New political party law: Using election boycott as a bargaining chip

[webfact]

New political party law: Using election boycott as a bargaining chip
By Suthichai Yoon 
The Nation

 

BANGKOK: -- Politicians flocked to a meeting yesterday to debate a draconian draft law – perhaps the most stringent in history – aimed at governing their activities in the run-up to the general election scheduled for the latter part of next year.

 

The Pheu Thai Party, which won successive elections before the military coup in 2014, decided not to attend, arguing that their views wouldn’t be taken into account by the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) anyway.

 

Pheu Thai is eyeing a more drastic move to pressure the charter writers into relaxing the draft’s content – by suggesting it might boycott the election.

 

The rival Democrat Party, which is seeking ways to improve its performance in the next big political show, has adopted a more flexible position. Senior members of the party have criticised certain provisions of the draft, but have tried to persuade CDC members, especially chairman Meechai Ruchupan, to review clauses that may undermine, rather than promote, the return to electoral democracy.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/suthichaiyoon/30302109

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-12-15

[trogers]

Good. Please boycott the next five elections!

[trogers]

Wander in the wilderness... until the entire generation that sinned has died - Numbers 32:13

[JAG]

Good. Please boycott the next five elections!

Yes, it will avoid the rather sensitive matter of having to gerrymander the result and /or disenfranchise their supporters when they win the vote.

NB : I said win the vote - under these new arrangements winning the vote does not mean winning the election. That decision is reached by different methods!

[waldroj]

Add hypocrisy to the list of HUB's attributed to Thailand !!!

 

Article 23 lays down four basic objectives for all parties:

1. Promote understanding about democracy among the people.  Exercise freedom responsibly.

2. Propose ways to develop and solve problems of the country reasonably. Promote people’s participation.

3. Monitor and probe the government’s exercise of power.

4. Promote unity and reconciliation among the people – and resolve national problems through peaceful means.

 

[bark]

3 hours ago, trogers said:

Good. Please boycott the next five elections!

Really, I understand their point.

They win the elections, the other side protest on the street; until the army stages a coup.

Time after time.

[Reigntax]

13 minutes ago, bark said:

Really, I understand their point.

They win the elections, the other side protest on the street; until the army stages a coup.

Time after time.

 

And the other side still cant understand why they cant win an election vote. They have never had to, they have the mad monk and the military to reverse the result.