Thai Election Commission told to finish polls by March 4

[webfact]

Election Commission told to finish polls by March 4
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Feb 5 – The government is pressing the Election Commission (EC) to complete the nationwide election to enable the opening of Parliament on March 4, as required by law.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana said the EC must ensure that the House of Representatives gains at least 95 per cent of the total quorum, 475 members, within 30 days after the Feb 2 general election while the remaining 5 per cent must be elected in 180 days.

He said the EC must set a new election date for constituencies where the polls were disrupted or unsuccessful, adding that new elections must also be organised in constituencies with a single candidate, and the candidate received less than 20 per cent of the required eligible voters.

Mr Pongthep said the government was not concerned with the Democrat Party’s move to seek the Constitution Court’s ruling to invalidate the general election.

A Democrat lawyer, Wirat Kanlayasiri, filed a petition with Constitution Court yesterday, asking it to nullify the election, saying the government went ahead with the polls despite the political stalemate and the vote counting was mismanaged.

The EC’s announcement of Feb 23 for advance election will result in at least two million invalidated votes, he said. The advance election was originally set for Jan 26 but it was disrupted in several constituencies.

He said the party would also seek a court verdict to dissolve the Pheu Thai Party and suspend party executives’ political rights for five years, as well as banning 18 Cabinet members from politics for five years for invoking the Emergency Decree.

The Pheu Thai Party earlier announced its move to seek a court dissolution of the Democrat Party after its members refused to go the polls. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-02-05

[Melyn]

In order to get the 95% my understanding is that the 28 constituencies in the south must first have registrations followed by elections.

Were there any other constituencies that failed to legally elect a lawmaker such as those with one candidate polling less than 20%?

I assume that incomplete advance voting also needs to be completed to have the full quota of votes.

And they need to get this completed in a month?

What happens if they don't? Election voided?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[LuckyLew]

Will never happen by March 4th, just ask Suthep

[Why ask]

"Mr Pongthep said the government was not concerned with the Democrat Party’s move to seek the Constitution Court’s ruling to invalidate the general election."

Of course he would. To PTP the CC doesn't exist.

[Local Drunk]

The EC must set a new election date? Isn't this the same mouth that babbled that the elections couldn't be postponed?

It's beyond ridiculous here...

[MaxLee]

The Pheu Thai has made the EC their ************

[Ricardo]

The E.C. have their orders, it's a wonder they weren't also dictated, what the result should be !

Why can't PTP just let the E.C. get on with doing its job, without harassment from its supporters , or political-pressure of this kind from a caretaker-DPM ?

Or is this 'true democracy', in their eyes ?

[Mosha]

Pull up a chair, this could take a while.

[ratcatcher]

The E.C. have their orders, it's a wonder they weren't also dictated, what the result should be !

Why can't PTP just let the E.C. get on with doing its job, without harassment from its supporters , or political-pressure of this kind from a caretaker-DPM ?

Or is this 'true democracy', in their eyes ?

Or is this 'true democracy', in their eyes ?

No, it's true desperation.

[Lite Beer]

Some off topic nonsense has been removed along with replies to it.

[icommunity]

If you've decided to join the game, you stood a chance to win. Now that you've chickened out and you blamed on the rule of the game. The rule you never challenge before the game began.

I remember the Head of PTP recently told the Head of dem AV (sound like a parent to delinquent child) before the game began, if you keep joining the game, you may one day win - I paraphrased here. AV and his dem decided to chicken out and want their grandfather court/independence agencies to cuddle them and to pacify them with goodies.

Edited February 5, 2014 by icommunity

[robblok]

If you've decided to join the game, you stood a chance to win. Now that you've chickened out and you blamed on the rule of the game. The rule you never challenge before the game began.

I remember the Head of PTP recently told the Head of dem AV (sound like a parent to delinquent child) before the game began, if you keep joining the game, you may one day win - I paraphrased here. AV and his dem decided to chicken out and want their grandfather court/independence agencies to cuddle them and to pacify them with goodies.

Thing is if the EC cant hold it or its fauled.. its the end for PTP so the game is not lost yet at all. Just a matter of blocking stuff and acting slow (Thais are good at that). Then bye bye PTP.

[uty6543]

If you've decided to join the game, you stood a chance to win. Now that you've chickened out and you blamed on the rule of the game. The rule you never challenge before the game began.

I remember the Head of PTP recently told the Head of dem AV (sound like a parent to delinquent child) before the game began, if you keep joining the game, you may one day win - I paraphrased here. AV and his dem decided to chicken out and want their grandfather court/independence agencies to cuddle them and to pacify them with goodies.

I think AV wants to play the game but he wants to play with honest opponents who obey all the rules not just the ones they like.

[smedly]

ban them for life including any that have received 5 year bans in the last 15 years - that should get rid of the stagnation and constant recycle of thugs cheats liars and thieves and make way for a new age of parties with fresh ideas, and then have a referendum and elections once the reforms are completed - sounds pretty simple to me

[happynthailand]

the elections must be finished by march 4

square heads lease runs out on march 5

[culicine]

Maoism takes another stop closer....

[Thaddeus]

Please, please, we need to get back in before the Amnesty Bill expires, or our boss will be very angry.

And you wouldn't like it when he gets angry.

[Artisi]

It's like a revolving door, round and round - never ending. Might well be time it was sorted just as the stand-off was solved in '92.

For those who would don't know how it was sorted, Google Thailand 1992 and click on Wiki.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Artisi

[Artisi]

Please, please, we need to get back in before the Amnesty Bill expires, or our boss will be very angry.

And you wouldn't like it when he gets angry.

Would love to be a fly on the wall in the camel traders tent - must be hilarious watching all the toys being thrown out of the pram.

[Mosha]

Wouldn't it be better to wait for the decision on whether Sunday's poll was legal, before putting their foot in it?

[Scamper]

The Pheu Thai administration can continue to order the EC to do whatever it wants until they are blue in the face, but the EC will face exactly the same situation in three weeks as they face now. The EC will not be able to furnish Pheu Thai with the quorum it desires, no more than the CMPO for that matter. The CMPO can't even open government offices in Bangkok. How in the world are they going to open provinces in the South for election ? We are talking about 10,000 polling stations. How can the EC possibly ensure peace and order at them any more than CMPO is able to ensure peace and order anywhere else ? When will reality be seen as a force to be reckoned with by Pheu Thai ?

[Bangel72]

Even when you try maintain a neutral viewpoint, its seems that on both sides the manipulation of laws continues on the absurd side.

Its a bit like Khun A preventing Khun B from doing the right thing and then suing him for not doing the right thing, whilst at the same time saying he could not do the right thing himself because he had already instigated actions to prevent himself from doing so.

Actions have consequences, not just today or only on yourself but long into the future and on others futures.

Perhaps there may be a case for joint prosecution of the two main parties together in their entirety banning them both (including any use of their resources) from politics.

[icommunity]

If you've decided to join the game, you stood a chance to win. Now that you've chickened out and you blamed on the rule of the game. The rule you never challenge before the game began.

I remember the Head of PTP recently told the Head of dem AV (sound like a parent to delinquent child) before the game began, if you keep joining the game, you may one day win - I paraphrased here. AV and his dem decided to chicken out and want their grandfather court/independence agencies to cuddle them and to pacify them with goodies.

I think AV wants to play the game but he wants to play with honest opponents who obey all the rules not just the ones they like.

The rule of the game was set according to 2007 constitution and amended by AV administration before 2011 GE. Not a single dot and letter changed. So, you are saying the rest of parties are dishonest. BTW, that is the job of the referee EC which is on the dem side. Well EC scare talk did not see widespread violence.

To put it simply - they are coward. If you are not in the game, you will never and and know the game.

[tingtongteesood]

Or the election could be scrapped as the majority think it should have been and a new date set some time AFTER THE bull$hit AMNESTY bill has died.

[almafudd]

Maybe the CC can ban / de-register both the Democrat Party and the PTP. Since they have both put cases before the CC...

[Gweiloman]

Is it just me or are some posters so obsessed with their hatred of certain politicians that they feel the rule of law should no longer apply in Thailand?

[Ulic]

The EC is a bunch of incompetent buffoons who could not organize safe registration and polling site security

on the first go round what makes you think they will show more organizational and planning ability on a second.

[drand11]

The EC is just a bunch of pathetic Democrat loving partisan folks. Its kinda sad. They would love to sit on their hands and let the Dems strategy succeed.

[smedly]

The EC is a bunch of incompetent buffoons who could not organize safe registration and polling site security

on the first go round what makes you think they will show more organizational and planning ability on a second.

what exactly would you like them to do considering the police refuse to co-operate with anyone - please share your ideas since you seem to think you could do better

[smedly]

Is it just me or are some posters so obsessed with their hatred of certain politicians that they feel the rule of law should no longer apply in Thailand?

when you have a seriously corrupt government who routinely break the law - intimidate the judiciary - refuse to recognise court rulings - attempt to get convicted criminals that have broken the law an amnesty as many as 25k of them - abuse power - lie cheat extort and thieve - what sort of reaction do you expect from people who generally respect the law

you need a reality check there buddy you obviously don't have a grasp of what goes on around you even when it's plain to see