New voting rules ‘will reduce poll fraud’

By The Nation

 

Chief charter drafter Meechai Ruchupan

 

BANGKOK: -- The new voting system in which consistency candidates have totally different numbers will reduce poll fraud, chief charter drafter Meechai Ruchupan said on Wednesday.

The remark came after strong criticism that the new method could create confusion and might not eliminate corruption in elections.

 

Asked for whom the organic law had been drafted, Meechai responded that it was essentially the people who would benefit.

 

“The system has been designed to make vote-buying difficult. But this does not mean vote-buying will be suppressed altogether,” the chief drafter said. “But if anyone has any better idea, please let the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) know.”

 

In response to the remark that the CDC should be responsible if this move failed to curb election fraud, Meechai said that this was the responsibility of the Election Commission, because the CDC did not organise elections. He added that election fraud had been rampant in the past.

 

Meechai was also asked about legislators who had signed up to petition the Constitutional Court to interpret the tenure of the ombudsmen under the organic law. He said that the legislators could do so without having to consider the CDC’s stance.

 

The office terms of commissioners of independent organisations have also been controversial. Some organisation members have been removed from office following the new rules, while others have been spared. The CDC, National Legislative Assembly and the independent organisations may not see eye-to-eye in these matters.

 

According to the current charter, they could set up a joint committee to review the rules or they could petition the Constitutional Court for a review.

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-10

Say, Mr. Meechai, could you give us an estimate of just HOW MANY freaking constitutions you've written over the years at the behest of various juntas? And how many have managed to make the slightest difference? Every. Single. One. Has been ripped up and dispensed with at the first opportunity whenever the next coup happens, and then guess who shows up for a cushy two- to three-year position to rewrite the latest one?

 

Why does it take you so long? You must be the most experienced creator of short - lived constitutions the world has ever seen. Why do you keep doing it when it's clear it makes not the slightest difference? It's enablers like this that underlie Thailand 's endless cycle. The very definition of a shyster. 

If you can't convince them, confuse them. Why is this news?

8 hours ago, webfact said:

“The system has been designed to make vote-buying difficult. But this does not mean vote-buying will be suppressed altogether,”

Thus, Meechai has admitted to creating a failed voting process.

Consistent with his constitutions that have proven to be meaningless with regard to establishing a democratic state.

 “But if anyone has any better idea, please let the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) know.”

 

How about teaching  "honesty" from the first day they start school, and point out when officials and others in power, including parents, are being dishonest?

 

Then, arrest, try, convict , and sentence, without impunity all those who commit dishonest acts.

 

Am I living in fairyland or what? Corruption and hypocrisy are what drive all power structures. Those on top will never give up that power willingly.