NIDA poll says election must be voided, PM must resign

[Lite Beer]

NIDA poll says election must be voided, PM must resign

NIDA Poll released its latest poll from people of all walks of life across the country showing the February 2 general election must be voided because less than half of the total eligible voters cast their votes. Majority of the pollsters also said the caretaker prime minister should resign to pave the way for a neutral prime minister to take over the job.

The poll was conducted from a total of 1,259 samples from all levels of education and walks of life. The error measurement of the poll is 1.4%.

NIDA says on the question of the low voter turnout of 46.7% , down 30% when compared to 2011 election when 75% of eligible voters turned out to vote, 24.16% of pollsters said they were unsatisfied with the current political system and the election.

23.86% said they were tired of the election and show lesser interest in politics, while 21.01% rejected the Thaksin regime and 12.97% wanted Ms Yingluck Shinawatra to step down.

On a question of who should be held responsible for the unsuccessful election, 45.92% pointed their fingers to the government, 23.26% to the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, 23.14% to the Election Commission, and 1.01% to the people, while 6.7% were uncertain and did not identify who should be held responsible.

When asked whether the February 2 election should be nullified or not, 59.25% said it should be nullified citing reasons of less than half of the eligible voters turning out to vote, no candidate in some provinces, and the Parliament could not open because it lacks enough MPs.

20.41% said the election should not be nullified because all the votes came from people who have strong determination to exercise their rights under the democratic system and was a constitutional election, while the rest 20.34% were uncertain.

Asked about the decision making of the caretaker government under the current political unrest, 55.76% of pollsters said the caretaker prime minister should resign to pave the way for the appointment of a neutral person to take over the job, while 21.21% said she should do nothing and remain in the caretaker role.

It said 6.20% of pollsters on this question suggested that force be used to suppress the PDRC protesters to end the protests, while 4.92% proposed compromise of all sides to reach a settlement, and 11.91% were uncertain.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nida-poll-says-election-must-voided-pm-must-resign/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nida-poll-says-election-must-voided-pm-must-resign

-- Thai PBS 2014-02-07

[JesseFrank]

I bet Yingluck gonna make a public announcement soon, while shedding some crocodile tears, that she want to resign for the good of the country but that the constitution doesn't allow her to.

Edited February 7, 2014 by JesseFrank

[Tatsujin]

I bet Yingluck gonna make a public announcement soon, while shedding some crocodile tears, that she want to resign for the good of the country but that the constitution doesn't allow her to.

CMPO: PM cannot quit until new Govt is formed

BANGKOK, 7 January 2014 (NNT) – The Center for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) has reaffirmed that the Prime Minister cannot resign from her post until the new government has been set up.

[Scamper]

" It said 6.20% of pollsters on this question suggested that force be used to suppress the PDRC protesters to end the protests "

That's the " Thida majority " right there.

[petedk]

I bet Yingluck gonna make a public announcement soon, while shedding some crocodile tears, that she want to resign for the good of the country but that the constitution doesn't allow her to.

You are wrong. Someone else will make the announcement for her.

Or maybe she'll write on Facebook

Edited February 7, 2014 by petedk

[Thait Spot]

Gosh! This is so funny

30% of the electorate voted for something other than "NO"

Of that 30% we don't know how many voted for PTP - but suffice it to say that it won't be much more than half of their 2011 support

60% want the election annulled

More than half want her to go

Yingluck thinks she has a mandate

The PEOPLE have spoken.

The lady is not listening

Edited February 7, 2014 by Thait Spot

[Thormaturge]

If the election is nullified and Yingluck resigns it will be a victory for mob rule.

Presumably in future we need not bother with elections at all, just raise a few thousand followers, march into Bangkok and seize parliament whenever you take a dislike to the government's policies.

[jaltsc]

"...the February 2 general election must be voided because less than half of the total eligible voters cast their votes."

Although I can agree with some arguments made by the opposition, this is not one of them. This was a voluntary boycott of the election. It was not as though people were forced away from the polling stations by gunpoint. There are some nations around the world where the party in power sends the military to intimidate, murder and use any other tactic to prevent any opposition from participating in the election. Thailand is not on this list..

In America, during the two elections in which G.W. Bush was elected, there were obvious irregularities in the voting results from the states of Florida and Ohio. The election outcome was not voided. However, the electorate did not forget these actions and failed to elect the candidate from Bush's party in the following two elections

If you want to have a large turnout and win the election, then find a way to meet the legitimate needs of the majority of the electorate. Stop acting like a spoiled child as though you are going to take your ball away if the outcome of the game doesn't favor you.

Edited February 7, 2014 by jaltsc

[Jawnie]

There is no way in hell that PM YL should resign and, frankly, if she hasn't resigned by now, she isn't going to so people should just stop wishing for that. She has clearly won the war and the BkkShutdown failed in its ultimate goals of pushing YL out. She played it cool, kept a steady head and hand, no crackdowns (like Abhisit in 2010), kept the police and the military on her side (or at least, not against her). Again, YL and the government won this. BRAVO, I say.

[LazyCat]

Well it should be repeated because there was no quorum but voided ? Not...

[bigbamboo]

If the election is nullified and Yingluck resigns it will be a victory for mob rule.

Presumably in future we need not bother with elections at all, just raise a few thousand followers, march into Bangkok and seize parliament whenever you take a dislike to the government's policies.

This isn't about numbers at marches or rallies...... how many showed up at Thaksin's last few shindigs?...... it's about the feeling in the country and inevitability of change. The people have had their fill of cheating politicians on all sides and Suthep has just been the catalyst for this awakening. It isn't a victory for the Dems but a signal to PT that enough is enough.

[northernjohn]

I bet Yingluck gonna make a public announcement soon, while shedding some crocodile tears, that she want to resign for the good of the country but that the constitution doesn't allow her to.

CMPO: PM cannot quit until new Govt is formed

BANGKOK, 7 January 2014 (NNT) – The Center for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) has reaffirmed that the Prime Minister cannot resign from her post until the new government has been set up.

Highly interesting. couple that with

 
When asked whether the February 2 election should be nullified or not, 59.25% 
said it should be nullified citing reasons of less than half of the eligible 
voters turning out to vote, no candidate in some provinces, and the Parliament 
could 
not open because it lacks enough MPs.

Kind of makes you wonder what Thai democracy is. 59.25% want a new election will we get one. Then we get an interim Prime Minister who this Democratic nation tells she has to keep the job even if she makes blonde jokes look intelligent.

[fleeing]

"...the February 2 general election must be voided because less than half of the total eligible voters cast their votes."

Although I can agree with some arguments made by the opposition, this is not one of them.

If you read the article carefully you might see that it wasn't the opposition saying that, but NIDA's latest poll from people of all walks of life across the country.

While I agree that an opinion poll is not an alternative to an election, it does give a reasonably clear idea of what the polled think. Ignore what the people think and you have lost your legitimacy as a democratic government.

[northernjohn]

"...the February 2 general election must be voided because less than half of the total eligible voters cast their votes."

Although I can agree with some arguments made by the opposition, this is not one of them. This was a voluntary boycott of the election. It was not as though people were forced away from the polling stations by gunpoint. There are some nations around the world where the party in power sends the military to intimidate, murder and use any other tactic to prevent any opposition from participating in the election. Thailand is not on this list..

In America, during the two elections in which G.W. Bush was elected, there were obvious irregularities in the voting results from the states of Florida and Ohio. The election outcome was not voided. However, the electorate did not forget these actions and failed to elect the candidate from Bush's party in the following two elections

If you want to have a large turnout and win the election, then find a way to meet the legitimate needs of the majority of the electorate. Stop acting like a spoiled child as though you are going to take your ball away if the outcome of the game doesn't favor you.

But in the states when you are elected you must serve out your term. Or as the cased with Bush the Supreme Court put him in office. Despite the fact that the popular vote was against him it was in favor of Gore.

You may not dissolve the house and call for a new election. You may resign and there is no vote needed as they have a position all ready to step forward and fill the job. Quite a few on that list. At all times one of them must be in the White House in case the others are killed.

[thesetat2013]

No!! Instead she will quote that only 12% want her gone

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[tigermonkey]

Either the poll is a shambles or the reporting is totally inept - perhaps both. Early in the OP it says "12.97% wanted Ms Yingluck Shinawatra to step down" and then later in the article it says " 55.76% of pollsters said the caretaker prime minister should resign ". I'm confused, but t hen perhaos the OP/headline was merely trying to make some sort of biased point.

By the way, I am ignoring the fact that it says 55.76% of pollsters -- why are they publishing the opinions of those taking the poll ( ie the pollsters ).

Edited February 7, 2014 by tigermonkey

[uty6543]

I bet Yingluck gonna make a public announcement soon, while shedding some crocodile tears, that she want to resign for the good of the country but that the constitution doesn't allow her to.

You are wrong. Someone else will make the announcement for her.

Or maybe she'll write on Facebook

Your both wrong. She is going to resign by Monday (I'm an optimist)

What else can she do there is nothing going her way its only a question of when she quits not if

[rubl]

Pity really, that it is seldom I have much faith in polls done in Thailand

[pookiki]

The PDRC prevented a lot of people from voting. Isn't it a bit premature for people to say less than half of the people voted? This was part of the strategy, right? As with all poll, you need to see the way in which the question was asked and the demographics of those polled for it to claim that it has some legitimacy.

[ShannonT]

It's easy to say step down to make place for a "neutral" person to become PM.

But can someone tell me who would be a "neutral" person in Thai politics?

Just one person. Please, give me a name.

[dominique355]

I bet Yingluck gonna make a public announcement soon, while shedding some crocodile tears, that she want to resign for the good of the country but that the constitution doesn't allow her to.

CMPO: PM cannot quit until new Govt is formed

BANGKOK, 7 January 2014 (NNT) – The Center for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) has reaffirmed that the Prime Minister cannot resign from her post until the new government has been set up.

If the PM or the care-taker PM falls terminally ill or is incapacitated, what happens then? PM can still not resign? Hard to believe.

[ShannonT]

The PDRC prevented a lot of people from voting. Isn't it a bit premature for people to say less than half of the people voted? This was part of the strategy, right? As with all poll, you need to see the way in which the question was asked and the demographics of those polled for it to claim that it has some legitimacy.

Very true. That's why countries have this thing called Democracy. If you don't know what the people want, it's impossible to get a clear picture. If the big majority of the country are really against Yingluck and Puea Thai, then the best way for Suthep to get rid of them would be allowing elections to take place, no? Or is he afraid that allowing everyone to vote will paint a different picture than blocked and incomplete elections?

[JRSoul]

It's easy to say step down to make place for a "neutral" person to become PM.

But can someone tell me who would be a "neutral" person in Thai politics?

Just one person. Please, give me a name.

Nutchanat Duanjai

[ShannonT]

It's easy to say step down to make place for a "neutral" person to become PM.

But can someone tell me who would be a "neutral" person in Thai politics?

Just one person. Please, give me a name.

Nutchanat Duanjai

Can't find anything on that person anywhere.

[JRSoul]

It's easy to say step down to make place for a "neutral" person to become PM.

But can someone tell me who would be a "neutral" person in Thai politics?

Just one person. Please, give me a name.

Nutchanat Duanjai

Can't find anything on that person anywhere.

Don't expect you would in less than 2 min. Do you expect every neutral Thai to appear on the internet?

[ShannonT]

It's easy to say step down to make place for a "neutral" person to become PM.

But can someone tell me who would be a "neutral" person in Thai politics?

Just one person. Please, give me a name.

Nutchanat Duanjai

Can't find anything on that person anywhere.

Don't expect you would in less than 2 min. Do you expect every neutral Thai to appear on the internet?

[citizen33]

Have we come to the stage where we choose governments by survey rather than by election? Surveys can be affected by sampling bias and the differential response rates of different groups, and so it is often wise to look at findings from a series of surveys rather than just one. The question remains as to why, if PTP were really the tiny minority that some claim, the Democratic Party did not stand in the election. That was the acid test.

[dominique355]

There is no way in hell that PM YL should resign and, frankly, if she hasn't resigned by now, she isn't going to so people should just stop wishing for that. She has clearly won the war and the BkkShutdown failed in its ultimate goals of pushing YL out. She played it cool, kept a steady head and hand, no crackdowns (like Abhisit in 2010), kept the police and the military on her side (or at least, not against her). Again, YL and the government won this. BRAVO, I say.

Preliminary vote results show that PT lost over 33% of their votes, compared to 2010. So it won? Hardly so.

The often abused term "landslide" victory turned into a landslide failure for the Yingluck led governement. Time to call it quits! ("Ok pai!")

[MMarlow]

Gosh! This is so funny

30% of the electorate voted for something other than "NO"

Of that 30% we don't know how many voted for PTP - but suffice it to say that it won't be much more than half of their 2011 support

60% want the election annulled

More than half want her to go

Yingluck thinks she has a mandate

The PEOPLE have spoken.

The lady is not listening

"The PEOPLE have spoken."

Actually 1,257 people have spoken. Those are percentages of the 1257 people polled. They are not percentages of the electorate.

[JRSoul]

Don't expect you would in less than 2 min. Do you expect every neutral Thai to appear on the internet?

FYI she is an attractive young lady employed in a successful family business, and who has absolutely no interest in politics. On past precedent, amply qualified to be a PM. Though she is demonstrably more intelligent and fluent in English than the incumbent, she lacks both dodgy education qualifications and a criminal fugitive brother to give her corrupt populist policies.