Nipit: EC should be held accountable for damages for Feb 2 poll fiasco

[webfact]

Nipit: EC should be held accountable for damages for Feb 2 poll fiasco



BANGKOK: -- The Election Commission should be held accountable for the nullification of the February 2 election by the Constitutional Court because if the commission had not staged the election there would not have been any damages, said Mr Nipit Intharasombat, deputy leader of the Democrat party, today.

The EC knew before hand that the election would be nullified and yet it staged the election, said the Democrat, adding that the EC is an independent organization and needs not have to take orders from the government.

“The claim that it was forced to stage the election by the government is unacceptable,” said Mr Nipit.

The Democrat deputy leader noted that the EC should be held accountable for the damages rather than the Yingluck government as the EC should have taken the case to the Constitutional Court to decide instead of staging the poll and putting the blame on the Yingluck government.

He predicted that the EC would not dare to take the case to the court to demand 3 billion baht in compensation from the Yingluck government and the case would be left to rest.

(Photo : Thai PBS File)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nipit-ec-held-accountable-damages-feb-2-poll-fiasco

-- Thai PBS 2014-12-22

[chotthee]

Ask Yingluck to pay up, not EC.

[smutcakes]

The hunt is on for the 3 billion

[ChrisY1]

Oh goodness me.....nothing happeing here...move on...

[sjaak327]

This really takes the cake. The elections were mandated by the constitution, if anybody should be held accountable, it would be the people sabotaging it. But I guess that would hit to close to home for the "democrats".

[Mango Bob]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

[rubl]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

Edited December 22, 2014 by rubl

[sjaak327]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

And so they should be, as they apparently aren't up to one of their main tasks, which is holding elections.

Edited December 22, 2014 by sjaak327

[tbthailand]

The Election Commission should be held accountable for the nullification of the February 2 election by the Constitutional Court because if the commission had not staged the election there would not have been any damages, said Mr Nipit Intharasombat, deputy leader of the Democrat party, today.

alright, is this not the most twisted possible reasoning?

The 'election commission', tasked with running elections, should be accountable for the nullification of the election - nullified by a court - because the election commission held the election.

If they had only not done the tasks for which they were conceived, ....

[FangFerang]

They did not nullify the election, they did not postpone the election, they did not not do their duty, nor not not allow the election to be bilked;therefore, they cannot not be held accountable for what they did not do.

Pick a side, go ahead. Let the comedy of errors continue.

[candide]

This is a joke! The same political side that illegally blocked elections is pointing at others and claiming for justice.

[Jackson86]

The EC need not take orders from government???? What is he talking about ???

[rickirs]

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

Ask Yingluck to pay up, not EC.

Ask the PDRC/Demoracts to pay up, not the Yingluck administration. They are the ones who illegally in violation to the constitution blocked voter access on election day, forcing the EC to hold additional elections later for those polls to give provide those voters their rights under the constitution.

[smutcakes]

Was this the election which the courts annulled because all voting did not take place on the same day? That wonderful, fair and sensible decision, which in no way will come back to bite them in the ass in the future.

[Prbkk]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

As I recall it, Yingluck asked the army a number of times for assistance in dealing with the ferals. It was not forthcoming.

[smutcakes]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

As I recall it, Yingluck asked the army a number of times for assistance in dealing with the ferals. It was not forthcoming.

Did the courts also not pass a decision that the blocking of main intersections in the city center was legal?

[rickirs]

In establishing an election day the Yingluck government was complying with the Constitution and asked the EC to also comply.

Under the 2007 Constitution, Article 108 – In the case of dissolution of the House of Representatives, the day for a new general election must be fixed for not less than 45 days but not more than 60 days as from the day the House of Representatives has been dissolved.

On December 9, 2013 Yingluck dissolved the House of Parliament and called for new elections. Thus, in accordance to the Constitution, general elections would be REQUIRED to be held on January 23-February 6, 2014. They were held on February 2 with advanced voting two weeks prior to that date at makeshift poll locations.

HOWEVER, the EC claimed it feared the PDRC will disrupt the elections and as such it was not ready to conduct the elections until much later such as August 2014. The issue went to the Constitutional Court who ruled that a postponement of the election was lawful under the country’s constitution. The Court’s logic was that the Constitution “does not absolutely mandate that the election day cannot be rescheduled.”

So somehow “must be fixed” is not an absolute statement. This is a bizarre decision but not completely illogical when you consider that the Constitutional Court judges (one exception due to retirement) were originally appointed by the previous Junta. Even with a favorable ruling, the EC AGREED with the government to hold the elections on February 2, 2014. The Court's decision did not mandate a delay in the elections, just permitted a delay.

How is either the Yingluck administration or the EC liable for scheduling elections on February 2, 2014?

[Baerboxer]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

As I recall it, Yingluck asked the army a number of times for assistance in dealing with the ferals. It was not forthcoming.

Why didn't she ask the police? It was their job not the army's.

The Shins had filled all the key posts and senior roles in the police with their cronies and family members. Should have been easy, one phone call.

[candide]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

As I recall it, Yingluck asked the army a number of times for assistance in dealing with the ferals. It was not forthcoming.

Why didn't she ask the police? It was their job not the army's.

The Shins had filled all the key posts and senior roles in the police with their cronies and family members. Should have been easy, one phone call.

My feeling is that they feared that, in case of violent clashes between the police and protesters, the army would stage a coup to establish order.

[rubl]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

As I recall it, Yingluck asked the army a number of times for assistance in dealing with the ferals. It was not forthcoming.

Was the Police Force not functioning ?

BTW how would it look if a government uses the Army to be able to have an election? Wouldn't voters be intimidated?

[Alwyn]

Ask Yingluck to pay up, not EC.

Why? Why not tell Suthep and his cronies to pay up, they stopped it

[cocopops]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

As I recall it, Yingluck asked the army a number of times for assistance in dealing with the ferals. It was not forthcoming.

Was the Police Force not functioning ?

BTW how would it look if a government uses the Army to be able to have an election? Wouldn't voters be intimidated?

Remember Khun Suthep spent his first month on stage vilifying the police. A handful of unarmed plain-clothes police officers were even apprehended and beaten by his security guards this time last year. As a result using the police for anything at all during the entire crisis would almost certainly have provoked more violence than it prevented. He was clever in that respect.

Few will acknowledge it, and many that do will doubtless find some nefarious motive to attribute it to, but it really is to the previous government's credit that they recognized a dangerous situation and chose to avoid it.

[whybother]

Remember Khun Suthep spent his first month on stage vilifying the police. A handful of unarmed plain-clothes police officers were even apprehended and beaten by his security guards this time last year. As a result using the police for anything at all during the entire crisis would almost certainly have provoked more violence than it prevented. He was clever in that respect.

Few will acknowledge it, and many that do will doubtless find some nefarious motive to attribute it to, but it really is to the previous government's credit that they recognized a dangerous situation and chose to avoid it.

Criminals are going to love that. The police will stay away just in case things get difficult for them!

[lildragon]

The whole country wanted Yingluck and PTP out (so we were told by the PDRC anyway). As per the constitution an election was to be held and the Thai people were to decide whether she stayed or not.

Wasn't how it went though eh? The people (and no I don't mean the reds, I mean every Thai) were robbed of their vote. Sling all the mud at the shins you want, lord knows they deserve it, but it was the people that lost out AGAIN.

Edited December 23, 2014 by lildragon

[tomacht8]

Is the current situation better than before?
The more referendums and elections take place within a Society; the better.

[JAG]

How about hitting up on Suthep and the mad monk to pay up their share along with the Army and Police who stood by and let it happen.

With many posters having told me a government shouldn't use its army if it has a functioning police force, I don't think you should include the army here.

Anyway, didn't Pheu Thai already threaten or actually sue the EC when they asked permission to postpone the elections? That would mean that one way or another they're screwed.

As I recall it, Yingluck asked the army a number of times for assistance in dealing with the ferals. It was not forthcoming.

Why didn't she ask the police? It was their job not the army's.

The Shins had filled all the key posts and senior roles in the police with their cronies and family members. Should have been easy, one phone call.

because the Police, never the most courageous of organisations in Thailand,knew full well that any effective intervention on their part would result in the Army, (who had made their position as regards the Yellow gangs quite clear), coming after them with a vengeance. They wern't up for the fight, they knew they would lose.