Thai protesters vow no let up after disrupting poll

[webfact]

Thai protesters vow no let up after disrupting poll
by Apilaporn VECHAKIJ

BANGKOK, February 3, 2014 (AFP) - Thai anti-government protesters vowed Monday to press on with street rallies aimed at ousting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after a disrupted election failed to cut a path through the kingdom's political crisis.

Opposition demonstrators prevented voting at thousands of polling stations on Sunday, disenfranchising millions and prompting election authorities to withhold results until ballots are cast in all constituencies, without specifying when that may be.

There is little sign of an end to the deadlock, with the ruling Puea Thai party braced for court challenges against the poll as well as other legal moves against Yingluck.

The premier's opponents say she is a mere puppet for her elder brother Thaksin, who was ousted by the military in 2006 and lives in Dubai to avoid prison for a corruption conviction.

Hundreds of protesters began another march across Bangkok on Monday to raise support and funds for their three month campaign to topple the government.

The demonstrators want Yingluck to step down and make way for an unelected "people's council" to oversee reforms to tackle corruption and alleged vote-buying.

With no official figures for voter turnout, both sides claimed success in the election, which passed in relative peace after a gunfight on Saturday in a Bangkok suburb stoked fears of serious clashes between the rival sides.

"According to the constitution the election must be held on the same day. It was impossible to do it," protest spokesman Akanat Promphan told reporters at the start of the march.

"It's clear that this election must be nullified," he said.

The group said it would dismantle a number of protest stages in the capital but maintain its self-styled "shutdown" of the city.

A defiant ruling party said ballots were cast by more than half of the 44 million Thais who were able to vote. Disruption was mostly in Bangkok and southern opposition strongholds.

"That shows that half of the population wants democracy and wants a parliament formed by the majority," party spokesman Prompong Nopparit.

"It is not a victory for Puea Thai but a victory for the people who love democracy and love peace," he added.

Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who is overseeing the government's security response to the protests, predicted Puea Thai would claim "between 265 to 289 seats" at the polls, which were boycotted by the main opposition Democrat Party.

At the last election in 2011, Yingluck's party won more than half of the available 500 parliamentary seats.

The leader of the Democrats, Abhisit Vejjajiva, confirmed they would mount a legal challenge to the "illegitimate" poll as it "did not reflect the intention of the constitution or the people".

Thailand's Election Commission has said 10,000 out of nearly 94,000 polling stations were unable to open, affecting millions of people, although it was unclear how many had planned to vote.

Even if Yingluck wins she will remain in a caretaker role with limited power over government policy until elections are held in enough constituencies to have a quorum in parliament.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-02-03

[winstonc]

half the people want democracy wow does he already know how they voted..i for one am truly impressed with phscyc powers of knowledge...unless he asked mystic meg...

[Costas2008]

"With no official figures for voter turnout, both sides claimed success in the election"

We don't need official figures .....we have evidence.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Costas2008

[bigbamboo]

half the people want democracy wow does he already know how they voted..i for one am truly impressed with phscyc powers of knowledge...unless he asked mystic meg...

In Thailand she's known as Gnostic Nok.

[kurtgruen]

The Thai Constitution was passed by referendum. Nobody was forced to do anything!

[djjamie]

How many charges does Suthep have against him now? He is pretty unpopular. He really is a terrorist which I don't deny. He is also striving for equality for all. He wanted all voices to be heard. He wanted all principles of democracy adhered too. He wanted equal protection under the law.

Between 1961 and 1963 there were 193 terrorist charges against a man in Africa. He was pretty unpopular. He strived for equality for all. He wanted all voices to be heard. He wanted all principles of democracy to be adhered too. He wanted equal protection under the law. He was eventually caught and jailed for 27 years. This man was on the US terrorist watch list until 2008.

I know Hitlers opponents were demonized in the 1930's and 40's. I am sure Mugabe's opponents where demonized. Chavez as well. People that can see a bleak oppressive future and want to change it are demonized. People that support a bleak oppressive future are UDD supporters.

Don't agree with me? Well that's fine. In a democracy we can all have different view points. I won't adopt the PTP view of the opposition as per the words of deputy PM Plodprasop "You are all garbage and I will have you all arrested" What a swell form of democracy that is and it is worth fighting to stop that form from spreading like a cancer.

Suthep - The Nelson Mandela of the East.

Edited February 3, 2014 by djjamie

[londonthai]

The Thai Constitution was passed by referendum. Nobody was forced to do anything!

Voting yes was compulsory by the army

[Scamper]

In every way, this election never truly got off the ground. And the resolution of it is as intractable as ever. The cautionary reality of it is that what happened yesterday was the easy part ! The hard part - some would say impossible - would be to hold 113 new elections, including some regions of the country that for years have been proven intractable to this administration.

[ChrisY1]

C'mon.....enough already....no-one won......Thailand lost!

[Jack Mountain]

How many charges does Suthep have against him now? He is pretty unpopular. He really is a terrorist which I don't deny. He is also striving for equality for all. He wanted all voices to be heard. He wanted all principles of democracy adhered too. He wanted equal protection under the law.

Between 1961 and 1963 there were 193 terrorist charges against a man in Africa. He was pretty unpopular. He strived for equality for all. He wanted all voices to be heard. He wanted all principles of democracy to be adhered too. He wanted equal protection under the law. He was eventually caught and jailed for 27 years. This man was on the US terrorist watch list until 2008.

I know Hitlers opponents were demonized in the 1930's and 40's. I am sure Mugabe's opponents where demonized. Chavez as well. People that can see a bleak oppressive future and want to change it are demonized. People that support a bleak oppressive future are UDD supporters.

Don't agree with me? Well that's fine. In a democracy we can all have different view points. I won't adopt the PTP view of the opposition as per the words of deputy PM Plodprasop "You are all garbage and I will have you all arrested" What a swell form of democracy that is and it is worth fighting to stop that form from spreading like a cancer.

Suthep - The Nelson Mandela of the East.

Don't agree with me? Then your the opposition

Baby Bush could have said that! .... Wait!! He did ...

Suthep - The Nelson Mandela of the East?

The younger terrorrist mandela? yes

[lildragon]

The Suthep Mandela comparison is a wind up right? >_>

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[fab4]

The Thai Constitution was passed by referendum. Nobody was forced to do anything!

Correct , nobody was forced to do anything with respect to the referendum. However, you may want to expand your knowledge of the conditions the referendum was held under and the consequences of not voting "Yes".

Though you probably won't.

[djjamie]

The Thai Constitution was passed by referendum. Nobody was forced to do anything!

Correct , nobody was forced to do anything with respect to the referendum. However, you may want to expand your knowledge of the conditions the referendum was held under and the consequences of not voting "Yes".

Though you probably won't.

So as I reiterated before when the vote is in favor of the PTP everyone just has to accept it and shut up. When the vote does not go in the PTP's favor it is time to make up excuses and demonize the opposition. This blame game really does wear thin after a while.

I see from your analogy the consequences of not voting yes didn't really affect the people in the North and North East.

The referendum was 57% for and 42% against yet according to you that doesn't count. It is an unpopular referendum and the majority don't want it. The PTP won an election with 42% of the vote and that is a success of democracy and is proof of overwhelming support of the PTP.

I hope your not a math teacher!

[harada]

Unless of course they are paid in counterfeit money,as my brother in law was.

[Mot Leei]

Suthep - The Nelson Mandela of the East.

OMG are you for real??? Do you actually hear yourself ... please tell me you are trolling ...no one in their right mind could draw such a comparison ... not even close. Nelson Mandela represented the oppressed majority ... Suthep represents the privileged minority ... please please don't dirty the reputation of such a great man with such an abominable comparison so soon after his passing .... it's beyond offensive.

[djjamie]

"With no official figures for voter turnout, both sides claimed success in the election"

We don't need official figures .....we have evidence.

1010398_577067889049817_1372157800_n.jpg

Voter turn out in 2011 - 75.03%

Unofficial voter turn out in 2014 - 45.8% and this does not include electorates that didn't have polls.

Interesting thing is even in red shirt areas the turn out was still hovering around 70% with the highest turn out in Lamphun at 72.8%

Have to google this as I cannot send the link due to forum rules.

SO much for red shirt radio stating a great success with a turn out of over 80%

Facts - The PTP's kryptonite.

[Mentors]

This guy is a shame for Surat Thani. In my daily live here more and more people stop watching bluesky Tv. Many people here are angry that they could not vote. Seems the Democrats will loosing support in their stronghold. It has started already in 2011 polls.

[gerrythepoet]

The people voted those that could not were forced not to from the start by having no ballot boxes. Abhisit and Suthep are using administrative rigmarole to create chaos in Thailand bringing it's economy down caring nothing for anyone but themselves.

The undeducated are not the North or the Northeast but those that cannot see the wood for the trees and listen to PAD and whatever you want to call them PDRC etc:

This is not about Reds or Yellows but about business

Some have lost out due to the World economy some have sour grapes for not getting contracts awarded some are so JEALOUS that what they could have skimmed away they had no chance to

The man on the street is happy as long as he has what he needs for himself and those he provides for not to start a dynasty and not for greed.

GET SUTHEP ARRESTED -----LET HIM HAVE HIS DAY IN COURT-----------LET THE ARMY DENY THAT HE ORDERED THE FIRINGS OF 2010

[pkspeaker]

Exactly, what suthep represents is something closer to the old Aphartheid regime in SA, he knows damn well that no amount of "reforms" (these are the reforms he refuses to specify, which for some reason were not instituted after the previous coup) will result in the democrats winning an election. This sham 'people's council' he demands be given all power, run by people he considers 'good' or 'smart' people is an obvious dictatorship of elites who have this attitude that the rural majority "are too stupid to vote" , then consider most of the people he 'hates' are in the north and of Lanna or Lao decent and you have a racial dynamic to his elitism. This is someone who wants to make Thailand the New Aphartheid.

[Publicus]

How many charges does Suthep have against him now? He is pretty unpopular. He really is a terrorist which I don't deny. He is also striving for equality for all. He wanted all voices to be heard. He wanted all principles of democracy adhered too. He wanted equal protection under the law.

Between 1961 and 1963 there were 193 terrorist charges against a man in Africa. He was pretty unpopular. He strived for equality for all. He wanted all voices to be heard. He wanted all principles of democracy to be adhered too. He wanted equal protection under the law. He was eventually caught and jailed for 27 years. This man was on the US terrorist watch list until 2008.

I know Hitlers opponents were demonized in the 1930's and 40's. I am sure Mugabe's opponents where demonized. Chavez as well. People that can see a bleak oppressive future and want to change it are demonized. People that support a bleak oppressive future are UDD supporters.

Don't agree with me? Well that's fine. In a democracy we can all have different view points. I won't adopt the PTP view of the opposition as per the words of deputy PM Plodprasop "You are all garbage and I will have you all arrested" What a swell form of democracy that is and it is worth fighting to stop that form from spreading like a cancer.

Suthep - The Nelson Mandela of the East.

In every way, this election never truly got off the ground. And the resolution of it is as intractable as ever. The cautionary reality of it is that what happened yesterday was the easy part ! The hard part - some would say impossible - would be to hold 113 new elections, including some regions of the country that for years have been proven intractable to this administration.

The hard part is for you and Suthep to realize and recognize you've hit a brick wall and that you're flat on your <deleted>.

[soalbundy]

"Apart from the road blocks

The noise

blocking the polling booths

What has the PDRC ever done for us "?

"Don't forget the shootings Reg"

"What ? oh yes the shootings"

"Before the PDRC came here it was boring"

"Right,apart from the road blocks,the noise,blocking the polling booths and the shootings,what has the PDRC ever done for us" ? Nothing !!!

"What about disrupting government business" ?

"Shut up"

[soalbundy]

The Suthep Mandela comparison is a wind up right? >_>

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

djjamie has a cunning plan

[DirtFarmer]

"According to the constitution the election must be held on the same day. It was impossible to do it," protest spokesman Akanat Promphan told reporters at the start of the march.

"It's clear that this election must be nullified," he said. This is Sutherp's son ( stepson) He also came out to the press 100% sure that the green armbands weren't PDRC...( whoopsie) Papa finally copped top it today..indeed he was PDRC from the horse's mouth... what is clear is that the apple does not fall far from the tree... Perhaps a blockade of Durian is next.............. ..Go SPARKY GO !

Edited February 3, 2014 by DirtFarmer

[geronimo]

Wow! We all seem to be up in arms about all of this.

I've got a good idea..... Let's all grab a cold beer (or anything else that gets you off) and watch from the sidelines as Suthep is frogmarched off to jail, shouting "But ... I did it for all of you"

[millwall_fan]

The Thai Constitution was passed by referendum. Nobody was forced to do anything!

The 2007 Thai constitution was passed by a wholly illegitimate referendum under the military dictatorship. Political parties were precluded from campaigning and received no 'air time' and it was illegal to campaign against it. I know of studetns in Chaing Mai who were prevented by the army from going 30kms down the road to Lamphun to campaign for a no vote. One chap was even arrested for being in possession of posters that read 'it isn't illegal to vote no'.

In the event many people including members of my family voted 'yes' as to have voted 'no' would have prolonged military rule - even though they didn't want a new constitution which most people knew only had two words in it: 'Stop Thaksin' The constitution was a deliberate attempt to weaken civilian government. - which it has duly done. The last government was severely restricted in what it could do and huge swathes of Thai political life are now under the control of unelected bodies, that by their very nature are populated by the ruling elite. The 1999 constitution was agreed to by all parties and generally held to be fair and democratic.

Edited February 3, 2014 by millwall_fan

[geronimo]

Wow! We all seem to be up in arms about all of this.

I've got a good idea..... Let's all grab a cold beer (or anything else that gets you off) and watch from the sidelines as Suthep is frogmarched off to jail, shouting "But ... I did it for all of you"

And I'd love for him to answer Chuwit's question, Where is the 20 mil per day to sustain this protest, coming from?

[fdimike]

What difference does it make where the money is coming from? However, for the record I would suspect it's not from the proceeds of gambling dens or massage parlors.

Edited February 3, 2014 by fdimike

[Frank James]

What difference does it make where the money is coming from? However, for the record I would suspect it's not from the proceeds of gambling dens or massage parlors.

Are you sure about that? Some part of it anyway? And does it really make no difference?

[VegasVic]

How many charges does Suthep have against him now? He is pretty unpopular. He really is a terrorist which I don't deny. He is also striving for equality for all. He wanted all voices to be heard. He wanted all principles of democracy adhered too. He wanted equal protection under the law.

Between 1961 and 1963 there were 193 terrorist charges against a man in Africa. He was pretty unpopular. He strived for equality for all. He wanted all voices to be heard. He wanted all principles of democracy to be adhered too. He wanted equal protection under the law. He was eventually caught and jailed for 27 years. This man was on the US terrorist watch list until 2008.

I know Hitlers opponents were demonized in the 1930's and 40's. I am sure Mugabe's opponents where demonized. Chavez as well. People that can see a bleak oppressive future and want to change it are demonized. People that support a bleak oppressive future are UDD supporters.

Don't agree with me? Well that's fine. In a democracy we can all have different view points. I won't adopt the PTP view of the opposition as per the words of deputy PM Plodprasop "You are all garbage and I will have you all arrested" What a swell form of democracy that is and it is worth fighting to stop that form from spreading like a cancer.

Suthep - The Nelson Mandela of the East.

Suthep has about as much in common with Nelson Mandela as Thaksin Shinawatra has in common with the Pope

[VegasVic]

Exactly, what suthep represents is something closer to the old Aphartheid regime in SA, he knows dam_n well that no amount of "reforms" (these are the reforms he refuses to specify, which for some reason were not instituted after the previous coup) will result in the democrats winning an election. This sham 'people's council' he demands be given all power, run by people he considers 'good' or 'smart' people is an obvious dictatorship of elites who have this attitude that the rural majority "are too stupid to vote" , then consider most of the people he 'hates' are in the north and of Lanna or Lao decent and you have a racial dynamic to his elitism. This is someone who wants to make Thailand the New Aphartheid.

Spot on