebook page says, "พรุ่งนี้ผมจะไม่ไปใช้สิทธิเลือกตั้ง เนื่องจากการเลือกตั้งครั้งนี้ไม่ชอบด้วยรัฐธรรมนูญและไม่อาจบรรลุวัตถุประสงค์ของการเลือกตั้งในระบอบประชาธิปไตยได้"

"Tomorrow I will not to to exercise my right to vote because this election is not legitimate under the constitution and does not fulfill the purposes of an election under a democratic system."

He may very well lose his right to stand for election in the next parliament, but he did not speak incorrectly.

[Thai at Heart]

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

"NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL"

Note that this is a translation problem, not a misstatement by Abhisit:

His Facebook page says, "พรุ่งนี้ผมจะไม่ไปใช้สิทธิเลือกตั้ง เนื่องจากการเลือกตั้งครั้งนี้ไม่ชอบด้วยรัฐธรรมนูญและไม่อาจบรรลุวัตถุประสงค์ของการเลือกตั้งในระบอบประชาธิปไตยได้"

"Tomorrow I will not to to exercise my right to vote because this election is not legitimate under the constitution and does not fulfill the purposes of an election under a democratic system."

He may very well lose his right to stand for election in the next parliament, but he did not speak incorrectly.

I doubt he's too worried, they will just remove that line from the new constitution.

Do you think the smart and Suthep bunch are impressed with abhisit? They'd probably be happy if he disappeared from politics anyway.

[kingalfred]

All the red muppet morons out on here attack a guy who if was still PM Thailand's economy wouldnt be 2 stages away from junk status.

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[Thaiready]

And I thought the US Dem's where brainless...go to show if your a Demo.....well your Brainless no mattter where you call home

[tezzainoz]

Today there are many blind fools who are demanding their right to vote

But what are they voting for ?

How can you vote for democracy. When their is only 1 party to vote for

Todays vote is for democracy or dictatorship

If today you vote in a government that has no opposition only one party in power it is a dictatorship not democracy

The protestors have learnt

you can good some Thais all of the time

But you can no fool all Thais all of the time

[MaxLee]

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva Saturday declared that he will not go to his polling station to vote on Sunday.

Yeah, you better stay home, you freaking coward and let Suthep handle the dirty work on your behalf...

[kingalfred]

And I thought the US Dem's where brainless...go to show if your a Demo.....well your Brainless no mattter where you call home

well we have a repug airhead on here

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[gerry1011]

Today there are many blind fools who are demanding their right to vote

But what are they voting for ?

How can you vote for democracy. When their is only 1 party to vote for

Todays vote is for democracy or dictatorship

If today you vote in a government that has no opposition only one party in power it is a dictatorship not democracy

The protestors have learnt

you can good some Thais all of the time

But you can no fool all Thais all of the time

There is only one party that the people cannot vote for because it rejected the democratic system. And that is the Democrat Party.

Apart from this party causing troubles all the time, there are many many other parties the voters can chose from.

For those who shout so loud that they want change, here is an opportunity to vote for new people and new parties.

But, of course, nobody can deny the fact that most people want Yingluck to go on.

This is democracy.

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[GrantSmith]

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

"NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL"

Note that this is a translation problem, not a misstatement by Abhisit:

His Facebook page says, "พรุ่งนี้ผมจะไม่ไปใช้สิทธิเลือกตั้ง เนื่องจากการเลือกตั้งครั้งนี้ไม่ชอบด้วยรัฐธรรมนูญและไม่อาจบรรลุวัตถุประสงค์ของการเลือกตั้งในระบอบประชาธิปไตยได้"

"Tomorrow I will not to to exercise my right to vote because this election is not legitimate under the constitution and does not fulfill the purposes of an election under a democratic system."

He may very well lose his right to stand for election in the next parliament, but he did not speak incorrectly.

Nope, he won't lose anything. His district was cancelled.. Not enough staff..

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[GrantSmith]

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

As I said the last paragraph of section 23 deals with the reinstatement of rights to vote - albeit very vaguely - interpretation could mean that if you don't vote in this election but choose to vote in the next one, given that you failed to vote last time 'round you get disqualified or listed as 'disenfranchised' and as such not able to cast your vote.

But given that you served your time in the 'naughty corner' your 'right to vote' is reinstated and life goes on...

But given that it's not black and white, your guess is as good as mine..

Now if there wasn't any elections following this one, then you have to sit in voting purgatory until such time as one rolls around, sit it out because you're DQ'd and then you get your 'right to vote' reinstated for next time and life goes on..

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[Skint]

Up to him not to vote just shows he is not democratic.

They should of had a clause that if someone doesn't vote then it's a vote for the current party.

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[kamahele]

For a rich, educated, smart man, he is just not very smart....