New Election Rules Designed to Keep Junta in Power

[HHTel]

Well written article. I've always said that it's the younger generation that will effect change as it has in so many countries around the world.

I hope I last long enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[buksida]

ELECTION COUNT FINALIZED, LEAVING NO CLEAR WINNER
Thailand’s Election Commission on Wednesday announced the final results of the March 24 general election – the first since a military coup in 2014 – that gave no party an absolute majority and likely will prompt legal challenges.

The commission distributed 150 party list seats in the 500-member House of Representatives under a complicated formula related to each party’s nationwide popular vote total. Twenty-six parties were granted seats, 14 of them one apiece, while one seat was held open pending a re-vote in one constituency where the winning candidate was disqualified.

The commission’s failure to clearly explain its formula had led to suspicions it might fiddle with the total. It has already been heavily criticized for releasing delayed and confusing preliminary vote totals, and was accused of tilting in favor of the military-backed Palang Pracharath party.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/ ... ar-winner/

[Nereus]

Senate post for PM brother not a problem, says Prawit

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politi ... ays-prawit

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Friday defended the appointment of ex-permanent secretary for defence Preecha Chan-o-cha, the younger brother of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, as a senator, saying the retired officer has experience as a lawmaker.

While the list of 250 senators handpicked by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) was not unveiled to the public, several people have confirmed they accepted Senate posts, including Gen Preecha.

Gen Preecha was among 60 members of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) who resigned from their posts this week ahead of taking up roles as senators. At least 15 cabinet ministers also stepped down for the same reason.

According to Gen Prawit, Gen Preecha had served as an NLA member and he would now become a senator. However, he refused to comment on criticism that Gen Preecha's attendance had been poor as an NLA member.

Gen Preecha was one of seven legislators investigated for poor attendance by an NLA panel in 2017. Under NLA rules, members must attend at least one-third of voting sessions. In 2016, the NLA held a total of 1,264 voting sessions, so the minimum attendance requirement was 421. Gen Preecha’s attendance was just above the minimum, at 428.

All seven legislators were ultimately cleared by the panel because they had submitted the required leave requests, claiming other official monkey business.

Gen Preecha also drew fire for nepotism in 2016 for arranging a job for his son in the army’s civil affairs directorate, with the rank of acting sub-lieutenant. Patipat Chan-o-cha later resigned from the position.

Another son of Gen Preecha was a major shareholder in a construction company that won seven contracts from the 3rd Army Region between December 2014 and April 2016, worth a combined 97 million baht. Gen Preecha denied any conflict of interest.

Gen Prawit confirmed on Friday that the list of senators had already been submitted for royal endorsement.
Meanwhile, Thawee Sodsong, secretary-general of the Prachachart Party, said the appointed senators should not join the MPs in selecting the next prime minister.

He said the senators must act in line with Section 114 of the constitution which requires them to be independent and serve in the best interests of the country.

"The NCPO chose the 250 senators, so it can be said they are dominated by the regime. Moreover, several of them also served as NLA members or cabinet ministers," he said on Facebook.

"To avoid a conflict of interest, the Senate should not join MPs in choosing the prime minister," he said.

[handdrummer]

Was there any point in voting? The current govt. is going to appoint whomever they want. The country may be better off this way, who knows? No one has ever accused the Thais of being deep thinkers and obedience is the hallmark of a good Thai so it all worked out just fine.

[Nereus]

Abhisit resigns as MP after Democrats back Prayut as PM

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politi ... recent_box

Former Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Wednesday morning announced his resignation as MP, saying he could not break his word and follow his Democrat Party's resolution to support Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as the next prime minister.

He announced his resignation at TOT headquarters where the parliament convened to vote for the next prime minister.

Mr Abhisit said that when he was Democrat leader before the election, he pledged that the party would not support Gen Prayut as the next prime minister -- and approximately 4 million people voted for the party while being aware of the stance.

"I could not attend the (parliament) meeting and vote against the resolution of the party... I could not vote for Gen Prayut. That would mean I would break my promise with people... Today I have only one choice: to protect my dignity and that of my party, and keep my promise," Mr Abhisit said. He referred to the Democrat Party's resolution on Tuesday to join the Palang Pracharath Party's coalition.

"Throughout my political career, I have adhered to ideals and principles. This is not abstract. It is because I believe that only the politics based on ideals and principles can create happiness and benefits for the people and the nation in the long run. Therefore, effective immediately, I resign as MP."

He said he rejected other Democrats' proposal on Tuesday for him to abstain in the vote for the new prime minister.
After the election, Mr Abhisit explained, he tried to put the stance adopted by the Democrat Party before the election into practice and tried to persuade Democrats to share that standpoint.

He said he regretted the Democrat Party has now lost its opportunity to be a mid-sized political party and function as a neutral "third party" ready to provide checks and balances to the government's exercise of power.

"I am sorry for these circumstances, where people have been forced to take sides based on strong emotions, hating dictatorship or fearing Thaksin," he said, referring to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr Abhisit denounced ongoing attempts to prolong the power of incumbents and obstruct the work of independent organisations. "It is the same as what happened in 2005 when I was fighting against the Thaksin regime," he said.

Following a suggestion offered by Gen Prayut, he recommended that people read the satirical novel 'Animal Farm' in order to find out what those who seized power would really do with it.

[Nereus]

Democrats vote to join Palang Pracharath

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politi ... pracharath

The Democrat Party has voted overwhelmingly to join the Palang Pracharath alliance, sealing the deal for Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to continue as prime minister and for the pro-regime party to form a government with a slim majority of 254 votes.

Democrat party executives and MPs voted 61-16 to join the coalition in a secret ballot at its head office on Tuesday evening, with two abstentions and one bad ballot.

Minutes before the vote, Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit pleaded with the Democrats and Bhumjaithai Party to rethink their position during a Facebook Live session. He said there was still time and the pair could help him stop the continuation of power by the junta.

Mr Thanathorn was the prime ministerial candidate for the seven-party anti-regime bloc even though he was suspended from MP duties over media shareholding.

The Pheu Thai Party, the largest in terms of MP numbers, had agreed not to submit any of its three PM candidates to vie for the top job in an apparent bid to make it easier for the Democrats to join its alliance.

Parliament will meet on Wednesday to choose the prime minister. With 254 MP votes and 250 senators' votes, Gen Prayut will likely be the winner as only 376 votes are required to form a majority from both houses.

Thai media reported the Democrats had struck a deal for a deputy prime ministerial position, three ministerial posts — agriculture, commerce and social development and human security — and four deputy ministerial posts.

[europtimiste]

Democrats vote to join Palang Pracharath

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politi ... pracharath

The Democrat Party has voted overwhelmingly to join the Palang Pracharath alliance, sealing the deal for Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to continue as prime minister and for the pro-regime party to form a government with a slim majority of 254 votes.

Democrat party executives and MPs voted 61-16 to join the coalition in a secret ballot at its head office on Tuesday evening, with two abstentions and one bad ballot.

Minutes before the vote, Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit pleaded with the Democrats and Bhumjaithai Party to rethink their position during a Facebook Live session. He said there was still time and the pair could help him stop the continuation of power by the junta.

Mr Thanathorn was the prime ministerial candidate for the seven-party anti-regime bloc even though he was suspended from MP duties over media shareholding.

The Pheu Thai Party, the largest in terms of MP numbers, had agreed not to submit any of its three PM candidates to vie for the top job in an apparent bid to make it easier for the Democrats to join its alliance.

Parliament will meet on Wednesday to choose the prime minister. With 254 MP votes and 250 senators' votes, Gen Prayut will likely be the winner as only 376 votes are required to form a majority from both houses.

Thai media reported the Democrats had struck a deal for a deputy prime ministerial position, three ministerial posts — agriculture, commerce and social development and human security — and four deputy ministerial posts.

I am not so surprised, oldest Thai party is on the same line as military. Aside of monarchy and oligarchy.

[handdrummer]

They sold out for 8 minor posts. I wonder if any of them are qualified to hold those posts? Agriculture and commerce, in the real world, require knowledge and experience, social development and human security sound like liberal university courses. Deputy prime ministerial position requires you to say "yes" when prompted and the last 4 are vague at best. Same old, same old.

[T.O.M.]

So the Thai people have been raped again.........A rigged election with only one possible outcome.
And the reaction from the Thai electorate: Apathy aka mai pen rai.....it is truly depressing.
Sadly with the lack of protests....the Thai people have got exactly the government, they deserve.

[buksida]

EDITORIAL: PRAYUTH’S PM VICTORY IS A SHAM
Last night’s vote, which secured junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha another term in office, proved the process was rigged from the start.

Through electoral gerrymandering, relentless suppression of his critics, and blatant intervention in the voting process by the unelected upper house, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha defended his prime minister seat from his upstart rival Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.

His victory came two months after a particularly questionable election, even by Thai standards. Under the junta’s oversight, constituencies were remapped and an untested method for allocating party-list seats implemented – a formula that caused much confusion even for experienced poll observers.

Those new rules, which kept changing at the whim of junta-appointed election organizers, eventually paved way for 11 small pro-military parties to enter parliament despite respectively failing to win even 100,000 votes. It didn’t take long before those parties announced their support for Gen. Prayuth, unmasking the intent that put them in parliament in the first place.

The election itself was a sorry affair. Campaigning was only permitted three months prior to the poll. Politicians opposing the junta were soon swamped in legal challenges, while similar complaints against the junta and its allied parties never went anywhere.

...

The ramifications of Gen. Prayuth’s attempt to hold on to his power will be felt for generations to come. It will offer a novel playbook for future coupmakers and showed voters that their choices do not matter – what power do ballots in election wield in the face of an unelected body set up by the junta?

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2 ... is-a-sham/


Best article yet, any takers on this news outlet getting censored under the new regime in the coming months?

[Felipesed1]

" Best article yet, any takers on this news outlet getting censored under the new regime in the coming months?"

No need to censor it, Khaosod is a pathetic attempt at a newspaper, more like a comic for people who live in Bangkok.

[Nereus]

What? Me change the rules?

MPs and senators voted for Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to be the prime minister in their joint meeting on Wednesday. (Photo by Pornprom Satrabhaya)

c1_1689920_190606062242_620x413.jpg (15.57 KiB) Viewed 725 times

[buksida]

No need to censor it, Khaosod is a pathetic attempt at a newspaper, more like a comic for people who live in Bangkok.

Right, and the other two English language rags that pander to whatever regime is in charge are so much better.

Junta already tightening grip on power and screwing its coalition partners ...

PHALANG PRACHARATH STAKES CLAIM ON KEY CABINET POSTS
A leading pro-military party said Thursday it will reserve key ministerial posts for its members, reversing earlier talks of distributing them to their allies.

A day after Phalang Pracharath won its place as the core party in the next government, two party officials said the lucrative seats leading the Commerce, Labor and Agricultural ministries must be retained for their party – not any of its coalition members.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/ ... net-posts/

[Felipesed1]

No, they are not "so much better", but at least The Nation tries to provide some general news, and the BP provides more political coverage, and cultural activities, not just pop concerts in Bangkok.

I think there is a market for an English language newspaper that covers news from all the provinces, something like a translated version of dailynews.co.th, but it would have to be heavily sponsored to be commercially viable.

OK, back to topic!

[oakdale160]

WTF was the election all about--who was it supposed to impress-- every single thing about it was a sham. I can understand a dictatorship wanting to create an impression that there is public support for their rule, but this 'election' proved the opposite.