Thailand's political parties to discuss election date today, Apr 22

[webfact]

POLITICS
Political parties to discuss election date today
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The country appears a step closer to holding a new election after the Democrats agreed to attend a meeting today hosted by the Election Commission, along with Pheu Thai and other parties, to discuss issues surrounding the staging of the poll.

However, it is too early to assume that the political rivals will agree to the EC's proposal to hold the new election on July 20.

While Pheu Thai wants the poll sooner, the Democrats - who have never beaten Pheu Thai in a general election - said that attending the meeting at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel in Bangkok today did not mean it had decided to take part in the poll.

Another bad sign emerged when People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) chief Suthep Thaugsuban threatened to block the new election if no national reform agenda was implemented prior to the poll.

Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthi-yakorn said 90 days would be the shortest period the EC could organise the poll properly.

Representatives from 70 parties will attend the meeting with the EC this afternoon.

Pheu Thai strategist Bhokin Bhalakula yesterday read his party's statement, highlighting its wish for there to be a new election and a public referendum - which it regards as the only way out of the political deadlock.

He said it was possible that the current political conflict would spiral towards civil strife because of a conspiracy among vested-interest groups to push the country into a political vacuum so a non-elected PM could replace caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Bhokin said his party opposed holding an election on July 20, arguing the delay in convening the House of Representatives and passing the fiscal budget would adversely affect the country.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the key issue his party wanted to discuss was not when the election was to be held but how it could be held peacefully without protests and disruptions. "We must discuss how to make the election a solution for the country, and not only for politicians," he said, "How to make people across the country accept the election; how to end political conflicts and implement national reform.

"An election official has said that the EC can ensure candidate registration in every constituency but he is not sure if the House can be reconvened. We should have learnt the lesson from the February 2 election."

Abhisit said the Democrats did not want violence or another military coup. "In 2006, even though the country was scheduled to hold a poll, the military staged a coup before it took place for fear of confrontation and clashes between rival camps,'' he said.

Rak Thailand Party leader Chuvit Kamolvisit said his party would not send anyone to today's meeting. "It is just drama. Even if they agree to hold an election, it cannot be completed if Suthep wants to block it.''

-- The Nation 2014-04-22

[WoopyDoo]

There will NEVER be an election without full electoral reforms that remove the balls from the PTP's red army... and all the election fraud.

No meeting needed.... That is the cold hard fact of the matter.

[dinooz]

Why not a Referendum RE:Reforms before an election,seems the sensible way to go to me,guage the majorities views.But we know a referendum doesn't suit PTP agenda as it would be a level playing field of one vote one person,not one vote 3 seats.

[gabruce]

I think this is a balanced, moderate stance from the Democrats. They identify the key issue. How to have an effective election that can convene a Parliament? Why go through the motions again to have a failed election? Much better to have an effective plan so that the election will be successful. Of course it is the details and actions that matter much more than the rhetoric.

If the PTP don't get their way and an election in 45 to 60 days, who knows what they will do.

[webfact]

Thailand's fractious parties to discuss new elections

BANGKOK, April 22, 2014 (AFP) - Thailand's quarrelling political parties are to meet Tuesday to discuss a roadmap to fresh elections following months of deadly street protests aimed at toppling Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The kingdom has been without a fully functioning government or parliament since December, and an election held in February was declared invalid after opposition demonstrators disrupted voting.

The Southeast Asian nation has been shaken by months of political violence that has left 25 people dead and hundreds wounded, including many protesters, in grenade attacks and shootings.

Election officials called a meeting for Tuesday to discuss a new election date with political rivals including the main opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the last round of voting.

But on the eve of the meeting, Yingluck's Puea Thai Party decried a "conspiracy" by her opponents to thwart new polls.

In a statement, the party said certain groups and political parties "don't want democracy" and are seeking to create a political vacuum so they can appoint their own unelected leader.

Puea Thai says the constitution requires new elections to be held 45-60 days after the Constitutional Court's annulment of the previous vote which took effect on March 27.

But Yingluck, who won a landslide election victory in 2011, could be removed from office within weeks in connection with two legal cases under consideration by the Constitutional Court and an anti-corruption panel.

Thailand's first female premier is accused of the alleged improper transfer of a top civil servant as well as dereliction of duty linked to a loss-making rice subsidy scheme that critics say is infested with corruption.

Her supporters see the moves as an attempted power grab.

The backdrop is an eight-year struggle between a royalist establishment -- supported by parts of the judiciary and the military -- and Yingluck's family, which has traditionally enjoyed strong support in the northern half of Thailand.

Yingluck's "Red Shirt" supporters have vowed to take to the streets for the legal rulings to defend her embattled administration, raising fears of a bloody new chapter in Thailand's long political crisis.

The opposition protesters accuse her family of nepotism and corruption and want her to resign to make way for an unelected "people's council" to oversee political reforms.

They have vowed to purge the kingdom of the influence of her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who looms large over Thai politics from self-exile in Dubai where he lives to avoid prison for a corruption conviction.

Thailand has been rocked by years of rival protests by supporters and foes of Thaksin, who was ousted by royalist generals in a coup in 2006.
The opposition has said that elections without reforms first will not solve the political stalemate.

But Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva hinted ahead of Tuesday's talks that there could be room for compromise, describing the meeting as "the most opportune time to put aside our party views and put our country first".


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-04-22

[Robby nz]

Posted A minute ago

The Election Commission has decided not to allow live broadcast of its meeting with political parties this afternoon to discuss a new election, reports said. /Bangkok Post

[Scamper]

" We must discuss how to make the election a solution for the country, and not only for politicians," he said, "How to make people across the country accept the election; how to end political conflicts and implement national reform. "

The ambitious task of holding an election does not stop with just setting a date. Abhisit has been pretty much stating the obvious when he has said repeatedly that there is not much point holding an election in a sea of conflict and expect anything other than February 2 all over again. The EC has been uncommonly optimistic, but upon what do they base their optimism ? The political climate and strife on the streets is exactly the same, if not worse. What gives the EC so much optimism to hold an election peacefully in all constituencies in the country and guarantee a quorum that would allow parliament to convene ? The EC also seems also to have just found its optimism in recent days. Until about two weeks ago, they were saying that there could be no guarantee that an election could be held peacefully and that a quorum could be achieved. Their new-found optimism has apparently grown in a period where there has been in fact an increased intimidation and pressure on the Constitutional Court and the National Anti-Corruption Commission - from both the UDD and Pheu Thai. And the association between the Yingluck administration and the EC has never been worse. So where exactly has the EC found their optimism ? Perhaps in today's meeting they can be clearer about that. But so will 42 other parties. At the end of the day, a referendum is the clear democratic alternative, and the clear compromise. Put reform discussions to a vote. Simple. But Pheu Thai doesn't want that. But it's the obvious solution.

[hidavey]

These people are trying to pull a fast one again. Needs to change to the way the government is run before fall back into the same issue. This system is almost like Syria who is a dictatorship under one person, Thaksin was trying to do the same here.

Sent from my iPad

[WoopyDoo]

Posted A minute ago

The Election Commission has decided not to allow live broadcast of its meeting with political parties this afternoon to discuss a new election, reports said. /Bangkok Post

Well we all know that transparency is baulked at here in Thailand.

Maybe they don't want the nation's people to know what is 'really' being said.

Basically muting the Dem's argument from public attention IE... election reforms, and possibly don't want the PTP to be seen to arguer against it... as well as the EC which has shown zero interest in fair elections in the past.

EC and PTP????..... In reality, I would say they were birds of a feather.