NRSA's Kamnoon points out weaknesses in single-ballot election system

BANGKOK, 4 February 2016 (NNT) – A member of the National Reform Steering Assembly has pointed out some of the weaknesses in the single-ballot election system which the charter drafters have included in the new charter.

NRSA member Kamnoon Sidhisamarn said on Wednesday that the use of only one ballot to elect both members of parliament and senators, is he believes the weakest point in the election system.

Mr. Kamnoon reasoned that this system will close the door on new political parties and parties with limited financial resources, as well as any civic group's plans to form a political party to become an alternative for voters.

At the same time, Mr. Kamnoon said that the single-ballot election system will clearly benefit large political parties as their party-list MPs will only come from the number of votes their constituency MP candidates receive, regardless of the election results.

He said that, in such circumstances, political parties will have to field as many constituency MP candidates as possible, something that only big parties can afford to do.


-- NNT 2016-02-04

One wonders why Thailand is trying to write its own constitution. How many constitutions have we had, and they all end in coups and a new constitution. It seems self evident to me that Thailand is not capable of writing its own constitution. Why don't they take a constitution from somewhere like Germany or Sweden and use that?