Thai Senators 'considering appointing new premier'

[bushwacker]

It seems the Senate are about a week late in their suggestion.

Reading all of these articles, makes me think that the General should impose an Order for all Parties involved to stay quiet. They should all be locked in a compound that is guarded, and nobody allowed to leave or communicate with the outside world until there is an agreed resolution.

Otherwise we keep getting these groups spouting off in public to see if the balloon (idea) floats before they present it at the real meetings. All this is doing is upsetting the general population.

[soalbundy]

Ya know in my opinion ...all this tiptoeing around by the Democrats the EC The Fast and Furious Forty... only points to one thing and we all know what that is... considering this... stating that...it's all hogwash... it looks like a duck...it walks like a duck...why not call it a putsch...and go for lunch? It will not take long for the world to see through this thinly veiled whitewash "in a bid to find a way out of the political impasse" and all the whistleblowers will actually think they helped their country by taking it back farther... It is sad to see so many sheep with the wool pulled so far over their eyes that all they can see are their selfies..."oh look here's one at the Asoke Protest... here's one with the army during the coup...ooops martial law...what are we going to have for lunch...and meanwhile in the back rooms the rabid re-write and additional dis-empowering of the Constitution will take place.. un beknownst and not cared about and two years down the road they will announce the reforms have taken place and not to worry anymore all is well... it really is ToonTown and we are dealing with Roger Rabbit....as I have said from the beginning... reforms were really just a buzz word...just a catchy little over used banner to trot out and hang opposite the picture of the demon of the moment... SIn nam jai will continue to be the basis of corruption the ingrained wattanathum of doing business..... from top to bottom, the indoctrination in place of education, the receding of personal freedoms and the only thing that will slither out under the door are the rights of the people to have a potent say in their own destiny... Where else in the world does the Election Commission have this unbelievable power..? I cannot think of another place where the bean counters have a knife in the pie of every single step of a society's daily breath? I hope that this takeover, this abrogation, this butchering, this tailoring of Democracy is only my opinion and that I can be proved wrong by the noble people of Thailand who refuse to accept what appears to be happening under their feet...

"A senator even suggested soldiers should force the Cabinet members at gunpoint to resign, something that was done by coup-makers. However, this proposal was opposed by many other senators who did not want to see the military's involvement in the appointment of a new PM."

too late..it has happened already the military is 100% involved.

"The appointment would be made with reference to the Constitution and the Senate would give reasons explaining the need for its actions, according to the sources."

I thought the position was to defer to the Constitution and allow it to govern... my bad "refer" to it is good enough...

Democracy was never really good at getting things done.

[MrJohnson]

There is only one way to go forward- election,election,election. If the Thai people are not allowed to decide their own future thru the ballot box the same old scenario will keep repeating itself. Thailand has to learn to grow up if it wants to be considered a democracy.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I think you made a few mistakes,

There is only one way to go forward - Fair elections the democratic way, not the Thaksin way

The Thai people must be allowed to decide their own future thru the ballot box with out pressure from people telling them who to vote for, not allowing them to hear other parties policies, or bribing those who do not care anyway

Thailand has to learn to grow up if it wants to be considered a True Democracy.

You seem to think that Thaksin has a monopoly on vote rigging and corruption in office. It is not so. Look back over the last seven decades and you will see plenty of examples of it. At the root of many of the political and indeed social ills of Thailand is the lack of regard for the rule of law. Corruption from the small (tea money to get your kids into school) to the large (rice pledging, telcom contracts, and all manner of procurement) It is endemic and systemic. It is a cancer and needs radical intervention. How? I'm not sure.

[uty6543]

I swear there must be a facebook page dedicated to "stupid things to say" for TVF members of a certain political bent

Could you give us a link to that page it might help us to understand your posts better.

[rubl]

This 'compromise' of appointing a so-called neutral PM is simply kicking the can further down the road. The simmering anger and frustration of the UDD will worsen and nothing of substance will be achieved. In 12-18 months or less this will erupt once again.

Actually the neutral (or extra-parliamentary) government would allow the 7 parties to continue their discussions and come with proper reforms after which the government can organise a referendum and assuming reforms are accepted by a majority of the electorate, the government can issue a Royal Decree, step down and let the E.C. organise elections. If a majority of the voters would reject the reforms the 7 parties should drop out of the reforms definition and the government should appoint a commission to find out what the reasons were the voters rejected the reforms and apply corrections where deemed possible and go through another referendum.

And so on, and so forth.

[rubl]

I swear there must be a facebook page dedicated to "stupid things to say" for TVF members of a certain political bent

Could you give us a link to that page it might help us to understand your posts better.

Of course TVF members of the 'other' kind do not need such an alleged facebook page. Spreading manure seems to come natural to them.

[AGareth2]

At gunpoint?

meetings in secret?

mmmmmmm don't like the sound of this

[Asiantravel]

At gunpoint?

meetings in secret?

mmmmmmm don't like the sound of this

And quite probably neither will the red shirts

[Baerboxer]

The Yingluck government transferred a civil government employee which was more than enough for the judges to remove her from the premiership along with nine ministers who voted the transfer. A PM and nine government ministers were removed because one government employee was transferred. To the high judges, the ruling for the government employee by a lower court was not enough. The high court judges had to significantly gorge the government because it had transferred one single government employee.

Now the senate is going to ignore the same laws and the constitution members of the senate petitioned the high judges to use to remove PM Yingluck and the nine ministers. Asean and other foreign governments will note that, if this plan is executed, the rule of law in Thailand is not the rule of law over men, but the rule of men over law.

Anti-Thaksin Protesters Are Thailand’s Tea Partiers

By Lennox Samuels

The Daily Beast

“Democracy is not the issue,” Bangkok Post columnist Voranai Vanijaka tells me.

“This is a rebellion. Suthep would be the first to admit it.”

Suthep has declared that it would not be enough for the prime minister to resign

and call new elections. He wants all trace of the Shinawatra machine

'gone.' He wants an unelected people’s council and an interim prime minister

more acceptable to protesters. That would be followed by some kind of 'reform'

that would make it impossible for the Shinawatras to ever win again.

If this doesn’t sound like democracy, it isn’t. But apparently, that’s not

the point.

'You have to throw away this definition of what democracy is supposed to

be” Voranai tells me. 'This is not about democracy and rule of law, blah,

blah, blah. This is a fight. This is a fight for who’s going to run this

country.This is a fight for the future.'"

http://www.thedailyb...a-partiers.html<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/03/anti-thaksin-protesters-are-thailand-s-tea-partiers.html>

Democracy Now.org

Thai Military Imposes Martial Law

Thailand’s military has imposed martial law after months of anti-government protests. The protesters have blocked elections and called for the ouster of a caretaker government installed after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was removed by a court earlier this month. Soldiers have blocked off streets in the capital Bangkok, and at least 10 TV stations have been ordered to shut down. The army has denied its efforts constitute a coup

http://www.democracy.../headlines#5201

Democracy in a mess in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand

Democratically elected governments in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand were challenged in the streets this year by losers with no respect for the ballot box and no patience for the democratic process.

A common thread in all three disputes was that well-heeled urban elites assumed as a matter, perhaps, of birthright that their ambitions had far more merit than those of their less educated, poorer and usually rural countrymen

The only certainty is that the perilous state of democracy in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand — where none of the players care to understand that the concept involves a responsibility to be fair and inclusive — will attract global attention again in 2014.

http://o.canada.com/news/democracy-in-a-mess-in-egypt-ukraine-and-Thailand

Economist debate: Democracy

Two big, dynamic middle-income countries where democracy was expected to consolidate, Thailand and Turkey, are now each in severe political crisis as a result of political polarisation and intolerance.

In Thailand, the much-theorised agent of democratic defence and reform, the urban middle class is demanding a kind of "time out" from democracy because its party has lost the last few elections.

http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/1059

Still peddling that YL and clan were removed due to transferring a civil servant. We know the full story. The Supreme Administrative Court rules she and her administration had acted illegally in the transfer and ordered the victim to be reinstated. The Constitution Court then ruled that the reason behind the move was to benefit a member of her family and placing a member of her family in a key role was of benefit to her and her political party. It's the latter bit, breaking the rules for blatant nepotism and self benefit, that got her fired. She herself freely admitted it was a "cabinet" decision, thus implicating all those who signed off to an illegal act.

You might not like the verdicts, but please stop trying to trivialize it. We know the story unlike the overseas readers who get the selective versions certain hacks like to serve up.

You spoil an otherwise constructive and interesting post by such blatant attempts at propaganda and selective history recounts.

Another member of the Shin clan was fined yesterday for illegal insider trading. So many of this family have now been convicted of corruption but still some want to portray it all as politically motivated and persecution.

[Baerboxer]

The Yingluck government transferred a civil government employee which was more than enough for the judges to remove her from the premiership along with nine ministers who voted the transfer. A PM and nine government ministers were removed because one government employee was transferred. To the high judges, the ruling for the government employee by a lower court was not enough. The high court judges had to significantly gorge the government because it had transferred one single government employee.

Now the senate is going to ignore the same laws and the constitution members of the senate petitioned the high judges to use to remove PM Yingluck and the nine ministers. Asean and other foreign governments will note that, if this plan is executed, the rule of law in Thailand is not the rule of law over men, but the rule of men over law.

Anti-Thaksin Protesters Are Thailand’s Tea Partiers

By Lennox Samuels

The Daily Beast

“Democracy is not the issue,” Bangkok Post columnist Voranai Vanijaka tells me.

“This is a rebellion. Suthep would be the first to admit it.”

Suthep has declared that it would not be enough for the prime minister to resign

and call new elections. He wants all trace of the Shinawatra machine

'gone.' He wants an unelected people’s council and an interim prime minister

more acceptable to protesters. That would be followed by some kind of 'reform'

that would make it impossible for the Shinawatras to ever win again.

If this doesn’t sound like democracy, it isn’t. But apparently, that’s not

the point.

'You have to throw away this definition of what democracy is supposed to

be” Voranai tells me. 'This is not about democracy and rule of law, blah,

blah, blah. This is a fight. This is a fight for who’s going to run this

country.This is a fight for the future.'"

http://www.thedailyb...a-partiers.html<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/03/anti-thaksin-protesters-are-thailand-s-tea-partiers.html>

Democracy Now.org

Thai Military Imposes Martial Law

Thailand’s military has imposed martial law after months of anti-government protests. The protesters have blocked elections and called for the ouster of a caretaker government installed after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was removed by a court earlier this month. Soldiers have blocked off streets in the capital Bangkok, and at least 10 TV stations have been ordered to shut down. The army has denied its efforts constitute a coup

http://www.democracy.../headlines#5201

Democracy in a mess in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand

Democratically elected governments in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand were challenged in the streets this year by losers with no respect for the ballot box and no patience for the democratic process.

A common thread in all three disputes was that well-heeled urban elites assumed as a matter, perhaps, of birthright that their ambitions had far more merit than those of their less educated, poorer and usually rural countrymen

The only certainty is that the perilous state of democracy in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand — where none of the players care to understand that the concept involves a responsibility to be fair and inclusive — will attract global attention again in 2014.

http://o.canada.com/news/democracy-in-a-mess-in-egypt-ukraine-and-Thailand

Economist debate: Democracy

Two big, dynamic middle-income countries where democracy was expected to consolidate, Thailand and Turkey, are now each in severe political crisis as a result of political polarisation and intolerance.

In Thailand, the much-theorised agent of democratic defence and reform, the urban middle class is demanding a kind of "time out" from democracy because its party has lost the last few elections.

http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/1059

Still peddling that YL and clan were removed due to transferring a civil servant. We know the full story. The Supreme Administrative Court rules she and her administration had acted illegally in the transfer and ordered the victim to be reinstated. The Constitution Court then ruled that the reason behind the move was to benefit a member of her family and placing a member of her family in a key role was of benefit to her and her political party. It's the latter bit, breaking the rules for blatant nepotism and self benefit, that got her fired. She herself freely admitted it was a "cabinet" decision, thus implicating all those who signed off to an illegal act.

You might not like the verdicts, but please stop trying to trivialize it. We know the story unlike the overseas readers who get the selective versions certain hacks like to serve up.

You spoil an otherwise constructive and interesting post by such blatant attempts at propaganda and selective history recounts.

Another member of the Shin clan was fined yesterday for illegal insider trading. So many of this family have now been convicted of corruption but still some want to portray it all as politically motivated and persecution.

[rubl]

http://www.thedailyb...a-partiers.html<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/03/anti-thaksin-protesters-are-thailand-s-tea-partiers.html>

http://www.democracy.../headlines#5201

Democracy in a mess in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand

Democratically elected governments in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand were challenged in the streets this year by losers with no respect for the ballot box and no patience for the democratic process.

A common thread in all three disputes was that well-heeled urban elites assumed as a matter, perhaps, of birthright that their ambitions had far more merit than those of their less educated, poorer and usually rural countrymen

The only certainty is that the perilous state of democracy in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand — where none of the players care to understand that the concept involves a responsibility to be fair and inclusive — will attract global attention again in 2014.

http://o.canada.com/news/democracy-in-a-mess-in-egypt-ukraine-and-Thailand

http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/1059

Still peddling that YL and clan were removed due to transferring a civil servant. We know the full story. The Supreme Administrative Court rules she and her administration had acted illegally in the transfer and ordered the victim to be reinstated. The Constitution Court then ruled that the reason behind the move was to benefit a member of her family and placing a member of her family in a key role was of benefit to her and her political party. It's the latter bit, breaking the rules for blatant nepotism and self benefit, that got her fired. She herself freely admitted it was a "cabinet" decision, thus implicating all those who signed off to an illegal act.

You might not like the verdicts, but please stop trying to trivialize it. We know the story unlike the overseas readers who get the selective versions certain hacks like to serve up.

You spoil an otherwise constructive and interesting post by such blatant attempts at propaganda and selective history recounts.

Another member of the Shin clan was fined yesterday for illegal insider trading. So many of this family have now been convicted of corruption but still some want to portray it all as politically motivated and persecution.

I find the mention of the Ukraine interesting "democratically elected government", but acting just as undemocratic as the Yingluck government.

Read a bit here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine#Euromaidan_and_2014_revolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Ukrainian_revolution

[Baerboxer]

"A senator even suggested soldiers should force the Cabinet members at gunpoint to resign, something that was done by coup-makers. However, this proposal was opposed by many other senators who did not want to see the military's involvement in the appointment of a new PM. who worried that the Army may not have confiscated all the war weapons destined to the caretaker Cabinet members."

Does anyone else think that Thailand is not a lot different from the American Wild West in the 1800s?

No, I think it is only you who is daft enough to believe 2 guns found in an advisor to a Cabinet Ministers car points to a cache of weapons destined for the cabinet. I swear there must be a facebook page dedicated to "stupid things to say" for TVF members of a certain political bent

Perhaps he just had however many guns for self defense? Like those nice boys the RTP caught with guns and grenades in Bangkok; then let go because they showed a nice attitude and only had the arms to defend themselves. Or the lady caught driving a car from which shots were fired at protesters; or the policeman caught shooting at protesters from the back of a motorcycle. All just minor circumstantial trivia to the red side. But, heck, one protest guard farts and the whole lot must be condemned and arrested.

The reds just love demonstrating the biased double standards - and think everyone daft enough to believe them.

[lovetotravel]

There is only one way to go forward- election,election,election. If the Thai people are not allowed to decide their own future thru the ballot box the same old scenario will keep repeating itself. Thailand has to learn to grow up if it wants to be considered a democracy.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The Thai people have been voting for a long time and look where they are. Elections don't seem to be helping much. I agree it is the best option, but even if they vote, they will have the same old scenario. Again and again. A new breed of politicians is desperately needed.

[fab4]

I swear there must be a facebook page dedicated to "stupid things to say" for TVF members of a certain political bent

Could you give us a link to that page it might help us to understand your posts better.

Is English a problem for you?

[uty6543]

I swear there must be a facebook page dedicated to "stupid things to say" for TVF members of a certain political bent

Could you give us a link to that page it might help us to understand your posts better.

Is English a problem for you?

I'm sorry I seem to have unintentionally misread your post and quoted it out of context. I'm sure you would not do the same. Would you?

[rabas]

"A senator even suggested soldiers should force the Cabinet members at gunpoint to resign, something that was done by coup-makers. However, this proposal was opposed by many other senators who did not want to see the military's involvement in the appointment of a new PM. who worried that the Army may not have confiscated all the war weapons destined to the caretaker Cabinet members."

Does anyone else think that Thailand is not a lot different from the American Wild West in the 1800s?

No, I think it is only you who is daft enough to believe 2 guns found in an advisor to a Cabinet Ministers car points to a cache of weapons destined for the cabinet. I swear there must be a facebook page dedicated to "stupid things to say" for TVF members of a certain political bent

Aside from the fact your premiss is based on something I didn't say, eh. Been to Chalerm's house lately?

I would sure like to be friends fab, but every time I press your like button I get a spam warning.

[Anon999]

Economist debate: Democracy

In Thailand, the much-theorised agent of democratic defence and reform, the urban middle class is demanding a kind of "time out" from democracy because its party has lost the last few elections.

I do wonder who wrote that tripe. It is a totally false claim, as you do not get masses of people demonstrating against a government, by the population, from all walks of life, about losing elections. There has to be a high percentage of disaffection with the running of the country by a sitting administration before such an event can occur. Furthermore, for it to persist for many months requires a lot of sacrifice by the protesters whether they be full or part-time.

However, Publicus it suits your agenda so feel happy.

[Publicus]

The Yingluck government transferred a civil government employee which was more than enough for the judges to remove her from the premiership along with nine ministers who voted the transfer. A PM and nine government ministers were removed because one government employee was transferred. To the high judges, the ruling for the government employee by a lower court was not enough. The high court judges had to significantly gorge the government because it had transferred one single government employee.

Now the senate is going to ignore the same laws and the constitution members of the senate petitioned the high judges to use to remove PM Yingluck and the nine ministers. Asean and other foreign governments will note that, if this plan is executed, the rule of law in Thailand is not the rule of law over men, but the rule of men over law.

Anti-Thaksin Protesters Are Thailand’s Tea Partiers

By Lennox Samuels

The Daily Beast

“Democracy is not the issue,” Bangkok Post columnist Voranai Vanijaka tells me.

“This is a rebellion. Suthep would be the first to admit it.”

Suthep has declared that it would not be enough for the prime minister to resign

and call new elections. He wants all trace of the Shinawatra machine

'gone.' He wants an unelected people’s council and an interim prime minister

more acceptable to protesters. That would be followed by some kind of 'reform'

that would make it impossible for the Shinawatras to ever win again.

If this doesn’t sound like democracy, it isn’t. But apparently, that’s not

the point.

'You have to throw away this definition of what democracy is supposed to

be” Voranai tells me. 'This is not about democracy and rule of law, blah,

blah, blah. This is a fight. This is a fight for who’s going to run this

country.This is a fight for the future.'"

http://www.thedailyb...a-partiers.html<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/03/anti-thaksin-protesters-are-thailand-s-tea-partiers.html>

Democracy Now.org

Thai Military Imposes Martial Law

Thailand’s military has imposed martial law after months of anti-government protests. The protesters have blocked elections and called for the ouster of a caretaker government installed after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was removed by a court earlier this month. Soldiers have blocked off streets in the capital Bangkok, and at least 10 TV stations have been ordered to shut down. The army has denied its efforts constitute a coup

http://www.democracy.../headlines#5201

Democracy in a mess in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand

Democratically elected governments in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand were challenged in the streets this year by losers with no respect for the ballot box and no patience for the democratic process.

A common thread in all three disputes was that well-heeled urban elites assumed as a matter, perhaps, of birthright that their ambitions had far more merit than those of their less educated, poorer and usually rural countrymen

The only certainty is that the perilous state of democracy in Egypt, Ukraine and Thailand — where none of the players care to understand that the concept involves a responsibility to be fair and inclusive — will attract global attention again in 2014.

http://o.canada.com/news/democracy-in-a-mess-in-egypt-ukraine-and-Thailand

Economist debate: Democracy

Two big, dynamic middle-income countries where democracy was expected to consolidate, Thailand and Turkey, are now each in severe political crisis as a result of political polarisation and intolerance.

In Thailand, the much-theorised agent of democratic defence and reform, the urban middle class is demanding a kind of "time out" from democracy because its party has lost the last few elections.

http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/1059

Still peddling that YL and clan were removed due to transferring a civil servant. We know the full story. The Supreme Administrative Court rules she and her administration had acted illegally in the transfer and ordered the victim to be reinstated. The Constitution Court then ruled that the reason behind the move was to benefit a member of her family and placing a member of her family in a key role was of benefit to her and her political party. It's the latter bit, breaking the rules for blatant nepotism and self benefit, that got her fired. She herself freely admitted it was a "cabinet" decision, thus implicating all those who signed off to an illegal act.

You might not like the verdicts, but please stop trying to trivialize it. We know the story unlike the overseas readers who get the selective versions certain hacks like to serve up.

You spoil an otherwise constructive and interesting post by such blatant attempts at propaganda and selective history recounts.

Another member of the Shin clan was fined yesterday for illegal insider trading. So many of this family have now been convicted of corruption but still some want to portray it all as politically motivated and persecution.

. "We know the full story."

And whom might "we" be? You and Surachai? You and Surachai and Suthep? You and Surachai and Suthep and Somchai?

The "full story" is in my post that you quoted and then ducked by running off from and into your standard repetitive line.

[Scamper]

The nomination of a prime minister through the Senate seems more and more likely, but will likely be held temporarily in abeyance if there is a breakthrough with the all-party discussions. Obviously, a breakthrough would be most welcome. The important thing is that they are talking. It's too bad that it took so long to happen, but it took the initiative of a non-politician - Prayuth - to make it a reality.

[billd766]

Senate Speaker Surachai Liengboonlertchai; what side of the fence does this man sit?

On the side of the Thai people which is where ALL the politicians should sit.

[Publicus]

Economist debate: Democracy

In Thailand, the much-theorised agent of democratic defence and reform, the urban middle class is demanding a kind of "time out" from democracy because its party has lost the last few elections.

I do wonder who wrote that tripe. It is a totally false claim, as you do not get masses of people demonstrating against a government, by the population, from all walks of life, about losing elections. There has to be a high percentage of disaffection with the running of the country by a sitting administration before such an event can occur. Furthermore, for it to persist for many months requires a lot of sacrifice by the protesters whether they be full or part-time.

However, Publicus it suits your agenda so feel happy.

Thx for the occasion to speak directly to the Bangkok ammart.

The world knows Abhisit and the Democrat Party have betrayed democracy in Thailand by abandoning it to instead yield to and parallel Suthep and his PDRC "seize power" insurrection to include PDRC thugs assaulting innocent voters at the polling stations to invalidate the Feb 2nd general election.

The generals and the armed forces voted in the Feb 2nd election, which is opposite the decision of Abhisit and the Democrat Party not to participate in it.

And congratulations! Your join Abhisit, Suthep, the PDRC by responding to a government you disapprove by destroying an election instead of contesting the election. After a successful election, it would become constitutionally possible to organize a nationally representative constitutional convention whose delegates would themselves be elected from all areas and regions of the country, instead of the Bangkok ammart and elites appointing a "People's Countil" and themselves only installing an exclusive and exclusionary National Assembly which would impose its will on the population as a whole.

No one any time anywhere ever improved democracy by violently assaulting it to dismantle it. Reasonable people in a society immediately dismiss people who violently oppose a legitimately called election because it is obvious such people can never be trusted to conduct an election, no matter the disingenuous promises that the anarchist insurrectionists are good people.

Go to school in this post to do some quick survey reading samples of what the world thinks of Abhisit and the Democrat Party of Thailand:

"It’s just that when it comes to Thai democracy, the ironically named Democrat Party is among the worst practitioners.

"The Democrat Party last won a majority in 1992. Its power base is the Bangkok bourgeoisie, described as “timid, selfish, uncultured, consumerist and without any decent vision of the future of the country” by Cornell University Professor Benedict Anderson. As such, the party finds no support among the rural poor of the nation’s northeast — which is Red Shirt territory — and flounders at the ballot box. But instead of developing manifestos and platforms that could compete for rural votes, the party alienates the heartland electorate further by petulantly calling upon powerful allies — such as the military or judiciary — to undermine its rival."

http://world.time.co...ously-misnamed/

********************************************

"Critics have said the group's name appears to be a misnomer as its opposition to the results of three elections show it is neither populist nor does it want representative democracy.

"Instead, the PAD advocate scrapping the one-man-one-vote system in Thailand, and say only 30 per cent of parliament's members should be directly elected by the people. The remaining 70 per cent should be chosen from various occupations and professions and be appointed, they say."

http://www.aljazeera...2059385189.html

*********************************************

"At the Democracy Monument, in Bangkok’s historic district, tens of thousands of protesters gather nightly to speak of their skepticism of the notion of one person, one vote."

http://www.nytimes.c...gewanted=2&_r=0

***********************************************

"One-person, one-vote democracy may or may not be the best of all possible systems; but it is the one indicated by the Thai Constitution, and the one deserving the respect and support of all decent Thais.

"But the many thousands of angry protesters in Bangkok, the capital city where the anti-government movement is boiling, are not marching for democracy but, in effect, for an end to it.

"They would thus end the system of universal suffrage in place since 1933 and substitute an elitist, authoritarian system."

http://www.japantime...s/#.UyvpoJ2S1dg .

[Stradavarius37]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I for one am happy that the Army is bringing all the children to the table. They won't let them leave without eating all of their vegetables.

and if they don't eat the vegetables there will be no ice cream and the adoption of force feeding

When its the army that actually looks like the reasonable party in the entire mess, you know that politics need a flush and fill.

[Publicus]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I for one am happy that the Army is bringing all the children to the table. They won't let them leave without eating all of their vegetables.

and if they don't eat the vegetables there will be no ice cream and the adoption of force feeding

When its the army that actually looks like the reasonable party in the entire mess, you know that politics need a flush and fill.

The Army gave the country the 2007 coup constitution and the "independent" agencies that are tearing at the country's throat.

And now the Army comes in again to inevitably and invariably make things even worse.

The reverse Midas touch. And you guys actually eat it right up.

[ghazel53]

In the words of "Forrest Gump" "Stupid is, as Stupid Does"...

[MILT]

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Ya know in my opinion ...all this tiptoeing around by the Democrats the EC The Fast and Furious Forty... only points to one thing and we all know what that is... considering this... stating that...it's all hogwash... it looks like a duck...it walks like a duck...why not call it a putsch...and go for lunch? It will not take long for the world to see through this thinly veiled whitewash "in a bid to find a way out of the political impasse" and all the whistleblowers will actually think they helped their country by taking it back farther... It is sad to see so many sheep with the wool pulled so far over their eyes that all they can see are their selfies..."oh look here's one at the Asoke Protest... here's one with the army during the coup...ooops martial law...what are we going to have for lunch...and meanwhile in the back rooms the rabid re-write and additional dis-empowering of the Constitution will take place.. un beknownst and not cared about and two years down the road they will announce the reforms have taken place and not to worry anymore all is well... it really is ToonTown and we are dealing with Roger Rabbit....as I have said from the beginning... reforms were really just a buzz word...just a catchy little over used banner to trot out and hang opposite the picture of the demon of the moment... SIn nam jai will continue to be the basis of corruption the ingrained wattanathum of doing business..... from top to bottom, the indoctrination in place of education, the receding of personal freedoms and the only thing that will slither out under the door are the rights of the people to have a potent say in their own destiny... Where else in the world does the Election Commission have this unbelievable power..? I cannot think of another place where the bean counters have a knife in the pie of every single step of a society's daily breath? I hope that this takeover, this abrogation, this butchering, this tailoring of Democracy is only my opinion and that I can be proved wrong by the noble people of Thailand who refuse to accept what appears to be happening under their feet...

"A senator even suggested soldiers should force the Cabinet members at gunpoint to resign, something that was done by coup-makers. However, this proposal was opposed by many other senators who did not want to see the military's involvement in the appointment of a new PM."

too late..it has happened already the military is 100% involved.

"The appointment would be made with reference to the Constitution and the Senate would give reasons explaining the need for its actions, according to the sources."

I thought the position was to defer to the Constitution and allow it to govern... my bad "refer" to it is good enough...

That's your opinion? Do you get out much? By the way I can name a country USA. Like another poster mentioned good luck you have only your opinion on this matter. Geeesh! You know what they say about opinions? Opinions are like ass..les everybody's got one.

[Asiantravel]

Am I missing something because I thought the idea to try to calm things down was to appoint an independent prime minister to replace the existing caretaker Prime Minister. I interpreted from this that they would be trying to find someone that would have no allegiance to either side.

But I have been reading that one name suggested is Prawit Wongsuwan, who served as defence Minister under Abhisit Vejjajiva's cabinet?

How can they even try to pretend this man is anywhere near being independent?

Edited May 22, 2014 by Asiantravel

[DirtFarmer]

Ya know in my opinion ...all this tiptoeing around by the Democrats the EC The Fast and Furious Forty... only points to one thing and we all know what that is... considering this... stating that...it's all hogwash... it looks like a duck...it walks like a duck...why not call it a putsch...and go for lunch? It will not take long for the world to see through this thinly veiled whitewash "in a bid to find a way out of the political impasse" and all the whistleblowers will actually think they helped their country by taking it back farther... It is sad to see so many sheep with the wool pulled so far over their eyes that all they can see are their selfies..."oh look here's one at the Asoke Protest... here's one with the army during the coup...ooops martial law...what are we going to have for lunch...and meanwhile in the back rooms the rabid re-write and additional dis-empowering of the Constitution will take place.. un beknownst and not cared about and two years down the road they will announce the reforms have taken place and not to worry anymore all is well... it really is ToonTown and we are dealing with Roger Rabbit....as I have said from the beginning... reforms were really just a buzz word...just a catchy little over used banner to trot out and hang opposite the picture of the demon of the moment... SIn nam jai will continue to be the basis of corruption the ingrained wattanathum of doing business..... from top to bottom, the indoctrination in place of education, the receding of personal freedoms and the only thing that will slither out under the door are the rights of the people to have a potent say in their own destiny... Where else in the world does the Election Commission have this unbelievable power..? I cannot think of another place where the bean counters have a knife in the pie of every single step of a society's daily breath? I hope that this takeover, this abrogation, this butchering, this tailoring of Democracy is only my opinion and that I can be proved wrong by the noble people of Thailand who refuse to accept what appears to be happening under their feet...

"A senator even suggested soldiers should force the Cabinet members at gunpoint to resign, something that was done by coup-makers. However, this proposal was opposed by many other senators who did not want to see the military's involvement in the appointment of a new PM."

too late..it has happened already the military is 100% involved.

"The appointment would be made with reference to the Constitution and the Senate would give reasons explaining the need for its actions, according to the sources."

I thought the position was to defer to the Constitution and allow it to govern... my bad "refer" to it is good enough...

THe Army just announced scrapping the Constitution Channel News Asia I guess they will not even reference it now all bets are off.. Fast and Furious Forty are writing their Hineys off

[MrJohnson]

This 'compromise' of appointing a so-called neutral PM is simply kicking the can further down the road. The simmering anger and frustration of the UDD will worsen and nothing of substance will be achieved. In 12-18 months or less this will erupt once again.

Welcome to Thai politics 101 -

Lots of lip service but nothing ever gets done!

Thai politics are going in circles to nowhere!

If you read too much into all the going-ons in Thai politics, you are destined to shorten your life and for what?

At least, the political power brokers all have money to gain at the expense of all non-power-brokers

Democracy? Voting rights? Independent thinking? Freedom of expression and speech? - Please! They all died in this country. These are just tools that they learn to manipulate the masses for their own selfish and personal gains!

Lesson - leave it be because we can't affect changes and Thais won't listen or reason with you!

I have a friend who has been here for over 30 years once told me. Yeah, yeah, yeah! Thai politics is a money grabbing entity that is not pretty! Why fret over it? Look at the good things about Thailand and concentrate on those instead. Re-channel your positive energy into Thai food, culture, travels, women, entertainment. Enrich your life with the positives that this country can offer you but not dwell on the negatives that you have no control over.

Points taken!

Thank you so much for that optimistic post. Excuse me while I just go and slit my wrists!