Academic warns against referendum on Krabi coal-fired plant conflict

[webfact]

Academic warns against referendum on Krabi coal-fired plant conflict
By CHANIKARN PHUMHIRAN,
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE NATION

 

Somchai

 

BANGKOK: -- AN ACADEMIC has warned against holding a public referendum on the controversial Krabi coal-fired power plant after the Election Commission (EC) said yesterday that one could be set up in nine months.

 

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, an EC member said that if the government called for a plebiscite “we have the Referendum Act to deal with this issue”. 

 

“If we do a referendum on this project, we can do it to gather public opinion to help judge the project or we can use the referendum result to directly determine the fate of the project,” Somchai added.

 

While the EC has the ability to stage the plebiscite on the question of whether to build the southern power plant it is up to the government to decide to choose the method to settle the prolonged argument over the project.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30306971

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-02-23

[maoro2013]

You have project 44

[Srikcir]

Do the full Environmental Report first and see what direction this project should take. A referendum solves nothing.

[Brer Fox]

PM Prayut and his government are not much inclined to take notice of referendums or the people's wishes. They will do what they wan't to do regardless of anyone else.

[sugarcane24]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Do the full Environmental Report first and see what direction this project should take. A referendum solves nothing.

Not here in Thailand, where a referendum is just an opinion poll. Unlike In Switzerland, where referendum results are BINDING on the government!  This is why Switzerland is the only democratic country in the world which could be said to be a true democracy. All other "democracies" are sham democracies because they are really elected dictatorships:  you get your five minutes of democracy while voting at the polls, then have to live in a dictatorship until the next elections. It's just glorified slavery.   

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, sugarcane24 said:

Not here in Thailand, where a referendum is just an opinion poll. Unlike In Switzerland, where referendum results are BINDING on the government!  This is why Switzerland is the only democratic country in the world which could be said to be a true democracy. All other "democracies" are sham democracies because they are really elected dictatorships:  you get your five minutes of democracy while voting at the polls, then have to live in a dictatorship until the next elections. It's just glorified slavery.   

While it embraces direct democracy, Switzerland is nevertheless still a representative democracy. Most laws are made and decided by parliament. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1435383/How-direct-democracy-makes-Switzerland-a-better-place.html

 

[Retiredandhappyhere]

So, this guy has spelt it out quite clearly.  If a referendum were to be held, it would mean that the people's views would have been expressed but they cannot be allowed to influence the decision of whether to proceed or not with the project.   Sounds somewhat similar to the proposed Thai General Election then?