DPM Pongthep: Govt. is not responsible for failed election

[Crushdepth]

Tell me again, who was running the country and who ignored the advice of the Election Commission?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[bulekee]

Why all the debate and soul searching amongst us farangs about Thai politics,we cannot change anything.I am now trying to view TV as a source of amusement on a quiet boring day.Gotta be careful about what I say,just come back from a RED CARD.

[Old Man River]

The Pheu Thai party has now invented a new period in the constitution, called dressing down and quarterbacking the Constitutional Court's ruling after the fact. They can do that until they work themselves into a state of utter exhaustion, but it doesn't change the fact that they have no choice but to accept the ruling. Unless of course they take the Ko Tee route. So we are to assume that at this point the " administration " doesn't have the maturity to accept the ruling and go forward. They would rather :

- keep pressing their arguments and stamping their feet regarding the Constitutional Court's ruling

- continue to refuse to meet with the EC to arrange the next step

- in fact, now affirm their demand that the whole EC resign

- keep affirming that the EC pay 3.8 billion baht for an election that they - in their constitutional capacity - recommended against.

- keep affirming that there is a conspiracy of the independent agencies against them, thereby bolstering the UDD/Ko Tee argument to de-legitimize the checks and balances, which are the constitutionally empowered responsibility of the independent agencies.

That is what Pheu Thai are doing. That is the path they are taking. Straight to the Twilight Zone.

" The government had made several suggestions to facilitate the polls such as moving polling stations out of the troubled areas, and extending the period for accepting MP applications, all of which were declined by the EC, said Pongthep. "

The reason why those suggestions were declined by the EC is that they contravened electioneering rules. When Pheu Thai started unilaterally moving registration venues to police stations against the wishes and the overseeing eye of the EC, and proceeded to parachute Pheu Thai candidates out of helicopters onto the roofs of such stations, they invented election regulatory law. When they proposed extending registration periods they also contravened election law, which has a very specific set of dates the EC must adhere to, that allows a certain amount of time for registration, a certain amount of time for campaigning, and a certain amount of time for advance polling and election day. To change any of these timelines would mean to delay the election accordingly, which naturally would have required a new decree.

But again, Pheu Thai can rant and rave to their heart's content. That's what the UDD is doing, and they are getting exceedingly good at it. But to go forward, Pheu Thai at some point has to accept the Constitutional Court's ruling, work with the EC, and not try to undermine the authority of the independent agencies and judicial system.

I do wonder, if you were advising the PTP, and with an election date set and knowing that Suthep and his people were going to block the election, would you have demanded the rule of law be enforced as Aphisit did?

Scamper, knowing what has previously transpired, what would you have advised?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Thai at Heart]

"The EC must be held responsible for its inability to organize the general election on the same day"

Didnt the EC tell the goverment NOT to hold the election on the 2nd Feb, but the PTP forced the issue went ahead anyway ?

If this is case then Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana, the responsibility for the failed election rest solely with the band of merry thieves that is the PTP

You do understand the window to dictatorships opened up if u allow the government to arbitrarily stop elections.

Sadly that window has been wide open for years, considering the way the electoral system has been jiggered here.

That's true, but it can't be a good thing to allow governments to decide to change election days

Agreed.

Though I have seen elections moved because of hurricanes, snow and civil unrest in America,

on state size levels, and that generally is the same population size as Thailand. the elections do get run,

When it is safe for voters. Which is the logic the EC was using for a delay.

Never a cancelation, but a postponement.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It wouldn't have made any difference. The protests would have continued. So, as written above, the EC should have called in whatever resources it needed to carry out the election.

[Thai at Heart]

Tell me again, who was running the country and who ignored the advice of the Election Commission?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The EC can advise all it wants. To postpone would have been illegal.

[crapper3]

Government was dissolve to passify Mr. Suthep. Dissolving of Government is Legal, and it was blessed by the King.

Yingluk was also assigned the Care Taker.

The same caretaker PM who is still yet to comment on the court ruling nullifying her stupid snap election??

The same caretaker PM who is up on charges of negligence in a scheme that she was in charge of and has seen corruption siphon of between 600 Bn and 700 Bn baht??

She is no prime minister. A performing monkey would do a better job that her.

;Premier'?.... you gotta be kidding me.

She doesn't play in the 'premier' league... She wouldn't even be picked to play in the Udon Thani blind, mentally handicapped, night shift league.

If we were invaded tomorrow by Cambodia, and millions of Thais were wiped out in a week, it would take her about a month to think up what to say to the people as PM and Defense chief.

What a total joke on a rope.

[Moruya]

Tell me again, who was running the country and who ignored the advice of the Election Commission?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I think we can safely look a bit earlier than that.

The PTP cheating and conniving in the house over at least 3 bills brought the people out on the street that caused this.

Therefore the PTP sinners can foot the bill

[crapper3]

"The EC must be held responsible for its inability to organize the general election on the same day"

Didnt the EC tell the goverment NOT to hold the election on the 2nd Feb, but the PTP forced the issue went ahead anyway ?

If this is case then Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana, the responsibility for the failed election rest solely with the band of merry thieves that is the PTP

You do understand the window to dictatorships opened up if u allow the government to arbitrarily stop elections.

Sadly that window has been wide open for years, considering the way the electoral system has been jiggered here.

That's true, but it can't be a good thing to allow governments to decide to change election days

Agreed.

Though I have seen elections moved because of hurricanes, snow and civil unrest in America,

on state size levels, and that generally is the same population size as Thailand. the elections do get run,

When it is safe for voters. Which is the logic the EC was using for a delay.

Never a cancelation, but a postponement.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It wouldn't have made any difference. The protests would have continued. So, as written above, the EC should have called in whatever resources it needed to carry out the election.

They did call in those resources, they asked CAPO to provide and oversee security at the opening of registration at the Thai/Japanese stadium and look what happened there.

Since that massive failure resulting in deaths and injuries and massive damage and shooting police on rooftops, and police terrorizing a nurse in her pickup.

Which is why the EC were trying to explain the difficulty they would have with the election, the government didn't listen.

The EC tried to get the constitutional court to make a decision to postpone the election until a time they could be organized safely, a totally reasonable request in the eyes of anyone with even the slightest semblance of reasonability. They were told it was OK under the current circumstances of death and violence as long as it was agreed between the EC and the government.

Once again, the government refused and forced the elections to be held.

The EC basically begged the government right up until Feb 2.... Still the government refused and forced the election to proceed.

Now that the government have seen the results of the voting that did go smoothly across their personal strongholds and reeled at the crumby amount of votes they got. They will do everything they can to stall before calling a new election.

They are putting all the blame on the EC and refusing not only any responsibility for the failed election they pushed from start to finish. But also are going to end up refusing to work with this EC and push for their resignations. So they can install a puppet EC of their own. Or at least languish in the vacuum caused by the delays that will occur due to all this finger pointing.

Great... I suggest the EC ask the constitutional court to also rule who should take the responsibility for the failings of the Feb 2 election and if they find the government responsible through negligence (again) then a move must be made to impeach them.

[Thai at Heart]

"The EC must be held responsible for its inability to organize the general election on the same day"

Didnt the EC tell the goverment NOT to hold the election on the 2nd Feb, but the PTP forced the issue went ahead anyway ?

If this is case then Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana, the responsibility for the failed election rest solely with the band of merry thieves that is the PTP

You do understand the window to dictatorships opened up if u allow the government to arbitrarily stop elections.

Sadly that window has been wide open for years, considering the way the electoral system has been jiggered here.

That's true, but it can't be a good thing to allow governments to decide to change election days

Agreed.

Though I have seen elections moved because of hurricanes, snow and civil unrest in America,

on state size levels, and that generally is the same population size as Thailand. the elections do get run,

When it is safe for voters. Which is the logic the EC was using for a delay.

Never a cancelation, but a postponement.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It wouldn't have made any difference. The protests would have continued. So, as written above, the EC should have called in whatever resources it needed to carry out the election.

They did call in those resources, they asked CAPO to provide and oversee security at the opening of registration at the Thai/Japanese stadium and look what happened there.

Since that massive failure resulting in deaths and injuries and massive damage and shooting police on rooftops, and police terrorizing a nurse in her pickup.

Which is why the EC were trying to explain the difficulty they would have with the election, the government didn't listen.

The EC tried to get the constitutional court to make a decision to postpone the election until a time they could be organized safely, a totally reasonable request in the eyes of anyone with even the slightest semblance of reasonability. They were told it was OK under the current circumstances of death and violence as long as it was agreed between the EC and the government.

Once again, the government refused and forced the elections to be held.

The EC basically begged the government right up until Feb 2.... Still the government refused and forced the election to proceed.

Now that the government have seen the results of the voting that did go smoothly across their personal strongholds and reeled at the crumby amount of votes they got. They will do everything they can to stall before calling a new election.

They are putting all the blame on the EC and refusing not only any responsibility for the failed election they pushed from start to finish. But also are going to end up refusing to work with this EC and push for their resignations. So they can install a puppet EC of their own. Or at least languish in the vacuum caused by the delays that will occur due to all this finger pointing.

Great... I suggest the EC ask the constitutional court to also rule who should take the responsibility for the failings of the Feb 2 election and if they find the government responsible through negligence (again) then a move must be made to impeach them.

In which case, it is not the governments fault. The only way to have cancelled would have been for the EC to petition the constitutional court. Of course this would have put the CC front and centre to show its spots.

And yes. I would say the law enforcement is entitled to use lethal force under the law to carry out a constitutional obligation.

[ChrisY1]

Why all the debate?

There is no need to quote the constitution or electoral law here.

Suthep, the PDRC and the geriatrics behind them are responsible.

End of story.

This silly post is hardly worth commenting on.....but it does actually show that there are Farang here in Thailand that don't know what's going on ..)

[Kasset Tak]

The government are responsible for the failed election!

1. EC wanted to delay the election from the beginning because of the political unrest.

2. Registration of candidates to the election was disrupted because of the political unrest.

3. Election could not be held because of the political unrest.

Now I have pointed out 3 things, how could EC handle those?

For point 1 the EC wanted to delay but the government said NO.

For point 2 and 3 EC could not have done anything as they don't have jurisdiction to deploy police or military to keep the order and secure the polling stations, office for registration and so on. Only the government have that power and they did NOT see to that the polling stations where secured!

So I can in no way see that it's the fault of EC that the election failed!

I think you have identified the problem that stopped the election quite clearly.

Political unrest.

And what would should the EC have done.

Called in the police and any other mechanism to insure the election went ahead. Petitioned the CC for a ruling to allow it to delay.

Not the governments right to call the delay. That would be unconstitutional.

As I stated EC don't have the power to call in the police or the military!

Hell!!! I'm not taking side as I have friends on both sides of this, both in the government and in the PDRC. I even meet Mr. CAPO one time and still I can't blame the failure of the election on any one else than the government.

And if you wonder, I'm just one of these low life ESL teachers working here in Thailand!

Edited March 23, 2014 by Kasset Tak

[bulekee]

Hye Hoe,Hye Hoe

It"s of to denial I go.

A fairytale .Copyrite George Orwell

[Thai at Heart]

The government are responsible for the failed election!

1. EC wanted to delay the election from the beginning because of the political unrest.

2. Registration of candidates to the election was disrupted because of the political unrest.

3. Election could not be held because of the political unrest.

Now I have pointed out 3 things, how could EC handle those?

For point 1 the EC wanted to delay but the government said NO.

For point 2 and 3 EC could not have done anything as they don't have jurisdiction to deploy police or military to keep the order and secure the polling stations, office for registration and so on. Only the government have that power and they did NOT see to that the polling stations where secured!

So I can in no way see that it's the fault of EC that the election failed!

I think you have identified the problem that stopped the election quite clearly.

Political unrest.

And what would should the EC have done.

Called in the police and any other mechanism to insure the election went ahead. Petitioned the CC for a ruling to allow it to delay.

Not the governments right to call the delay. That would be unconstitutional.

As I stated EC don't have the power to call in the police or the military!

Hell!!! I'm not taking side as I have friends on both sides of this, both in the government and in the PDRC. I even meet Mr. CAPO one time and still I can't blame the failure of the election on any one else than the government.

And if you wonder, I'm just one of these low life ESL teachers working here in Thailand!

Well who does?

The government? Well that is ass backwards.

Elsewhere in the thread it was quoted that the EC has the right to call in the Army but they didn't. I will dig out the quote.

Why does the EC need to ask the governments permission to cancel the election. If the EC has the right to do so, it can, but of course that should I believe mean that Yingluck should have ceased to be a interim PM.

Of course, if the ,CC, had done its job it would have ruled clearly that the EC is solely reapnsible for cancelling or delaying the election not the government.

Once again this EC abrogated its respknsibilty by saying it is both the EC and the governments job to cancel the election. If the boot was on the democrats foot in this context, the problem would be the same.

The government or political parties cannot get involved in deciding to postpone elections. They can postpone the election for political purpose. Thus that right MUST lie solely with the EC.

[Thai at Heart]

The government are responsible for the failed election!

1. EC wanted to delay the election from the beginning because of the political unrest.

2. Registration of candidates to the election was disrupted because of the political unrest.

3. Election could not be held because of the political unrest.

Now I have pointed out 3 things, how could EC handle those?

For point 1 the EC wanted to delay but the government said NO.

For point 2 and 3 EC could not have done anything as they don't have jurisdiction to deploy police or military to keep the order and secure the polling stations, office for registration and so on. Only the government have that power and they did NOT see to that the polling stations where secured!

So I can in no way see that it's the fault of EC that the election failed!

I think you have identified the problem that stopped the election quite clearly.

Political unrest.

And what would should the EC have done.

Called in the police and any other mechanism to insure the election went ahead. Petitioned the CC for a ruling to allow it to delay.

Not the governments right to call the delay. That would be unconstitutional.

As I stated EC don't have the power to call in the police or the military!

Hell!!! I'm not taking side as I have friends on both sides of this, both in the government and in the PDRC. I even meet Mr. CAPO one time and still I can't blame the failure of the election on any one else than the government.

And if you wonder, I'm just one of these low life ESL teachers working here in Thailand!

Mr. Somchai said he was aware that the Election Commission had the power to call upon the security forces to ensure that the elections took place on time. But the law, he said, is not paramount at a time of intense turmoil.

Our society today cannot only live by the law, he said. We also have to make sure the country survives.

So apparently they do have the right. Nice dodge he made about, the country can't live by the law. What a useless statement that is.

[Blackmirage2013]

Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana is a jerk.

Typical Thai response when something goes wrong: "not accountable.... blame others..... reminds me of the Thais response when they were asked why didn't they tell everyone that they had detected what appeared to be MH 370 on their radar.... "because no one asked them"

That is the DUMBEST, caveman response I've ever heard.... stuff like that destroys Thailand's reputation and makes Thais look like monkeys.

So pitiful....

[Baerboxer]

Why all the debate?

There is no need to quote the constitution or electoral law here.

Suthep, the PDRC and the geriatrics behind them are responsible.

End of story.

This silly post is hardly worth commenting on.....but it does actually show that there are Farang here in Thailand that don't know what's going on ..)

Be fair Chris. He knows very well what's going on. He chooses to post comments like this.

That's right Bob, PTP not responsible for anything. Not their fault Bob, same the rice farmers not being paid, a certain passport being issued illegally, bills being cheated through parliament, illegal voting in parliament, vast sums of money not accounted for. Not their fault at all - it's a mixture of Suthep, the PDRC and honest mistakes.

If only the country would wake up, let Yingy and mob pass the Whitewash bill and return Thailand to year zero, big brother could come back and rebuild it just the way he wants it. Real Utopia eh Bob?

[bigbamboo]

Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana is a jerk.

Typical Thai response when something goes wrong: "not accountable.... blame others..... reminds me of the Thais response when they were asked why didn't they tell everyone that they had detected what appeared to be MH 370 on their radar.... "because no one asked them"

That is the DUMBEST, caveman response I've ever heard.... stuff like that destroys Thailand's reputation and makes Thais look like monkeys.

So pitiful....

Careful...! Remember what happened on here with Clarkson.

[klauskunkel]

Govt. is not responsible for failed election

...and that's the crux really: The Government is not responsible

not responsible for election, not responsible for rice, not responsible for tablets, not responsible for flood mgmt., not responsible for Tsunami warning system, not responsible for human trafficking, not responsible for corruption and on and on...

maybe it is time for a responsible government?

[DrMe]

DPM Pongthep: Govt. is not responsible for failed election" True this government is responsible for nothing

[lostinsurin]

Why all the debate and soul searching amongst us farangs about Thai politics,we cannot change anything.I am now trying to view TV as a source of amusement on a quiet boring day.Gotta be careful about what I say,just come back from a RED CARD.

Congrats! me too

[Trouble]

"The EC must be held responsible for its inability to organize the general election on the same day"

Didnt the EC tell the goverment NOT to hold the election on the 2nd Feb, but the PTP forced the issue went ahead anyway ?

If this is case then Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana, the responsibility for the failed election rest solely with the band of merry thieves that is the PTP

As was previously posted. Suthep got his wishes when the Parliament was dissolved. Government holds election just prior to the 60 deadline. Are you saying that the EC was acting according to the constitution when it said NOT to hold the election?

If anything the responsibility for the failed election falls on the inability of the police to insure polling places were kept open. Don't blame the government for that since the ability of the government to control either the police or the military is questionable.