Abhisit snubs at indirect election of senators

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Abhisit snubs at indirect election of senators

BANGKOK:-- Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has snubbed at the Constitution Drafting Committee’s proposal for indirect election senators from 20 professional groups.

He said Friday that he didn’t understand the logic behind this proposal and doubted that this proposal would help solve the problem of affiliation of senators with political parties.

He said the indirect election of senators from 20 professional groups is weird because it is not known whom the senators represent.

The CDC, said Mr Abhisit, should not dread direct election because, if it is so, it would be difficult to come up with the right electoral system.

He also pointed that the indirect election of senators was narrowly based which means that the public will have little participation in the election process.

(Photo : Thai PBS File)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/abhisit-snubs-at-indirect-election-of-senators

-- Thai PBS 2015-12-26

[zaphod reborn]

The hub of snubs.

[55Jay]

CDC: "He should dread direct (sic) election because, if it was so, it would be difficult to come up with the right electoral system."

"He also pointed out that the indirect election of senators was narrowly based, which means the public will have little participation in the election process"

All those years at UK University are paying off. Good job, Abe.

Edited December 26, 2015 by 55Jay

[IMA_FARANG]

Oh come on, just tell the truth, we don't want the election of senators outside the established political patronage system because we wouldn't know who to we owe favors to and who owes us a favor.

[ChrisY1]

There never has been a solid political system here for decades.......it's just a rabble of unintelligent people, bickering constantly, and never really instigating good, workable policies that move Thailand forward...........

The ill informed, old school elite have no interest in political progress.

[noitom]

This guy still gets media coverage. Thaksin would win a landslide head up election against him.

[Snig27]

Abe is a very intelligent man - who probably did more damage to Thailand by his actions in 2013-14 than any man alive. That is, until Prayuth set a new standard in broken.

It may be too late to have second thoughts on what he helped meld.

[Enoon]

This guy still gets media coverage. Thaksin would win a landslide head up election against him.

He is the last of four people that I would throw out of the balloon.

Hopefully by the time I got to him, the balloon would have stopped descending.

The others I would have no qualms about.

[somo]

The indirect election of senators is just another attempt to subvert the will of the voters and enable the elite/army to take power again whenever it feels the elected parliament is getting too independent in it's thinking. This will never pass a referendum unless they can find a way to fix it. The junta may well not care if it is defeated as it will just give them more time in power to oversee other more important transitions. Only if the economy really starts to tank will there become enough dissent to cause changes at the top.

It is all about who is going to hold the power later. The upper and middle classes want to make money but freedom is needed to create a vibrant economy and of course that means giving up some power. Can't have it both ways but they think they can.

[Mango Bob]

This section of the constitution will be the down fall of the referendum. Plus the fact "why the hell do they need 200 senators". Two from each province would be more than adequate.

[oneday]

It's hard not to like a lot of his comments about much of the foolishness the CDC and other government departments are coming up with these days.

Good on you Abe.

[Baerboxer]

This guy still gets media coverage. Thaksin would win a landslide head up election against him.

Only as a convicted criminal fugitive, and fugitive from a considerable number of serious court cases, Thaksin couldn't stand.

So it would have to be another puppet, pretty or otherwise, against the somewhat non presence like leader of the "Democrats" party.

[Baerboxer]

Abe is a very intelligent man - who probably did more damage to Thailand by his actions in 2013-14 than any man alive. That is, until Prayuth set a new standard in broken.

It may be too late to have second thoughts on what he helped meld.

Nope - there is one person alive who has done far more damage to Thailand than either Abhisit or Prayut ever will; and likely continue doing so till his last breath.

That man is willing to use and betray anyone to get what he craves.

[tbthailand]

He said the indirect election of senators from 20 professional groups is weird because it is not known whom the senators represent.

ah, come on, Mark, you can take a WAG at that one, can't you?

[Wilsonandson]

Abhisit is the man I want to be next Prime Minister. Brought up and educated in Great Britain I find him a perfect choice. And for deputy Prime Minister I would like Yingluck. Brave, popular and although sister of Thaksin her partnership with Abhisit would win the hearts of Thai people. Abhisit and Yingluck a great combination, to take Thailand into a Happy New Year. Join forces and make Thailand a better nation. Amen

[jesimps]

Abhisit is the man I want to be next Prime Minister. Brought up and educated in Great Britain I find him a perfect choice. And for deputy Prime Minister I would like Yingluck. Brave, popular and although sister of Thaksin her partnership with Abhisit would win the hearts of Thai people. Abhisit and Yingluck a great combination, to take Thailand into a Happy New Year. Join forces and make Thailand a better nation. Amen

And attractive. Better than looking at square head and Barney Rubble.

[Srikcir]

Abhisit probably is just upset after finding that being an Oxford educated politian didn't qualify as a senatorial professional group.

[casualbiker]

This section of the constitution will be the down fall of the referendum. Plus the fact "why the hell do they need 200 senators". Two from each province would be more than adequate.

So 154 then not 200.. Fair enough?

[casualbiker]

Abhisit probably is just upset after finding that being an Oxford educated politian didn't qualify as a senatorial professional group.

so you don't agree with him. You WANT indirect elections of senators. Right?

[chainarong]

I can't see the logic either Mark except to be blunt about it as an excuse for cronyism and the slight of hand trick at the nominations time and there is no indication that not one senator wouldn't either support either publicly or privately a political party, after all who do they vote for at election time, err that's when there are Elections..................

[phoenixdoglover]

This section of the constitution will be the down fall of the referendum. Plus the fact "why the hell do they need 200 senators". Two from each province would be more than adequate.

The reason for 200 Senators may be to tilt the actions of the Joint National Assembly a bit more toward the elite.

Remember, politicians are bad, and their roles in a democratically formed government must be minimized. /snark

[billd766]

This guy still gets media coverage. Thaksin would win a landslide head up election against him.

Then Thaksin should come back to Thailand and do so then.

Of course it would be a little difficult to do that from jail but I am sure he will find a way.

After all he ran the PTP government by Skype from wherever.