I believe if General Prayuth waited just more few months and calls for elections with him candidate for a new party, probably he will win...Not better candidate in sight. But...soldiers only take calculated risk....and he comes to stay...No doubts about...

A 'candidate' requires some poor hapless sod has put himself forward as a contender as an alternative, the likelihood/permissibility of which is zero to nada.

Interesting that the subject line uses the words "Prayuth" and "Voted" in the same sentence. Recent events have shown the two words to be contradictions.

In any case, what difference does it make who the PM is? Mere window dressing, or a veneer of decency. The dodgy new constitution ensures that the NCPO (Prayuth) get the final say no matter what.

'dodgy'?

May I remind you that the interim constitution is the law of the land, with H.M. the King graciously pleased to proclaim it?

And was it voted in by the people?

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"If Gen. Prayuth does not take the office, he will still maintain supreme power over the interim government. Article 44 of the provisional constitution grants the NCPO chairman sweeping power to "order, suspend, or take action regardless of its effect on the legislative, executive, or the judiciary.""

What is the point in even having this charade of an appointed parliament, if the military can overrule it whenever they want?

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Isn't it also made clear already that he will have overruling power over the government that is supposed to be elected late next year ?

Why not.

All Thai love and support the great supreme leader Gen Pruyuth.

Are you Thai?

no. i am isan

isan is not Thai ? Well dammit, all world maps are wrong, Isan is a seperate country now is it ? Let's all change every map to say so. ( This is sarcasm by the way ). We know that a lot of you red shitrs want it to be seperate so you can have your own little happy 'Thaksinland' but that is never going to happen.

A great many people in Isan are not red shirt Thaksin fan boys you know, even less so today than 3 months ago. Get over it. The general has done a lot of good for the country and right now IS the best candidate regardless of anything else, he has lead well and shown by his actions and has a proven track record of results thus far. This is how a politician should act - for the good of his country and its people at large, not self serving himself and his friends like the majority of so called 'politicians'' seem to do here. You can criticize all you want but the majority have seen for themselves, you can say ''oh but the press is so biased'' so go and see the results for yourself. Thailand is far better off right now than it has been in at least the last 15 years and has a genuine chance to see real improvements if they keep it going the way it has. Let's hope it stays the course under PM Prayuth's short term premiership and we can all come out the other side with a positive experience and a better country for it. So far so good.

Interesting thread title.

I wasn't aware that these days the result of a voting is made public 3 days ahead of the voting. You learn something new everyday.

It's kind of like being Thaksin's sister and being number one on the party list, you can't lose.

Would I be right in saying that Ms Yinluck was to be the PM well before the last Thaksin controlled election was run and probably decided on even before she was advised of the fact.

This is a non-event. Gen Prayuth already has absolute power to do almost whatever he wants. This includes sacking any PM elected.

There are no political parties, no political gatherings, a single candidate, and the result of a unanimous uncontested vote by unelected appointees for the appointment of General Prayuth to the position of PM., all of this three days before the election is held.

The opinion polls are overwhelmingly in favor of this. It must be good. This leaves me with an overwhelming sense of happiness and a stark lack of divisiveness. I look forward to continuing down the enlightened path towards sustainable development under the direction of General Prayuth.

As RR would say... Yeaaaaaaaaa!

ooooooooh, I'm sitting on pins and needles

"Under the junta-drafted 2014 charter, the NLA will act as the country's legislative body until a new general election is expected to be held at the end of 2015. The members of the assembly were handpicked by Thailand’s military junta, which has reserved supreme power over the the interim government."

and

"Article 20 of the 2014 interim charter states that the new Prime Minister must be Thai, older than 40 years of age, and not a member of any political party in the past three years. The charter does not forbid active military officers from being appointed Prime Minister, but it does bar judges, attorneys-general, Election Commissioners, state treasury auditors, and National Human Rights Commissioners from taking the premiership."

really leaves us only one choice, right?

post #2 mentioned 3 days in advance, but it was more like 3 months in advance.

Article 20 forgot to add camel herders to the banned list, but probably doesn't really matter I guess as the only likely camel herder who would consider himself capable wouldn't have the intestinal fortitude to even consider being in the country any time in the distant future.

Interesting that the subject line uses the words "Prayuth" and "Voted" in the same sentence. Recent events have shown the two words to be contradictions.

In any case, what difference does it make who the PM is? Mere window dressing, or a veneer of decency. The dodgy new constitution ensures that the NCPO (Prayuth) get the final say no matter what.

'dodgy'?

May I remind you that the interim constitution is the law of the land, with H.M. the King graciously pleased to proclaim it?

And was it voted in by the people?

Interim constitutions don't necessarily need to be voted upon if they receive Royal Assent by the Head of State. We can expect a plebiscite on the final draft constitution later.

Interesting that the subject line uses the words "Prayuth" and "Voted" in the same sentence. Recent events have shown the two words to be contradictions.

In any case, what difference does it make who the PM is? Mere window dressing, or a veneer of decency. The dodgy new constitution ensures that the NCPO (Prayuth) get the final say no matter what.

'dodgy'?

May I remind you that the interim constitution is the law of the land, with H.M. the King graciously pleased to proclaim it?

And was it voted in by the people?

Interim constitutions don't necessarily need to be voted upon if they receive Royal Assent by the Head of State. We can expect a plebiscite on the final draft constitution later.

No constitution needs to be voted on if it is imposed on the people at gunpoint by a military dictator. Hasn't Prayuth already said that there will be no vote on the final constitution?

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What is the point in even having this charade of an appointed parliament, if the military can overrule it whenever they want?

The point may be that the NCPO is not a government. It is an emergency management measure endorsed by The Head of State to establish peace and order under a state of emergency. The next phase will be to transition the management of the country back to a framework that resembles a functioning government. Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from jeopardizing the nation and its institutions ever again.

For a road-map follow Suthep's speeches on YouTube. He detailed everything succinctly.

And was it voted in by the people?

Interim constitutions don't necessarily need to be voted upon if they receive Royal Assent by the Head of State. We can expect a plebiscite on the final draft constitution later.

No constitution needs to be voted on if it is imposed on the people at gunpoint by a military dictator. Hasn't Prayuth already said that there will be no vote on the final constitution?

If he did say there would be no vote on a new constitution I missed it. Not that it would surprise me if there were to be no vote. Constitutional law is way over the head of most rural Thai voters who cannot even be trusted to vote in general elections without voting for the wrong party and bad populist policies.

Congratulations on being elected to the post. We are happy and we love you " dear leader "

Sounds like a win win situation for mr general prayuth

Congratulations on being elected to the post. We are happy and we love you " dear leader "

I am sure he will be glad of your support when he reads your post.

"The Egyptian military, backed by the people, preserved their nation, countered the Muslim Brotherhood's insurgent coup, and reclaimed their country."

They also killed over 1000 protesters, sentenced hundreds of others to death, have been accused of crimes against humanity, etc. But they're better than an elected government, right?

More like 'better than the government they replaced'.

Really? Please explain.

Stop trolling around.

Even you should understand that in the context of Egypt there is a difference between saying "better than the government they replaced" than just a general "better than an elected government, right?"

You stated "More like 'better than the government they replaced'.", which suggests that a military government killing over a thousand protesters and using the judiciary to sentence hundreds of others to death is better than the government they toppled in a coup. Now if your intent was to disagree with my choice of words, you should have chosen your words better.

But it isn't pertinent to this topic, the circumstances in Egypt were, and still are, very different from Thailand.

I'm sure he'll beat the hell out of any other past corrupt incompetent buffoon of a politician.

If that was the case he'd let them run against him to show the people how loved he is

Doing the right thing doesn't always make you popular.

Mind you, that's no reason not to do what needs to be done. Gen. Prayuth is not in this as a popularity contest.

Nope he isn't, and since he has guns, he doesn't need it anyway. Whether he is doing the right thing is very debatable of course, let alone the way he tries to do the right thing.

What a surprise that the NLA will vote for Prayuth on the 21st. !

I am sure many democratic nations the world over will congratulate him by this wonderful and surprising achievement.

What is the point in even having this charade of an appointed parliament, if the military can overrule it whenever they want?

The point may be that the NCPO is not a government. It is an emergency management measure endorsed by The Head of State to establish peace and order under a state of emergency. The next phase will be to transition the management of the country back to a framework that resembles a functioning government. Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from jeopardizing the nation and its institutions ever again.

For a road-map follow Suthep's speeches on YouTube. He detailed everything succinctly.

The NCPO runs the country. Therefore it is a government. Please drop the doublespeak (is it still legal to use that word I wonder, now that people are getting arrested for reading 1984).

Maybe the last sentence of your second paragraph should read, "Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from having any power, which will permanently reside in the hands of unelected "good people" who are accountable to no-one but each other".

And LOL I thought the party line was that the junta was officially neutral and had nothing to do with Suthep, whatever he may have said about planning the whole thing before Yingluck even won the election.

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Interesting that the subject line uses the words "Prayuth" and "Voted" in the same sentence. Recent events have shown the two words to be contradictions.

In any case, what difference does it make who the PM is? Mere window dressing, or a veneer of decency. The dodgy new constitution ensures that the NCPO (Prayuth) get the final say no matter what.

'dodgy'?

May I remind you that the interim constitution is the law of the land, with H.M. the King graciously pleased to proclaim it?

Ahaaa - you'll be accusing me of LM next. That's the favourite backstop for the yellow lot when they run out of things to say.

Can't you do better than that?

What nasty suspicious mind you display, tha net.

I would be sorry to see you depart prematurely. I feared you might have missed the first topic in this forum, or had forgotten about it. As Dutch uncle with free and not always wanted or appreciated advise I felt the need to remind you.

If that was the case he'd let them run against him to show the people how loved he is

Doing the right thing doesn't always make you popular.

Mind you, that's no reason not to do what needs to be done. Gen. Prayuth is not in this as a popularity contest.

I don't know what his agenda is, it seems to be the PM job but hey-ho, maybe it will be better, time will tell. I just don't know why the facade of "voting" on 21st? Nobody can enter for it and he's telling everybody to vote for him so what's the point of having votes? Just get on with it. Assad did the same every few years, election time but he was the only runner! Anyway, we can all guess at what the outcome will be - who knows he might get into bed with Thaksin.

His agenda? You mean you don't know? tjeez, the poor chap is on life television for hours every day. Don't you watch television?

Anyway the voting is not a façade, but according to the interim constitution

"Section 19. The King appoints the Prime Minister in accordance with the resolution of the National Legislative Assembly and not more than thirty-five other Ministers as recommended by the Prime Minister to constitute the Council of Ministers having the duties to carry out the administration of State affairs, to conduct reformation in all aspects and to strengthen unification and harmonization of Thai people."

Don't you love the quoted section 19 of the interim constitution Rubl ?

I like the buz words and marketing talk. Especially the "strengthen unification and harmonization of Thai people"

Unfortunately the subjects being unified and harmonized have absolutely no say in the matter.

His agenda? You mean you don't know? tjeez, the poor chap is on life television for hours every day. Don't you watch television?

Anyway the voting is not a façade, but according to the interim constitution

"Section 19. The King appoints the Prime Minister in accordance with the resolution of the National Legislative Assembly and not more than thirty-five other Ministers as recommended by the Prime Minister to constitute the Council of Ministers having the duties to carry out the administration of State affairs, to conduct reformation in all aspects and to strengthen unification and harmonization of Thai people."

As if the constitution makes a jot of difference to the outcome.

Well, on that we can agree. The constitution doesn't name people, only list the requirements and restrictions they are bound to. The NLA provides a resolution which H.M. the King may or may not accept. Just read the interim constitution. It's in there.

Egypt

Absolutely spot on. Once 'legitimacy' is obtained then you can start arresting journalists and have mass trials.

Interesting that the subject line uses the words "Prayuth" and "Voted" in the same sentence. Recent events have shown the two words to be contradictions.

In any case, what difference does it make who the PM is? Mere window dressing, or a veneer of decency. The dodgy new constitution ensures that the NCPO (Prayuth) get the final say no matter what.

'dodgy'?

May I remind you that the interim constitution is the law of the land, with H.M. the King graciously pleased to proclaim it?

Ahaaa - you'll be accusing me of LM next. That's the favourite backstop for the yellow lot when they run out of things to say.

Can't you do better than that?

Actually, abolishing the constitution (in which the position of the head of state is described) would in itself be LM.

Interesting that the subject line uses the words "Prayuth" and "Voted" in the same sentence. Recent events have shown the two words to be contradictions.

In any case, what difference does it make who the PM is? Mere window dressing, or a veneer of decency. The dodgy new constitution ensures that the NCPO (Prayuth) get the final say no matter what.

'dodgy'?

May I remind you that the interim constitution is the law of the land, with H.M. the King graciously pleased to proclaim it?

planning to report him for LM?

A taxi driver was recently convicted for less.

Tjeez, you're not much better than tha net with your nasty suspicions. Actually you're worse suggesting I might plan to report him.

I feared Thany had either missed the first topic or forgotten about it and I just wanted to remind him. Of course I could have send him a PM, but as Dutch uncle my free and at times unwanted and/or unappreciated advise is free to everyone.

In words you might understand more easily, "chill out, man"

And was it voted in by the people?

Interim constitutions don't necessarily need to be voted upon if they receive Royal Assent by the Head of State. We can expect a plebiscite on the final draft constitution later.

No constitution needs to be voted on if it is imposed on the people at gunpoint by a military dictator. Hasn't Prayuth already said that there will be no vote on the final constitution?

If he did say there would be no vote on a new constitution I missed it. Not that it would surprise me if there were to be no vote. Constitutional law is way over the head of most rural Thai voters who cannot even be trusted to vote in general elections without voting for the wrong party and bad populist policies.

More of this "too stupid to vote" yellow BS. I made many trips to Isan over the past 3 years, and the economy has really taken off there. True, maybe the rice scheme could have been done better. But it put money into the hands of the farmers, who could then spend it in the towns, creating jobs there too. Not such a "bad" policy.

Going back in time to another "red" party, look at the 30 baht healthcare scheme.

Maybe there was corruption, but what was the other side if not more corrupt? Is it "stupid" not to want to see your tax dollars disappear down to Bangkok to be spent on "good people", never to return. Furthermore, if a party loses election after election, but instead of reinventing themselves, they rely on undemocratic means (contrary to their name) to get back into power, then does that not make them beneath contempt?

From the perspective of a rural Thai voter, who is the "wrong" party?

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'dodgy'?

May I remind you that the interim constitution is the law of the land, with H.M. the King graciously pleased to proclaim it?

Ahaaa - you'll be accusing me of LM next. That's the favourite backstop for the yellow lot when they run out of things to say.

Can't you do better than that?

Actually, abolishing the constitution (in which the position of the head of state is described) would in itself be LM.

Well, thank you for your professional opinion on this legal matter. Pray tell, what details may one find in the description of the Martial Law ?

On 20 May 2014, in what is described as a partial repeal of the 2007 constitution, Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army, invoked the Act proclaimed 27 August 2457 B.E. (A.D. 1914) as part of the administrative reforms of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) entitled Martial Law, B.E. 2457 (1914) (as amended in 1942, 1944, 1959, and 1972.)

'dodgy'?

May I remind you that the interim constitution is the law of the land, with H.M. the King graciously pleased to proclaim it?

Ahaaa - you'll be accusing me of LM next. That's the favourite backstop for the yellow lot when they run out of things to say.

Can't you do better than that?

Actually, abolishing the constitution (in which the position of the head of state is described) would in itself be LM.

Well, thank you for your professional opinion on this legal matter. Pray tell, what details may one find in the description of the Martial Law ?

On 20 May 2014, in what is described as a partial repeal of the 2007 constitution, Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army, invoked the Act proclaimed 27 August 2457 B.E. (A.D. 1914) as part of the administrative reforms of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) entitled Martial Law, B.E. 2457 (1914) (as amended in 1942, 1944, 1959, and 1972.)

I wasn't taking about a legal matter of course. Are you suggesting that the abolishing of the 1997 constitution was legal, or is it just a case of laws being changed to make it legal retroactively ?

What is the point in even having this charade of an appointed parliament, if the military can overrule it whenever they want?

The point may be that the NCPO is not a government. It is an emergency management measure endorsed by The Head of State to establish peace and order under a state of emergency. The next phase will be to transition the management of the country back to a framework that resembles a functioning government. Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from jeopardizing the nation and its institutions ever again.

For a road-map follow Suthep's speeches on YouTube. He detailed everything succinctly.

The NCPO runs the country. Therefore it is a government. Please drop the doublespeak (is it still legal to use that word I wonder, now that people are getting arrested for reading 1984).

Maybe the last sentence of your second paragraph should read, "Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from having any power, which will permanently reside in the hands of unelected "good people" who are accountable to no-one but each other".

And LOL I thought the party line was that the junta was officially neutral and had nothing to do with Suthep, whatever he may have said about planning the whole thing before Yingluck even won the election.

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from the point Suthep began his protests and the 'reform before elections' mantra, it was clear that a coup was the end-game since there was not constitutional mechanism to do what he described. The constitution clearly called for elections, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Sure, Suthep says that he chatted on Line with the General, but that clearly did not actually happen because the General says so, I mean because the general was the head of the security forces responsible for upholding the law, so it is not possible that he coordinated with Suthep.

What is the point in even having this charade of an appointed parliament, if the military can overrule it whenever they want?

The point may be that the NCPO is not a government. It is an emergency management measure endorsed by The Head of State to establish peace and order under a state of emergency. The next phase will be to transition the management of the country back to a framework that resembles a functioning government. Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from jeopardizing the nation and its institutions ever again.

For a road-map follow Suthep's speeches on YouTube. He detailed everything succinctly.

The NCPO runs the country. Therefore it is a government. Please drop the doublespeak (is it still legal to use that word I wonder, now that people are getting arrested for reading 1984).

Maybe the last sentence of your second paragraph should read, "Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from having any power, which will permanently reside in the hands of unelected "good people" who are accountable to no-one but each other".

And LOL I thought the party line was that the junta was officially neutral and had nothing to do with Suthep, whatever he may have said about planning the whole thing before Yingluck even won the election.

"The NCPO runs the country. Therefore it is a government."

Yes, it is at the moment the only government Thailand has. By design it is a temporary measure brought on by the state of emergency. A proper government framework with all the window dressings needs to be implemented. This is not only for it to function in the long term but also for appearances sake. The polls indicate the Thai public overwhelmingly support Gen. Prayuth for the position of PM. I can't argue with the polls. He will be elected by a unanimous landslide victory.

"Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from having any power, which will permanently reside in the hands of unelected "good people" who are accountable to no-one but each other".

You left out the most important part of my original statement; "jeopardizing the nation and its institutions". Do a little research on the Finland incident to find out why.

You are wrong to say that these good people are accountable to no one but themselves. Most of them are or will be military or former military and if you were to ask any one of them they will tell you where their allegiances lie.

"I thought the party line was that the junta was officially neutral and had nothing to do with Suthep"

So far they are sticking to the script.

What is the point in even having this charade of an appointed parliament, if the military can overrule it whenever they want?

The point may be that the NCPO is not a government. It is an emergency management measure endorsed by The Head of State to establish peace and order under a state of emergency. The next phase will be to transition the management of the country back to a framework that resembles a functioning government. Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from jeopardizing the nation and its institutions ever again.

For a road-map follow Suthep's speeches on YouTube. He detailed everything succinctly.

The NCPO runs the country. Therefore it is a government. Please drop the doublespeak (is it still legal to use that word I wonder, now that people are getting arrested for reading 1984).

Maybe the last sentence of your second paragraph should read, "Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from having any power, which will permanently reside in the hands of unelected "good people" who are accountable to no-one but each other".

And LOL I thought the party line was that the junta was officially neutral and had nothing to do with Suthep, whatever he may have said about planning the whole thing before Yingluck even won the election.

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from the point Suthep began his protests and the 'reform before elections' mantra, it was clear that a coup was the end-game since there was not constitutional mechanism to do what he described. The constitution clearly called for elections, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Sure, Suthep says that he chatted on Line with the General, but that clearly did not actually happen because the General says so, I mean because the general was the head of the security forces responsible for upholding the law, so it is not possible that he coordinated with Suthep.

Like Like Like!

For a moment, I thought your post wasn't a joke, since a lot of what the yellows write on this forum is so ludicrous it is indistinguishable from satire.

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"The NCPO runs the country. Therefore it is a government."

Yes, It is at the moment the only government Thailand has. By design it is a temporary measure brought on by the state of emergency. A proper government framework with all the window dressings needs to be implemented. This is not only for it to function in the long term but also for appearances sake. The polls indicate the Thai public overwhelmingly support Gen. Prayuth for the position of PM. I can't argue with the polls. He will be elected by a unanimous landslide victory.

"Elections can then be held under a new constitution which will prohibit any future elected government from having any power, which will permanently reside in the hands of unelected "good people" who are accountable to no-one but each other".

You left out the most important part of my original statement; "jeopardizing the nation and its institutions". Do a little research on the Finland incident to find out why.

You are wrong to say that these good people are accountable to no one but themselves. Most of them are or will be military or former military and if you were to ask any one of them they will tell you where their allegiance lies.

"I thought the party line was that the junta was officially neutral and had nothing to do with Suthep"

So far they are sticking to the script.

"He will be elected by a unanimous landslide victory"

Yeah I am sure he will be, unfortunately apart from 200 members of the NLA, appointed by the military, no other Thai will have any say in the matter. Not to mention there probably are no other candidates. For landlside victories obtained from the Thai electorate, one must look elsewhere.