Thailand’s election scheduled for May 14, 2023, will be held under political, constitutional, and legal frameworks that make a free and fair process nearly impossible, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch and over 50 Thai and international civil society groups highlighted these issues in joint letters to 25 of Thailand’s democratic allies and trading partners, urging governments to raise concerns with Thai leaders. The participation of Thai opposition parties in the upcoming elections should not be interpreted to mean that they believe the electoral process in Thailand is free and fair, Human Rights Watch said.
“As Thailand’s election approaches, democratic governments around the world should be clear with the Thai leadership that violating the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Thai people will have consequences,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “An election held under a deeply flawed system and in an atmosphere of fear will not have democratic legitimacy.”
The electoral process is occurring within the framework of a 2017 constitution written by a commission appointed by the junta that seized power from a democratically elected government in a military coup in 2014. The 2017 constitution’s provisions entrench military power at the expense of civilian rule, including by reserving for the junta the appointment of members of Thailand’s Senate, Election Commission, Administrative Court, and Constitutional Court.
The 500-seat lower house of Thailand’s parliament is elected, but the 250-member Senate was appointed by the junta and is largely loyal to Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha, the leader of the 2014 coup and current prime minister, who is now running for another term.
Under the 2017 constitutional system, a majority of the lower house nominates a candidate for prime minister, but with the 250 unelected members of the Senate and the 500-seat lower house voting, a candidate requires a majority of the combined 750 seats (376 votes) to be elected.
As a result, pro-military parties will only need 126 of the 500 seats in the parliament’s lower house to join 250 junta-appointed Senate seats to elect a candidate. In 2019, every single Thai senator supported Prayut even though the pro-military Phalang Pracharat Party, which nominated Prayut, had not secured the highest number of seats in the lower house.
By contrast, opposition political parties will need to secure almost three times as many votes, 376 seats of the 500 democratically contested seats, to have a chance to get their candidate elected. Ranking senators have already repeatedly stated that they may ignore the results of the election for the lower house and vote for Prayut, who appointed them to office.
The letter from the civil society groups was sent to democratic governments across the world, including G7 members, democratic governments in the G20, and the European Union, which is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with Thailand.
Full story: https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/06/tha ... lly-flawed
Thats why they call it a general election ... because a general will be elected!
Thailand general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
Thailand general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
buksida wrote:
Thats why they call it a general election ... because a general will be elected!
... and elected by generals.
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
Years ago I was in an elevator in Singapore with some locals I was working with.
I mentioned I was living in Thailand.
Their reply....ahhhh the land of slaves, followers.
I didn't like their reply, but years later, understand what they meant.
I mentioned I was living in Thailand.
Their reply....ahhhh the land of slaves, followers.
I didn't like their reply, but years later, understand what they meant.
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
I am not really interested in this, but post it for those that may be. Some of this is not much different to that going on in the USA with Trump:
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An uber-rich dynasty has dominated Thai politics for years. Is Paetongtarn Shinawatra ready to rise?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-08/ ... /102185074
As Thailand prepares for its general election next month, one woman is charging ahead in the polls as preferred Prime Minister: Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
If that surname sounds familiar, that's because the 36-year-old is the third member of the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty to vie for the top job in Thai politics.
"Ung-Ing", as she is known in Thailand, is the youngest daughter of divisive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the niece of Thaksin's sister, Yingluck, who was also a controversial PM.
Thaksin and Yingluck were deposed and now live in exile to avoid jail, but there are still many Thais who look back fondly on the Thaksin era for its policies to help working-class people.
That nostalgia appears to be working in Paetongtarn's favour.
The ABC has been to several of her public appearances — a campaign launch, a neighbourhood market visit and a large auditorium rally — and it seems many people are getting behind the idea of a third Shinawatra prime minister.
A recent national poll showed that 38 per cent of people surveyed wanted the political rookie to be the country's next leader.
That's more than twice the number of respondents who supported incumbent prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, who launched a military coup against Paetongtarn's aunt in 2014.
Paetongtarn has a large social media following, too, with young people not only liking her campaign trail pictures but also lapping up the glimpses into her glamorous life as an heiress to a billionaire's fortune.
long article at the link......................................................
...............................................................................................
An uber-rich dynasty has dominated Thai politics for years. Is Paetongtarn Shinawatra ready to rise?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-08/ ... /102185074
As Thailand prepares for its general election next month, one woman is charging ahead in the polls as preferred Prime Minister: Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
If that surname sounds familiar, that's because the 36-year-old is the third member of the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty to vie for the top job in Thai politics.
"Ung-Ing", as she is known in Thailand, is the youngest daughter of divisive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the niece of Thaksin's sister, Yingluck, who was also a controversial PM.
Thaksin and Yingluck were deposed and now live in exile to avoid jail, but there are still many Thais who look back fondly on the Thaksin era for its policies to help working-class people.
That nostalgia appears to be working in Paetongtarn's favour.
The ABC has been to several of her public appearances — a campaign launch, a neighbourhood market visit and a large auditorium rally — and it seems many people are getting behind the idea of a third Shinawatra prime minister.
A recent national poll showed that 38 per cent of people surveyed wanted the political rookie to be the country's next leader.
That's more than twice the number of respondents who supported incumbent prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, who launched a military coup against Paetongtarn's aunt in 2014.
Paetongtarn has a large social media following, too, with young people not only liking her campaign trail pictures but also lapping up the glimpses into her glamorous life as an heiress to a billionaire's fortune.
long article at the link......................................................
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
Abusing the election system
The party-list system, which is designed to allow professionals from various fields to become MPs, has been exploited by parties to return favours to loyal supporters or financiers, academics say.
The May 14 general election will revert to the dual-ballot method in which one ballot is used to select a constituency MP and the other to select a party to lead the government.
The principle behind the party-list system is to allow capable individuals who lack political support from various fields to rely on parties' reputations to become MPs and put their professional experience to good use in parliament.
However, in previous elections, parties used the system for the sake of politics rather than following its original purpose.
For example, the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, the predecessor of the Pheu Thai Party, placed candidates tipped for cabinet posts near the bottom of its priority list because they were not meant to be MPs in the first place. As a result, spots higher on list were reserved for party financiers and key supporters who were guaranteed House seats.
Following this election, the House will seat 500 elected members -- 400 from constituencies and the rest from party lists.
Each party can submit a list of up to 100 candidates. Party-list candidacy registration began on Tuesday and ended on Friday.
The registration saw parties come up with different approaches to drawing up their lists of candidates.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... ion-system
The party-list system, which is designed to allow professionals from various fields to become MPs, has been exploited by parties to return favours to loyal supporters or financiers, academics say.
The May 14 general election will revert to the dual-ballot method in which one ballot is used to select a constituency MP and the other to select a party to lead the government.
The principle behind the party-list system is to allow capable individuals who lack political support from various fields to rely on parties' reputations to become MPs and put their professional experience to good use in parliament.
However, in previous elections, parties used the system for the sake of politics rather than following its original purpose.
For example, the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, the predecessor of the Pheu Thai Party, placed candidates tipped for cabinet posts near the bottom of its priority list because they were not meant to be MPs in the first place. As a result, spots higher on list were reserved for party financiers and key supporters who were guaranteed House seats.
Following this election, the House will seat 500 elected members -- 400 from constituencies and the rest from party lists.
Each party can submit a list of up to 100 candidates. Party-list candidacy registration began on Tuesday and ended on Friday.
The registration saw parties come up with different approaches to drawing up their lists of candidates.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... ion-system
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
OPINION: IT’S STILL ‘GENERALS’ ELECTION FOR THAILAND IN 2023
The attack against the third PM candidate for Pheu Thai Party Chaikasem Nitisiri by former secretary general of the disbanded Future Forward Party Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, who said Chaikasem’s pledge at a major campaign rally to deal with former junta leaders swiftly is an act of futile bragging that cannot be materialized, reminds us how the issue of the military as a state within a state continues to haunt Thai society.
Not that Piyabutr is against sending the army back to the barracks and prosecuting people like former junta leader Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha and his deputy, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan who staged the May 2014 military coup, but because Piyabutr thinks Chaikasem was all bragging and no action – that the Pheu Thai Party was incapable of delivering it given the fact that it did little or nothing to reform the army when they were in power.
One can also view it as a competition between the two pro-democracy parties, Pheu Thai and Move Forward (the latter being the successor of Future Forward Party) in vying for votes among those who want to see the military out of Thai politics and strictly placed under civilian control.
Much easier said than done. The military, the army in particular, is a state within a state and presents itself as the most loyal institution to the monarchy. They do not just interfere in politics by running the government after staging a military coup (as both caretaker PM Prayut and caretaker deputy PM Prawit is a living proof eight years after the May 2014 coup and both now competing to become the next PM next month), but lesser prominent generals sit at many boards of state enterprises and the sitting army chief is always treated by most of the mainstream Thai media as a bonafide person to comment on political affairs.
Full Story: https://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/ ... d-in-2023/
The attack against the third PM candidate for Pheu Thai Party Chaikasem Nitisiri by former secretary general of the disbanded Future Forward Party Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, who said Chaikasem’s pledge at a major campaign rally to deal with former junta leaders swiftly is an act of futile bragging that cannot be materialized, reminds us how the issue of the military as a state within a state continues to haunt Thai society.
Not that Piyabutr is against sending the army back to the barracks and prosecuting people like former junta leader Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha and his deputy, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan who staged the May 2014 military coup, but because Piyabutr thinks Chaikasem was all bragging and no action – that the Pheu Thai Party was incapable of delivering it given the fact that it did little or nothing to reform the army when they were in power.
One can also view it as a competition between the two pro-democracy parties, Pheu Thai and Move Forward (the latter being the successor of Future Forward Party) in vying for votes among those who want to see the military out of Thai politics and strictly placed under civilian control.
Much easier said than done. The military, the army in particular, is a state within a state and presents itself as the most loyal institution to the monarchy. They do not just interfere in politics by running the government after staging a military coup (as both caretaker PM Prayut and caretaker deputy PM Prawit is a living proof eight years after the May 2014 coup and both now competing to become the next PM next month), but lesser prominent generals sit at many boards of state enterprises and the sitting army chief is always treated by most of the mainstream Thai media as a bonafide person to comment on political affairs.
Full Story: https://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/ ... d-in-2023/
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
Even the mechanics of the election are deeply flawed. The bizarre use of numbers instead of names on ballots is, perhaps, meant to be as confusing as it is.
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
10 things you need to know about Thailand’s election
The countdown to the May 14 general election is well underway with a little over a month left before the big day.
The election was called after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha dissolved the House of Representatives on March 20 – just three days before the Lower House completed its four-year term.
Here are 10 things to know about the upcoming national vote: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/10-things- ... -election/
Clear as mud ... its probably been epically over-complicated to confuse the average plebian voter.
The countdown to the May 14 general election is well underway with a little over a month left before the big day.
The election was called after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha dissolved the House of Representatives on March 20 – just three days before the Lower House completed its four-year term.
Here are 10 things to know about the upcoming national vote: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/10-things- ... -election/
Clear as mud ... its probably been epically over-complicated to confuse the average plebian voter.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
Don’t let Southeast Asia’s sham elections fool you
Southeast Asia is readying for two, possibly three, elections in the coming months. But make no mistake — none promise to be free or fair, and they should not be recognized as such.
First up is Thailand, which is scheduled to vote on May 14. The country has been under de facto military rule since a 2014 coup, although the coup leader, former general Prayuth Chan-ocha, managed to change his army uniform for civilian garb after a highly suspect election in 2019 that cemented the military’s role in power.
Mr. Prayuth is seeking an extension of his term in the coming election, but this time the military is split. Another former general, Prawit Wongsuwan, is also running for prime minister under the banner of a rival military-allied party. This unusual division gives hope to some that perhaps the will of the people might be respected and the generals tossed out. Don’t count on it.
The most popular party at the moment, according to polls, appears to be the Pheu Thai Party, the latest iteration of the populist party of the ousted billionaire tycoon and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr. Thaksin and his party won every election since 2001. But each time, military coups or legally suspect court rulings disqualified the party or its elected members of parliament.
The party’s latest attempt is led by Mr. Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 36, a political neophyte who has been drawing large crowds to her rallies. Another opposition party, called Move Forward, is also expected to do well, especially among Bangkok’s more youthful and elite voters. The two could split the anti-military vote.
But this election has already been rigged to guarantee the Thaksin family will not return to power. First, the electoral commission that oversees the balloting is not independent; its members have been appointed by the ruling military. The election was scheduled to take place on examination day for students nationwide, which might dampen youth turnout. Also, some 1,800 pro-democracy activists and government critics have been criminally charged, many for taking part in peaceful political demonstrations.
Just as important, no matter which party prevails in the election, which will choose 500 seats in the lower house of parliament, those elected representatives will vote along with an appointed 250-seat senate — made up entirely of allies of the military — which also votes for the premier. So to have any chance to form a government without the military, a party has to win 376 seats of the 500 up for grabs, a near insurmountable task.
And should any party achieve that goal, the military could always annul the elections through a coup. There have been more than 20 military coups or coup attempts since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932. There’s no reason to believe the soldiers will remain in the barracks if the election produces an outcome the military sees as unpalatable.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... ions-sham/
Southeast Asia is readying for two, possibly three, elections in the coming months. But make no mistake — none promise to be free or fair, and they should not be recognized as such.
First up is Thailand, which is scheduled to vote on May 14. The country has been under de facto military rule since a 2014 coup, although the coup leader, former general Prayuth Chan-ocha, managed to change his army uniform for civilian garb after a highly suspect election in 2019 that cemented the military’s role in power.
Mr. Prayuth is seeking an extension of his term in the coming election, but this time the military is split. Another former general, Prawit Wongsuwan, is also running for prime minister under the banner of a rival military-allied party. This unusual division gives hope to some that perhaps the will of the people might be respected and the generals tossed out. Don’t count on it.
The most popular party at the moment, according to polls, appears to be the Pheu Thai Party, the latest iteration of the populist party of the ousted billionaire tycoon and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr. Thaksin and his party won every election since 2001. But each time, military coups or legally suspect court rulings disqualified the party or its elected members of parliament.
The party’s latest attempt is led by Mr. Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 36, a political neophyte who has been drawing large crowds to her rallies. Another opposition party, called Move Forward, is also expected to do well, especially among Bangkok’s more youthful and elite voters. The two could split the anti-military vote.
But this election has already been rigged to guarantee the Thaksin family will not return to power. First, the electoral commission that oversees the balloting is not independent; its members have been appointed by the ruling military. The election was scheduled to take place on examination day for students nationwide, which might dampen youth turnout. Also, some 1,800 pro-democracy activists and government critics have been criminally charged, many for taking part in peaceful political demonstrations.
Just as important, no matter which party prevails in the election, which will choose 500 seats in the lower house of parliament, those elected representatives will vote along with an appointed 250-seat senate — made up entirely of allies of the military — which also votes for the premier. So to have any chance to form a government without the military, a party has to win 376 seats of the 500 up for grabs, a near insurmountable task.
And should any party achieve that goal, the military could always annul the elections through a coup. There have been more than 20 military coups or coup attempts since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932. There’s no reason to believe the soldiers will remain in the barracks if the election produces an outcome the military sees as unpalatable.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... ions-sham/
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
What a total SHAM - and so SAD too because change is soooooooooooooo badly needed.
Courage is grace under pressure and when circumstances change you change your mind.
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Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
Vote buying: The engine of corruption in Thailand
Vote buying can be a deciding factor in Thai elections at any level – whether for a village head, a local administrator, or a member of Parliament. And the upcoming general election on May 14 is no exception, according to analysts and even politicians themselves.
Many Thai election candidates have blamed their defeat on vote buying, while several election wins have been attributed to parties buying votes.
Blamed for corruption
Vote buying has been blamed for Thailand’s chronic corruption since many politicians reportedly view it as a high-return investment to secure political power and the chance to “make profits” while in office.
Outgoing House Speaker Chuan Leekpai is among political veterans who are warning of rampant vote buying in the run-up to the May 14 election, as parties battle fiercely for votes across the country.
Chuan, a two-time prime minister, urged voters to favour honest candidates if they want an honest government after the election. “If corrupt people are voted in, we will get a corrupt government. And it’s the people and the country that will suffer,” he warned.
...
Problem remains unsolved
However, the problem appears to remain unsolved as vote buying has continued in many areas of the country.
In the July 2011 general election, votes were reportedly being bought for between 300 and 1,700 baht depending on the region and constituency. The figure ranged from 500-1,500 baht in the previous election of March 2019.
For this election, whistleblower Chuwit Kamolvisit claimed last week that political parties are spending 1,000 to 3,000 per head depending on the province.
Meanwhile, politicians and political parties have made allegations of vote buying against their competitors.
Anticipation before every election
There’s a widespread perception that vote buying is commonplace in the run-up to general elections.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of the 1,310 eligible voters surveyed by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) in January said they expected vote buying ahead of the May 14 election.
A similar Nida poll conducted in January 2019, in the run-up to the previous national vote, found that over 78% of 1,250 respondents were convinced vote buying would be rampant.
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/vote-buyin ... -thailand/
Vote buying can be a deciding factor in Thai elections at any level – whether for a village head, a local administrator, or a member of Parliament. And the upcoming general election on May 14 is no exception, according to analysts and even politicians themselves.
Many Thai election candidates have blamed their defeat on vote buying, while several election wins have been attributed to parties buying votes.
Blamed for corruption
Vote buying has been blamed for Thailand’s chronic corruption since many politicians reportedly view it as a high-return investment to secure political power and the chance to “make profits” while in office.
Outgoing House Speaker Chuan Leekpai is among political veterans who are warning of rampant vote buying in the run-up to the May 14 election, as parties battle fiercely for votes across the country.
Chuan, a two-time prime minister, urged voters to favour honest candidates if they want an honest government after the election. “If corrupt people are voted in, we will get a corrupt government. And it’s the people and the country that will suffer,” he warned.
...
Problem remains unsolved
However, the problem appears to remain unsolved as vote buying has continued in many areas of the country.
In the July 2011 general election, votes were reportedly being bought for between 300 and 1,700 baht depending on the region and constituency. The figure ranged from 500-1,500 baht in the previous election of March 2019.
For this election, whistleblower Chuwit Kamolvisit claimed last week that political parties are spending 1,000 to 3,000 per head depending on the province.
Meanwhile, politicians and political parties have made allegations of vote buying against their competitors.
Anticipation before every election
There’s a widespread perception that vote buying is commonplace in the run-up to general elections.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of the 1,310 eligible voters surveyed by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) in January said they expected vote buying ahead of the May 14 election.
A similar Nida poll conducted in January 2019, in the run-up to the previous national vote, found that over 78% of 1,250 respondents were convinced vote buying would be rampant.
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/vote-buyin ... -thailand/
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
Fantastic early poling results.
Pheu Thai and Move Forward expected to have the most first and second most votes.
A coalition would be the result the people will crave for.
Pheu Thai and Move Forward expected to have the most first and second most votes.
A coalition would be the result the people will crave for.
Courage is grace under pressure and when circumstances change you change your mind.
Re: Upcoming general election fundamentally flawed: Human Rights Watch
BEWARE of the military appointed SENATE, they have the power to choose the Prime Minister and also dissolve both partys' with a court order!!
Prior Planning & Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.