Thai Constitutional Court voids February election

[HonestQuietBob]

I do believe that the Dems might win an election as things are now but if they were allowed to campaign in all provinces and they took advantage of all the footage available to run a campaign that educated the voters on all of the points you mentioned then they would definitely be able to win.

Some would call it a smear campaign but is it really a smear campaign when you use real live footage and facts to get the points to the voters?

"Some would call it a smear campaign but is it really a smear campaign when you use real live footage and facts to get the points to the voters?"

It really depends on the validity of those "facts", how they are presented and their relevance to the campaign. The dems found that out the hard way recently, when their choice of governor for Bangkok was given a yellow card for having benefited from such goings on i.e a smear campaign by a dem MP.

The election is having to be re run. I wonder if suthep and his fellow election haters will disrupt that election too? Don't answer, the question was rhetorical.

The question was a load of manure, you mean. Suthep and his fellow anti-govermnent protesters are not 'election haters'. More than some posters here they understand that reforms are needed before you can have fair elections which benefit the country.

The "democracy = elections" is just a distraction from what elections in Thailand are with Thaksin still being allowed to call the shots in Pheu Thai. With him stating to control his cabinet and his sister lying in parliament that she's in charge.

As for the reasons for the 'yellow card', do you really want I correct you on that again? Is your memory so faulty or are you just dropping anything you don't like or which doesn't fit your program?

Oh my dear, dear Rubl,

How is it possible for you to be so so wrong.

An election has just been annulled because of the actions of Suthep, voters were assaulted and manhandled for trying to vote by Sutheps minions, the next one is going to be boycotted by Sutheps party, a previous election (2006) was boycotted by Sutheps party and Suthep is actively campaigning for an unelected council.

If there is anybody in Thailand who hates elections, it is Suthep.

[bkkjames]

So all the bars were closed for nothing.

Exactly, glad to see someone around here has their priorities straight!

[gamini]

ok, there would be the next one, with the same effect - reds will win the majority, democrats will be losing support (that even if they contest an election).

dems wanted a new parliament, PM dissolved the house, dems boycotted the election. The reds won, election invalidated by yellow's palls from the court, dems call for boycott of the next poll.

the country is going down the drain, not the government, but courts, agencies and fascist mob on the streets running amok, destroying what is left from the reasonable economic, political and social stability.

what a childish and ignorant post!

[renaissanc]

I expect that bombing the houses of the judges is not exactly going to endear the judges to the Red Shirt government when it makes its decisions.

All of the judges in the various courts know that they are going to be bombed and shot at now, and this must influence them when they make their upcoming decisions. They know that they have to help to get rid of Thaksin, his clan members in power, his Red Shirts, and cronies for the good of the country.

[rubl]

As much as want to see the backs of the corrupt and cheating Shinawatwa's, I think this is a bad day for Thailand as it has set a president whereby next time the PTP (or what ever name they are going by at the time) could use the same tactics to nullify an election.

That would assume a government would try to push through an election just like the Yingluck government tried to. Lots of 'nice' platitudes from Ms. Yingluck on what she could or could not, lots of threats from Pheu Thai MPs and members if the election would not continue. Etc., etc.

even you cannot possibly think it's fair that anyone blocks an election and it's called off on a technicality? it's so obviously biased and says 'hey anyone can block democratic elections if they think they will lose'

My dear binj, I think it wasn't fair that Ms. Yingluck played the innocent and her Pheu Thai MPs and members were very vocal on "we must have elections, come what may".

The 'obvious' bias is so obvious that I'm afraid you will have to explain it.

The conclusion is your interpretation especially the 'lose' part. Democracy is more than just 'winning elections'. Even just staying on elections and voting we could add "respect my vote even AFTER it has been counted' and 'even if my vote was for a party not in the coalition government'. At times I wonder if you ever did do some reading on what 'democracy' means.

[Gweiloman]

So any party that feel that they will lose can block any polling stations, prevent registration and it can void an election. Precedent set and a slippery slope to chaos. Any neutral can see that the court has failed to provide a decent explanation. What will the pro-government supporters feel?

Only when the weather permits it.

Special dispensation when flocks of more than 4 pigs fly past.

Any other questions based on hilarious assumptions ?

Are you responding to the right post? What hilarious assumptions?

[ddavidovsky]

There's no mention of when a fresh new election will be held. This court obviously wants to deliberately create a power vacuum. These right-wing machinations are now so brazen and transparent it is a national embarrassment.

People who know they are going to lose, cheat, usually by making up the rules as they go along. It's corruption on a cosmic scale, and this form of corruption is now the primary means which the right-wing/royalist/yellow side uses to gain power without an electoral mandate. They've done it before so of course they will try it again.

Given that the two sides seem to be of roughly equal power (at least while the army is keeping out of it), I can only see two solutions: one is the miraculous appearance of a non-aligned, capable, charismatic (and liberal) leader who can set up a new party on a new set of principles - an opportunity there for somebody.

The other is to accept this nonsense with forbearance until a simple and inevitable stroke of force majeure changes the political landscape radically.

[NCFC]

So all the bars were closed for nothing.

Yeah, but think of the money you saved!

[SICHONSTEVE]

As much as want to see the backs of the corrupt and cheating Shinawatwa's, I think this is a bad day for Thailand as it has set a president whereby next time the PTP (or what ever name they are going by at the time) could use the same tactics to nullify an election.

That would assume a government would try to push through an election just like the Yingluck government tried to. Lots of 'nice' platitudes from Ms. Yingluck on what she could or could not, lots of threats from Pheu Thai MPs and members if the election would not continue. Etc., etc.

even you cannot possibly think it's fair that anyone blocks an election and it's called off on a technicality? it's so obviously biased and says 'hey anyone can block democratic elections if they think they will lose'

No democratic elections were blocked!!!

[rubl]

I expect that bombing the houses of the judges is not exactly going to endear the judges to the Red Shirt government when it makes its decisions.

All of the judges in the various courts know that they are going to be bombed and shot at now, and this must influence them when they make their upcoming decisions. They know that they have to help to get rid of Thaksin, his clan members in power, his Red Shirts, and cronies for the good of the country.

Personally I would assume that the judges will try their utmost to not let threats against them influence their decisions. In a way it good that all wrote down their justification for coming to a certain conclusion.

[SICHONSTEVE]

So all the bars were closed for nothing.

Yeah, but think of the money you saved!

But think of how much money Yingluck threw down the drain!!

[almafudd]

Good God, I know I can be an a-hole at times, but why do people feel the need to troll, and post complete mince??

"complete mince" is that like minced meat?

Oh btw don't you use mince to make haggis - lol

[tullynagardy]

So, you're against progress?

Not at all.

Sadly progress for many on here seems to be annuling elections and replacing the current corrrupt incompetent government with an another corrrupt incompetent one, only this time unelected.

Strange view of progress.

[almafudd]

So basically the constitution court has decreed that any random bunch of clowns who manage to block access to any one polling station was enough to suspend democratic process in the whole country.

yep - deal with it mate

[Morch]

That's true. PTP would always win because it is by far the least worse, not because it's a fair and real democratic party, but it looks a beacon of honesty and demcoracy compared to the assassins thieves of the No-Democrats and its peers, who have just massacred people and stolen every single baht since 1932.

Moreover, this is not simply Elite vs. Reds, this is No-democrats vs. all Thais, since the Suthep mobs of assassins are taking out the rights of vote of every Thai, including the ones who voted for other parties , Thailand has many parties (ok, some are just proxies, but not all of them), so the Suthep mobs have no excuses. They want to have all the power to keep stealing and massacring Thai people like they have done for 80 years.

The Democrat party is hardly responsible all the governments/regimes which ruled this country since 1932.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Prime_Ministers_of_Thailand

And here you go again with you "massacre"...."mobs of assassins"...."taking the rights of vote of every Thai"...

all this going on for 80 years now, no less.

Wonder anyone still votes for them. Guess the 35% popular vote they got last time was under threat.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Morch

[fab4]

fab4 post # 69.

What better publicity for an insurgency than to stop a national election from taking place with a bomb or two - suthep and the CC have set the bar, well done.

What better publicity for an insurgency than to stop a government from governing as it should by taking Bangkok hostage with street barriers invading hospitals looting of shops and arson attacks etc also then threatening to burn Bangkok down placing a bomb or two here and there as the Red Shirts did under the sponsorship of Thaksin Shinwatra in 2010 that was the action that set the bar, well done Thaksin Shinwatra and the Red Shirts..

​Come come fab4, never let the true facts distort your red tinted beliefs.

What? I'm talking about a decision by the CC to nullify an election because of illegal acts taken by street mobs to disrupt that ongoing Royally decreed election under the orders of a person who has arrest warrants for murder and insurrection outstanding.

And you counter with a diatribe about actions of four years ago that were the result of a deadly crackdown by the army on a rally of people who were demonstrating for an election to be held.

You really haven't got the idea of debate and counter argument have you? Using a situation as evidence to back up your argument that is diametrically opposed to that argument, just doesn't make sound logical sense.

Actually the CC ruled that the elections were invalid because they were not held on one and the same day. In itself that has nothing to do with the anti-government protests or the blocking of registration/voting booths.

OK Sherlock, so the actions of suthep and his anti democrats had nothing to do with the fact that the election couldn't be held on one day? Is this a special skill you have - completely missing the obvious?

[almafudd]

They are rewarding the people who illegally disrupted an election. It sets a bad precedent for the future. All corruption Thai style... the Police red, the Army yellow, the courts are far from neutral, the divide goes even through a certain important family. Very sad.

Just like hippies set a precedent for future soft drug use. We all live in the shadow of the past. Welcome to the real world dude

[sirchai]

Seems that the tablet PC's are between rotten rice, while the farmers in deep dept won't vote for this government anymore.

And the high seed trains with high Samlo drivers might do the trick. The hub of...............................

Thailand, wake up.-

[HonestQuietBob]

ok, there would be the next one, with the same effect - reds will win the majority, democrats will be losing support (that even if they contest an election).

dems wanted a new parliament, PM dissolved the house, dems boycotted the election. The reds won, election invalidated by yellow's palls from the court, dems call for boycott of the next poll.

the country is going down the drain, not the government, but courts, agencies and fascist mob on the streets running amok, destroying what is left from the reasonable economic, political and social stability.

Ah the usual everybody else is wrong except Puea Thai excuse once again.

We are so misunderstood.

Never mind that what we did may have been wrong.

Never mind that we may have broken laws and the rules of parliament that put us here.

EVERYBODY ELSE is wrong.

Well boo hoo hoo.

How is the disruption in southern provinces of polling stations Puea Thai breaking the law?

Anyway It would be much easier if like the Junta / Democrats in 2006 they could just abolish the Constitutional court and later reestablish it having made various changes to it. Decisions sure go your way when you have the power to do that.

The constitution court isn't the problem. It's the constitution that needs to be adjusted to close the kind of loophole the PDRC used. The wording today is very clear, the election has to be held on the same day across Thailand.

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A constitutional adjustment is exactly what the Suthepsta's want.

They want to close any loopholes that allow the people of Thailand to choose their own governments through elections.

The Thai constitution is loaded with what appears to be deliberate ambiguities that can be exploited by the permanent, appointed institutions to eject the people's elected government at will.

One day, probably not too far in the future, a fair and balanced, equitable, modern version of a constitution will be put forward in a referendum, by the Reds, for the people to vote on in an environment without any undue external pressure. The peoples voice on how they want their country to be run will for the first time ever be heard and the old establishment will be forced to exit stage left - they are no longer necessary and most certainly no longer wanted.

[Piichai]

reds have won every single election, every time stronger

That was then, this is now.

Thais are now seeing the problems created by Thaksin and his cronies.

[DonaldBattles]

I have polished up a picture of my favorite monkey. I will take it through the Moo Baan and offer 500 Baht if they will vote for it. I expect 100% participation. My monkey my be the right one to do the job.

[rubl]

The question was a load of manure, you mean. Suthep and his fellow anti-govermnent protesters are not 'election haters'. More than some posters here they understand that reforms are needed before you can have fair elections which benefit the country.

The "democracy = elections" is just a distraction from what elections in Thailand are with Thaksin still being allowed to call the shots in Pheu Thai. With him stating to control his cabinet and his sister lying in parliament that she's in charge.

As for the reasons for the 'yellow card', do you really want I correct you on that again? Is your memory so faulty or are you just dropping anything you don't like or which doesn't fit your program?

Oh my dear, dear Rubl,

How is it possible for you to be so so wrong.

An election has just been annulled because of the actions of Suthep, voters were assaulted and manhandled for trying to vote by Sutheps minions, the next one is going to be boycotted by Sutheps party, a previous election (2006) was boycotted by Sutheps party and Suthep is actively campaigning for an unelected council.

If there is anybody in Thailand who hates elections, it is Suthep.

The elections have been ruled invalid because they were not held on one and the same day as written in the Royal decree.

To blame Suthep is like forgetting that the Yingluck government tried to push through a blanket amnesty bill which even covered their first two years in office. That's when the anti-government protests started. After a month of nonsense and even trying to shift the blame on the senate Ms. Yingluck dissolved the House and called a new election fully aware that that would not solve anything. Even her brother tried it in 2006 when the protests regarding his (tax-free) sales to Temasak got too much for him. Didn't work though.

So, it's all about fair and democratic elections with "respect my vote even AFTER you counted it". It's about resposibility, transparency, good governance. It's not about needing a blanket amnesty to hide a 700++ billion lose, it's not about "we have a mandate, sc__w the opposition".

This continued 'democracy = elections' makes the whole situation even more farcical. Mr. Kim from NKorea would only agree that in his democracy elections are important.

[Gweiloman]

I expect that bombing the houses of the judges is not exactly going to endear the judges to the Red Shirt government when it makes its decisions.

All of the judges in the various courts know that they are going to be bombed and shot at now, and this must influence them when they make their upcoming decisions. They know that they have to help to get rid of Thaksin, his clan members in power, his Red Shirts, and cronies for the good of the country.

"They know that they have to help to get rid of Thaksin, his clan members in power, his Red Shirts, and cronies for the good of the country"

How do you propose to do that? We are talking about what, over 20 million people? Secession?

[Morch]

I watched tens of thousands of university students inconvenience themselves, many traveling hundreds of kilometers and taking up to a full day's travel each way, so that they could have their vote heard. The courts make a mockery of their efforts. No wonder that many of them end up so cynical about politics the ability of government to do its job. The court has just shot themselves (as part of the government) in their other foot.

Tens of thousands....were they marching by your house?

There was less than 50% turnout for the voting. of these, over 16% were "no-votes".

The election was disrupted mainly in the south and in some parts of Bangkok, not all over the country.

[Crushdepth]

Was there any doubt? The election was a failure. The protestors did their job and stopped the election while the police did nothing at all. Government will blame the EC for this but the fact is the police failed miserably in their jobs to protect the polling stations.

Police did a fine job taking care of the mess the EC created.

As far as I'm aware no one actually died on polling day and that's the most important thing.

The Reds can win elections any day of the week into the distant future, so nothing's been lost, only delayed.

The police did a fine job? What a joke. Give up now, you're hopeless.

[Siripon]

Apologies if this point has been made already, the judges seem to have set a precedent here:

An election not held entirely on the same day is invalid, therefore in the future anytime a disaffected party or group of individuals feel an election is not going to go their way all they have to do is block one polling station and there goes the election.

Please tell me I'm wrong.

[mikemac]

What a circus! The ultimate aim is for Thailand to have a democracy Thai style which is one that the amataya or Bangkok/Army Elite are comfortable with.....

< yawn >

Can we move on from "amart" and "elite" . . . your boss and his cronies are just as much "elite" as anyone else involved in this . . .

Sorry Tatsujin but have to disagree. The dictionary describes the word "elite/s" as -

"the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as a group or class of persons. Persons of the highest class."

This word should never be used to describe Thaksin or any member of his evil family, anyone associated with the PTP, or any member or supporter of the red scumbags.

The word has nothing to do with having lots of money as these morons who love to toss it around seem to think.

And anyone who uses the word "amart" is just a pathetic worm .

Edited March 21, 2014 by mikemac

[rubl]

Thaksin is only financially elite, he's not socially elite.

It's a simple differentiation that somehow seems to stump you yellow TV posters.

Whether Thaksin is financially elite or not is irrelevant, it's who he represents that is important.

Thaksin, for better or for worse, represents the majority of the population who are overwhelmingly poor.

HIs supporters are not exclusively poor and not all the poor exclusively support him but broadly speaking the 20% of the population that are diehard Democrats are in the top half of the wealth distribution of this nation and the 40% to 50% of diehard Thaksinites are in the lower half of the wealth distribution.

So the rich versus poor scenario is apt.

One more thing you yellow fans seem to be unable or unwilling to comprehend is that with or without Thaksin and his family the Red movement will continue to exist and continue to dominate the electoral landscape of the nation.

The obsession with Thaksin is no more than a tactic and propaganda by the powers behind the yellows to garner the support of the gullible to their cause of ending democracy in Thailand.

Thaksin represents himself first and formost. Next comes his family and cronies. The poor get a handout and should go back home.

Now try to understand, that more people are starting to understand that Thailand has to change. Even the middle classes know that. What we do not need though is a red-shirt movement which was said to have 'evolved beyond Thaksin" but still doing all to help him as if that's democratic. The obsession for Thaksin by UDD and red-shirts is what may be the biggest threat to democracy in Thailand.

It's time for the real grassroots to drop ALL elites be they real or fake. It's time they start to be self-reliant, independent of local overlords, etc., etc.

Edited March 21, 2014 by rubl

[Gweiloman]

The question was a load of manure, you mean. Suthep and his fellow anti-govermnent protesters are not 'election haters'. More than some posters here they understand that reforms are needed before you can have fair elections which benefit the country.

The "democracy = elections" is just a distraction from what elections in Thailand are with Thaksin still being allowed to call the shots in Pheu Thai. With him stating to control his cabinet and his sister lying in parliament that she's in charge.

As for the reasons for the 'yellow card', do you really want I correct you on that again? Is your memory so faulty or are you just dropping anything you don't like or which doesn't fit your program?

Oh my dear, dear Rubl,

How is it possible for you to be so so wrong.

An election has just been annulled because of the actions of Suthep, voters were assaulted and manhandled for trying to vote by Sutheps minions, the next one is going to be boycotted by Sutheps party, a previous election (2006) was boycotted by Sutheps party and Suthep is actively campaigning for an unelected council.

If there is anybody in Thailand who hates elections, it is Suthep.

The elections have been ruled invalid because they were not held on one and the same day as written in the Royal decree.

To blame Suthep is like forgetting that the Yingluck government tried to push through a blanket amnesty bill which even covered their first two years in office. That's when the anti-government protests started. After a month of nonsense and even trying to shift the blame on the senate Ms. Yingluck dissolved the House and called a new election fully aware that that would not solve anything. Even her brother tried it in 2006 when the protests regarding his (tax-free) sales to Temasak got too much for him. Didn't work though.

So, it's all about fair and democratic elections with "respect my vote even AFTER you counted it". It's about resposibility, transparency, good governance. It's not about needing a blanket amnesty to hide a 700++ billion lose, it's not about "we have a mandate, sc__w the opposition".

This continued 'democracy = elections' makes the whole situation even more farcical. Mr. Kim from NKorea would only agree that in his democracy elections are important.

My dear rubl,

Like I told you on another thread, please know when to give up fighting a lost point. Yes, the elections have been ruled invalid as they were not held on the same day. And the reason for this? Suthep / PDRC. Seems that this point is obvious to all and sundry but for you.

[Cricketnut]

Was there any doubt? The election was a failure. The protestors did their job and stopped the election while the police did nothing at all. Government will blame the EC for this but the fact is the police failed miserably in their jobs to protect the polling stations.

The protestors did their jobs? Gee an interesting insight into ones mind. Never mind Democratic rights of the majority of Thais..... Regardless of the outcome. Well onto the next election where the reds will win again by garnering support from fellow parties. Pity the Dems don't seem to want to act likewise.

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