Heading for straitjacket elections

[buksida]

The first parliamentary election to be held in Thailand since last year's military coup is generating excitement for all the wrong reasons. Political parties, the media and analysts are up in arms over a raft of restrictions imposed last week on candidates in the run-up to the December 23 poll.

Under the new rules recently announced by the election commission (EC), the customary festive air of a campaign, where a prospective parliamentarian is often feted with a public parade to promote his or her candidacy once the race officially begins, is banned. Also now deemed illegal is the practice of candidates enlisting popular film, music and entertainment figures to boost their campaigns.

For this poll, say the commissioners, the broadcast media will not be able to exercise editorial judgment as to which candidate they want to feature in a news program or an interview ahead of the election. Instead, the new regulations state that television and radio stations must invite representatives from all parties to participate in every program if candidates are to be featured.

Even the country's universities have not been spared. For these polls, they will not be able to conduct the pre-election seminars and discussions with select candidates, a practice that in the past has helped to feed political debate and generate more information about the issues at stake. The universities must follow the same rules as the media: feature representatives of all parties at every event or none at all.

Full Story: Asia Times Online

Thought: Right you 'orrible lot we're gonna take away democracy, change the constitution, and hold more elections, but you cant campaign, cant discuss politics, cant learn about different party policies, and cant read about it in the papers ... now run along and cast your ... erm ... votes.