Poll reveals 63.36% say Thai PM must be elected

[webfact]

Poll reveals 63.36% say PM must be elected

BANGKOK 30 DECEMBER 2014 A poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration, also known as the “NIDA poll” has found that 63.36% of the respondents say the Prime Minister must be directly elected by the populace.

According to the “NIDA poll,” 70.74% of respondents agreed with the statement: “There should be 450 members in the House of Representatives, 250 of whom come from district representation and the other 200 from proportional representation.”

66.37% of respondents agreed with the statement: “Proportional representation should be subdivided into eight groups based on region to ensure extensive representation of all regions.” 65.66 percent of respondents agreed with the statement: “Candidates running for the House of Representatives need not be affiliated with a political party.”

On the other hand, only 34.58% of respondents agreed with the statement: “The Prime Minister need not be directly elected, but would still require a majority consensus from Parliament.” Conversely a majority 63.36% disagreed with the aforementioned statement, alluding to their desire to have a direct say in who should be the country’s premier, while 2.06% said they were unsure about how the Prime Minister should be chosen.

In addition, 54.24% agreed with the statement “There should be 200 Senators whose origins are to be derived from unelected specialists, academics and bureaucrats from various fields of expertise.”

The respondents came from various regions in the country with a diversity of age, profession, income and academic background. However the poll favored married couples at 72.42% while only 25.81% indicated that they were single.


-- NNT 2014-12-30

[JOC]

Please, please let us end the old year on a high, without another meaningless poll from NIDA!!

[berybert]

There is no need to bother with an elected or unelected PM. The General has giving the gift of happiness to the Thai people and the rest of the world love him also.

Leave him there to finish his work.

He is on his way to becoming world man of the year.

[JohnThailandJohn]

And a big enough percentage will take to the street doing what they can to economically destroy the country unless the person elected is the person they want. Until Thais can learn to accept vote results then holding elections only seems to cause the country grief.

In the last 80 years how many Prime Minsters have actually completed a term in office? Probably about 5 and most of them went on to be forced out in a second term like Thaksin.

In theory, elections sound great but in practice they don't always represent the people's wishes, especially when a leader is elected by simply having the most votes like in the US. Example; 3 Candidates with Candidate A being very Liberal, Candidate B being a moderate Liberal and Candidate C being a full blown conservative. A receives 30% of vote, B receives another 30% and C receives 40%. The result is a Conservative leader in a majority liberal country.

I don't fully understand the parliamentary system but seems fairer than the US but when it comes to Thailand no matter who wins a significant portion of the people feel screwed and without a voice too. Unlike the US too they are realistically able to undue election results ... which can be a pro or con depending on how you look at it and where you are standing.

Elections in many places now are about two or more very different factions who represent only a percentage of the people's view and trying to get others to agree to their view -- it is them against us --- right from the elections it is about dividing a nation and making clear some people will be winners and others losers. There are few candidates trying to run on compromise because people voting don't want compromise and harmony, they want their side to win as if it were a football match and not about having a unified country where people have to give and take.

[Always18]

If certain age-old repressive laws remain in force in Thailand (and I can think of two, in particular) then the whole exercise is quite pointless.

Elected or un-elected it will matter not - honest debate will remain stifled and Thailand will never have a legitimate, functioning democracy while, sadly, sinking further down into the corrupt quagmire it has created.

[rubl]

The electorate doesn't seem to have given thoughts to how an elected PM should function with an elected parliament and how said elected PM should gather his cabinet.

[Thai at Heart]

They made sense of this as a multiple choice set of questions?

Wow.

Political scientists everywhere.

[bangrak]

NIDA should have a next poll about the coming Constitution: must it become a popular approval by means of a national referendum, or not? Can any Constitution be valid, legitimate and binding without the sentence of a national referendum, yes or no? IMO!

[Thai at Heart]

There should be 200 Senators whose origins are to be derived from unelected specialists, academics and bureaucrats from various fields of expertise.

5 questions in one.

A. There should be 200 senators?

B. Should they be unelected?

C. Should they be taken from a. Academics, b. Bureaucrats or C. Specialist fields

I mean honestly, they call this a poll?

Question

A. The PM should be an army man aged 63, who has been PM recently, dislikes Thaksin, dislikes freedom of the press

B. You get to have no elections ever again?

[Suffinator]

On the other hand, only 34.58% of respondents agreed with the statement: “The Prime Minister need not be directly elected, but would still require a majority consensus from Parliament.” Conversely a majority 63.36% disagreed with the aforementioned statement, alluding to their desire to have a direct say in who should be the country’s premier, while 2.06% said they were unsure about how the Prime Minister should be chosen.

So 34.58% probably can't even spell the word democracy whilst 63.36% have a reasonable idea that Thailand is better ruled by an elected official other than the likes of Kim Jung Un.

[chainarong]

That's helpful as the other method P.M. elected by their peers or an outsider means the people are not involved in the process, this just smells big time , I have a horrible feeling that this is one purpose for the Coup, it's called control.

[lil fluffy clouds]

As if any of this sh*t really makes a difference, any political angle is complete waste of time and a distraction.

Dismantle national borders and return to tribal living, the shear magnitude of national identity is monstrous and way out of anyone's league.

[lil fluffy clouds]

As if any of this sh*t really makes a difference, any political angle is complete waste of time and a distraction.

Dismantle national borders and return to tribal living, the shear magnitude of national identity is monstrous and way out of anyone's league.

[oneday]

FLASH: 36.64% of Thais DO NOT understand democracy.

[bangrak]

There should be 200 Senators whose origins are to be derived from unelected specialists, academics and bureaucrats from various fields of expertise.

5 questions in one.

A. There should be 200 senators?

B. Should they be unelected?

C. Should they be taken from a. Academics, b. Bureaucrats or C. Specialist fields

I mean honestly, they call this a poll?

Question

A. The PM should be an army man aged 63, who has been PM recently, dislikes Thaksin, dislikes freedom of the press

B. You get to have no elections ever again?

So, reading you, 63% chose the answer you describe under A., then try not to forget that the next time you want to use: 'the majority' in a reaction...

[bangrak]

There should be 200 Senators whose origins are to be derived from unelected specialists, academics and bureaucrats from various fields of expertise.

5 questions in one.

A. There should be 200 senators?

B. Should they be unelected?

C. Should they be taken from a. Academics, b. Bureaucrats or C. Specialist fields

I mean honestly, they call this a poll?

Question

A. The PM should be an army man aged 63, who has been PM recently, dislikes Thaksin, dislikes freedom of the press

B. You get to have no elections ever again?

So, reading you, 63% chose the answer you describe under A., then try not to forget that the next time you want to use: 'the majority' in a reaction...

[bangon04]

A leader directly elected by the adult voting public is a "President", not a Prime Minister.

The President is usually the Head of State......

[halloween]

If nothing else, the PM should be elected by an electorate, and NOT be a party list MP. This will stop the Shinawatra' (and others) practice of buying power

[Jimbo2014]

In thailand 63% constitutes a minority

[halloween]

In thailand 63% constitutes a minority

In Thailand, 63.6% will answer 'yes' when they don't understand the question.

[kkerry]

There is no need to bother with an elected or unelected PM. The General has giving the gift of happiness to the Thai people and the rest of the world love him also.

Leave him there to finish his work.

He is on his way to becoming world man of the year.

The General and a few good people surely know what is best for Thailand, thus allowing everyone Thai to get on with their lives without the worry of voting...

[FangFerang]

There is no need to bother with an elected or unelected PM. The General has giving the gift of happiness to the Thai people and the rest of the world love him also.

Leave him there to finish his work.

He is on his way to becoming world man of the year.

I heard a rumor that PM Prayuth has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize...

By the North Korean PM...

[jaltsc]

"However the poll favored married couples at 72.42% ..."

Whoever the pollster was who found over 72% of married couples in Thailand should have been the one searching for Malaysia Flight 370.

[Smurkster]

say a prayer for this backwards country and its archaic system, it is going to need it for this upcoming year... I personally believe 2015 will be a game changer for Thailand, that is all i am going to say...

Edited December 30, 2014 by Smurkster

[bangrak]

The electorate doesn't seem to have given thoughts to how an elected PM should function with an elected parliament and how said elected PM should gather his cabinet.

I checked on 'like' for your reaction, but, still, the essence of the Thai problem is, and will remain for long, the credit you gave to 'the electorate' being, alas, misplaced: 'thoughts'... like analysis and critical thinking, dream on, all that has been for many generations refused to the Thai population by 'the system', which wants to keep the masses un-educated to remain easily usable, no real 'education', and that was the only genious 'trait' of the Shins (leave their 'golden boy' Thaksin out of it): to divert those un-educated masses from the mainstream feodal system for its own profit, buying them off, paying off the local headmen who lead them by the nose, cheap money to make the 'new elite' ('mixed' with the old one by strategical weddings as we know) kick out the old one, ...while keeping 'the system' in place, to rule Thailand for its own profit!

Edited December 30, 2014 by bangrak

[bangrak]

say a prayer for this backwards country and its archaic system, it is going to need it for this upcoming year... I personally believe 2015 will be a game changer for Thailand, that is all i am going to say...

Wait for 2016 then, just after December 31st, 2015, when ASEAN is 'supposed'(!) to start up, as Thailand has not yet formally approved the Treaty (only MoU and blah-blah), and to be, just, able to do so, it needs an 'amended' Constitution autorising non-Thai ASEAN citizens in persona, or in company form, to OWN up to 70% of assets, and/or real estate, OUCH (there come the nationalists)!, And It needs to be approved by a majority in the House and Senate (//2007 Constitution), while non of both is 'available' at the time being either... Thailand will be asking for delays, like every single time Thailand is confronted to a deal, wanting to handpick the positive parts out of, but rejecting every and any element that is not 200% favourable... As Thais consider themselves to be the belly button of the World, the rule applies to ASEAN too, but in the mind of the 'proud Thais' only, OUCH, again... Interesting times coming for sure, a lot of painfull 'morning afters' for the Thais for sure, ...but very insecure days for foreign business owners and investors who keep this country alive (whatever the proud Thais might 'think'), and not even taking the major sword of Damocles hanging above Thailand into consideration...

[bangrak]

When someone'd be polishing one of my old oil lamps (yes, I have such) and comes out a naughty geny offering me one wish to be fullfilled, I'd first thought to answer: to live a happy and healthy life until Thailand has eradicated corruption, but, I'm sure the geny would reject it at once, coughing and laughing, as it's impossible to fullfill, I'm already 63, then I'd think to try: till Thailand is on track to become a true democracy, but I'm afraid again the geny would laugh it away, so, in the end I think I'd better say: until Thailand is ruled by a next young and honest person, this might trick the geny out, giving me at least fifteen to twenty years of bliss, ...or forever, maybe, alas...

Edited December 30, 2014 by bangrak

[bangrak]

FLASH: 36.64% of Thais DO NOT understand democracy.

FLASH: 63.36% of Thais DO NOT understand democracy and are in favour of dictatorship. Ooops...

(P.S.: it might also be that Thais have no trust whatsoever left in any existing political party, as disturbing it might be for 'the system''s organisation, the more positive it might become for the Thai citizens, when they'd have the guts to clearly show it, now)

Edited December 30, 2014 by bangrak

[rickirs]

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

In thailand 63% constitutes a minority

In Thailand, 63.6% will answer 'yes' when they don't understand the question.

You make a good unintended point in that these NIDA polls don't seem to allow "I don't know" or "none of the above" answers. This skews the poll results.

[rickirs]

Anyone notice that for the first time NIDA doesn't mention the NUMBER of people polled? All past polls have been 1,200-1,500 people. How many in this poll? I wonder if they even went out of the office to conduct this poll - maybe did it during an office party.