Reform panel favours stripping EC of power to issue red and yellow cards

[webfact]

Reform panel favours stripping EC of power to issue red and yellow cards



BANGKOK: -- The legal reform committee of the National Reform Council has resolved to strip the power of the Election Commission in issuing yellow and red cards to candidates who cheat in an election, said chairman of the panel, Mr Seri Suwanpanont on Wednesday.

He disclosed that the panel was in favour of empowering the court of law to issue yellow and red cards and retaining the power of the Election Commission in staging elections and in investigating election cheats and submitting its findings to the court to make the judgements.

Staging elections, investigating election frauds and having the powers to issue yellow and red cards by the EC will make this independent organization too powerful, said Mr Seri.

The panel, he said, believes that previous political conflicts were partly attributable to the EC’s judgements which were deemed as unfair or double-standard.

The panel also resolved to maintain the number of EC at five and their term in office is six years and EC members can be in the office for just one term.

As for the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr Seri said the panel resolved to maintain the number of NACC at nine but their term is to be shortened from nine to six and they will be authorized to consider the criminal aspect of corruption cases of government officials and politicians.

(Photo : Thai PBS File)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/reform-panel-favours-stripping-ec-power-issue-red-yellow-cards


-- Thai PBS 2014-12-10

[Chang_paarp]

So the politicians who are proposing the new constitution are not happy with the electoral commission making them actually follow the rules of the election.

[whybother]

Staging elections, investigating election frauds and having the powers to issue yellow and red cards by the EC will make this independent organization too powerful, said Mr Seri.

Lets put all the power in the hands of the courts instead.

The panel, he said, believes that previous political conflicts were partly attributable to the EC’s judgements which were deemed as unfair or double-standard.

The courts *never* give judgements that are seen as unfair or double-standard, do they?

[Boxclever]

Soon it will be impossible to hold free democratic elections. They aim to have future elections under total control of the Junta, guess who will win?

[worgeordie]

If its left to the Courts to decide,the judgment will just go on and on,

with appeals going from one court to the other.

regards Worgeordie

[whybother]

Soon it will be impossible to hold free democratic elections. They aim to have future elections under total control of the Junta, guess who will win?

I'm not sure how this will make any difference to free elections being held.

[Roadman]

Staging elections, investigating election frauds and having the powers to issue yellow and red cards by the EC will make this independent organization too powerful, said Mr Seri.

Lets put all the power in the hands of the courts instead.

The panel, he said, believes that previous political conflicts were partly attributable to the ECs judgements which were deemed as unfair or double-standard.

The courts *never* give judgements that are seen as unfair or double-standard, do they?

I think it was pretty obvious that the EC were well out of their zone with their last mishandling of Yingluck's calls for elections. And as much as I wanted to see her and her family gone the incompetence of the EC in the handling of the whole process was a blight. They were absolutely incompetent and it you read their web site it would seem well outside the level of their authority.

Granted the courts as they currently sit make stuff ups but that is where such rulings and judgements are made in democratic countries and the NRC is making the right call to have the Thai courts rule. Part of the reform is also of the judiciary so one should be working on the theory that if all reforms are brought to bear then the Thai courts making poor judgements should lessen.

[Roadman]

Also agree with the NACC being given clear powers to deal with politicial corruption. And keep nominees to the NACC clear of politicial Persuasion. They are one of the few Thai watch dogs that have a clean record.

[tbthailand]

Staging elections, investigating election frauds and having the powers to issue yellow and red cards by the EC will make this independent organization too powerful, said Mr Seri.

or is it because the politicized courts are more reliable at doing the 'right thing'?

[candide]

Well, if the EC would focus on organising elections rather than trying to prevent them to occur, that would be a good start

[Bakseeda]

Soon it will be impossible to hold free democratic elections. They aim to have future elections under total control of the Junta, guess who will win?

Soon it WILL be possible to hold free democratic elections ..... That's the whole point... It has never been possible before in Thailand to hold free and fair elections, and why there is a "reform committee " . Stop spouting such negative thoughts .

[Bakseeda]

DOUBLE POST ...

Edited December 10, 2014 by Bakseeda

[bangrak]

Take it away from the EC, but give it to the NACC then, IMO! With the Courts, appeals aso, every suspected 40years old politician will be long dead before any definitive ruling comes out, but that is probably the goal of this this crooked attempt...

P.S.: the sound of the words: FREE, FAIR and HONEST elections, must have the same effect on Thai politicians, of any/every colour and party, as: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, on vampires (in a Holywood 'B' comedy).

[bangrak]

Soon it will be impossible to hold free democratic elections. They aim to have future elections under total control of the Junta, guess who will win?

Soon it WILL be possible to hold free democratic elections ..... That's the whole point... It has never been possible before in Thailand to hold free and fair elections, and why there is a "reform committee " . Stop spouting such negative thoughts .

You just missed, the real, Santa Claus, on December 6th, but don't worry, Father Christmas will come along on the 25th!

(Who are the members of the 'reform committee'? Yeah, right...)

[matta330]

So wait, do the red shirts get red cards and the yellow shirts get yellow cards? Surely, they aren't officially using soccer terms?

[Eric Loh]

That is a strong condemnation of the EC by the chairman of the NRC and acknowledgement that the EC was key part of the months of political instability, economic meltdown and precursor of the coup. Someone should slap charges on the EC for malfeasance, corruption and the economic loses.

[retarius]

The EC and CC are institutions that, like the police, don't work. They are partisan, corrupt and politically tainted. The EC blocked payments to farmers after Yingluck called the election simply to turn up the pressure on her and turn her core vote against her....this is partisan behavior. If we are to have such institutions to be overtly political, as they are, then they should be voted into their positions, not appointed.

[rickirs]

Anything to reign in the EC would be an improvement. It showed itself incapable of complying with the 2007 Constitution to hold elections within 60 days of the dissolution of parliament in 2013 and tried to require unconstitutional procedures to delay elections such as telling the Yingluck regime that it needed a decree to schedule elections; the Court overruled the EC.

The EC used inconsistent policies and inadequate voting poll access in the Feb. 2014 election that led directly to the Court to invalidate the whole election. Except for one new member the balance of members were appointed by the 2006 coup through a coup-controlled government. Every member needs to be replaced when the new constitution and elected government are in place.

[whybother]

The EC and CC are institutions that, like the police, don't work. They are partisan, corrupt and politically tainted. The EC blocked payments to farmers after Yingluck called the election simply to turn up the pressure on her and turn her core vote against her....this is partisan behavior. If we are to have such institutions to be overtly political, as they are, then they should be voted into their positions, not appointed.

Actually, the EC blocked payments to the farmers because a caretaker government is not allowed to make new spending commitments while in caretaker mode.

Ahh, but who cares about the law, right?

[whybother]

Anything to reign in the EC would be an improvement. It showed itself incapable of complying with the 2007 Constitution to hold elections within 60 days of the dissolution of parliament in 2013 and tried to require unconstitutional procedures to delay elections such as telling the Yingluck regime that it needed a decree to schedule elections; the Court overruled the EC.

The EC used inconsistent policies and inadequate voting poll access in the Feb. 2014 election that led directly to the Court to invalidate the whole election. Except for one new member the balance of members were appointed by the 2006 coup through a coup-controlled government. Every member needs to be replaced when the new constitution and elected government are in place.

"It showed itself incapable of complying with the 2007 Constitution to hold elections within 60 days of the dissolution of parliament "

Weren't elections held within 60 days of dissolution?

[slapout]

Most likely another individual is responsible for this" fly in the soup" deu to some past loss of face, montary hit, wheather real or imagined by some friend/aquaintance or of someone known or remembered by the individual or someone in their near/extended family. Or it coul just be a brand new dream he/she had on how to get noticed for the space being covered by his.her arse.

This whole reform procedure is being handled like the bowel movements of a patient in a hospital. daily write up by a nurse (gopher) and be sure and include physical discription, sniff test and swirl with a chop stick.Then sell paper to recycle man shit and all.