Online voting in referendum suggested for overseas Thais

[Lite Beer]

Online voting in referendum suggested for overseas Thais
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- NATIONAL Reform Council member Sangsidh Piriyarangsan yesterday suggested that the Election Commission conduct the upcoming public referendum on the charter draft online to allow Thais living abroad the chance to vote.

He said Thailand was a middle-income country and extending the plebiscite to Thais living in foreign countries may not be worth the expense. To involve Thais living abroad in the process and to save money, he said the EC should use Internet technology. Sangsidh was also responding to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's remark that the NRC's work had not met the government's objectives because the council's members did not belong to the government.

Sangsidh admitted that the NRC's members came mostly from the public sector and not the military, and sometimes the NRC and the junta government had conflicting views but it did not mean either side was wrong.

He believed that once the NRC's term ended after it votes on the charter draft, the government would pick people who had similar opinions to it to prevent conflicts.

NRC chairman Thienchay Kiranandana has reportedly called a secret meeting of the council tomorrow to discuss the NRC's work after a vote on the charter draft is held.

NRC whip Alongkorn Polabutr said the NRC's term was expected to end around August or September.

The council would also discuss speeding up work under its reform plans to meet the reform roadmap time frame, Alongkorn said.

He dismissed criticism of NRC members that they had failed to achieve concrete reforms.

Alongkorn said the NRC had carried out its duty to the best of its ability, with more than 1,000 public hearings conducted. None of the members had their term prematurely ended for being absent from work too often. Only a few had called in sick.

He said the NRC had pushed for the establishment of a new body to drive the reform plans and would present its reform roadmap to the government for implementation.

"I see the PM as a management executive who allows the NRC to work independently. There may be a gap between the government and the NRC. We need specialists to drive reform in the next reform movement,'' he said.

"I, however, do not believe that the PM will appoint anyone to push for reform that benefits any vested-interest groups,'' he added.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Online-voting-in-referendum-suggested-for-overseas-30262284.html

-- The Nation 2015-06-14

[MaxLee]

Why would they even bother.....??????????

[Mango Bob]

All Thais should have the right to vote. This is just another example why this EC should be replaced.

[halloween]

All Thais should have the right to vote. This is just another example why this EC should be replaced.

Doh! This was a suggestion to the EC who haven't had a chance to respond yet. Are you allowed internet voting in your country's elections referenda (assuming you are outside your citizenship country)?

All Thais do not and should not have the right to vote. There are number of exclusions, the largest based on age, and AFAIK, prisoners and fugitive criminals.

[graft]

I look forward to the uproar (especially on this forum) once Thaksins vote is received . Sorry, Halloween has decreed that he can not.

Edited June 14, 2015 by graft

[Thailand]

I hope they all have IE!

[halloween]

I look forward to the uproar (especially on this forum) once Thaksins vote is received . Sorry, Halloween has decreed that he can not.

AFAIK.

I don't think he'd bother anyway as the number of votes isn't based on his bank balance, or who he could buy.

[Baerboxer]

I look forward to the uproar (especially on this forum) once Thaksins vote is received . Sorry, Halloween has decreed that he can not.

Nothing to do with Halloween. Simply what Thai law says about voting. If fugitive convicted criminals are allowed to vote by law, then so should he. If they're not then he shouldn't.

The law should apply - whatever the law is. Thaksin is not special, nor above the law. Equally, he should not be excluded from voting if the law permits it.

[Orac]

I look forward to the uproar (especially on this forum) once Thaksins vote is received . Sorry, Halloween has decreed that he can not.

Nothing to do with Halloween. Simply what Thai law says about voting. If fugitive convicted criminals are allowed to vote by law, then so should he. If they're not then he shouldn't.

The law should apply - whatever the law is. Thaksin is not special, nor above the law. Equally, he should not be excluded from voting if the law permits it.

What law. If the law already specified who is allowed to vote in this referendum then they wouldn't need to have this discussion on wether overseas Thais get to vote or not. Seems to me they are making this up as they go along.

[Srikcir]

"extending the plebiscite to Thais living in foreign countries may not be worth the expense."

Unless the NCPO gets the draft constitution it wants, it may not be worth the expense for a plebiscite to Thais living in Thailand.

[connda]

They can use the 90 day reporting system as their template. "We sorry for inconvenience, but we no find records match you. Please fly back to Thailand to complete voting process krap."