Thai general election, 2011

by **Aardvark** » July 8, 2011, 6:37 am

A good Article....... http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... ksin-court

by **merchant seaman** » July 8, 2011, 10:19 am

I think everyone will agree Thaskin will once again be running the country, even if from abroad. The election only proves the majority of Thai's never wanted Thaskin to be over thrown from power in the first place. Will the elite and military stage another coup? Only time will tell but I don't think it would be condoned by the internationally community.

by **maaka** » July 9, 2011, 6:31 am

there is alot of water to flow under the bridge yet before Taksin gets anywhere near the steering wheel..
the Dems have filed papers with the Courts against the PT party , so hold all tickets...coup number 19 maybe on the way.

by **fdimike** » July 9, 2011, 7:24 am

I would hope for Thailand's sake that Thaksin thinks twice before attempting to return to this country. There is more than enough distaste for the man to spark a civil war should he try. One only has to look back to 1973 when military dictator Thanom Kittikachorn was deposed by a student uprising. He and his two cohorts sought refuge in the US & I believe Singapore. Several years later thinking all was forgiven and given the green light to return to Thailand to become a monk a bloody student led uprising spoiled his plans and led to still another coup.

The stage today is much more volatile and complicated than back in 1976. The country has been "weakened" by several years of political unrest and is now severely politically & socially divided, the new government is attempting to make moves sure to add to the instability with some of their populist proposals, the meth drug problem inside the country continues to worsen, the problems in the three southern provinces are mounting (Thailand has now been added to the US Terrorism Watch List) and the one "cohesive force" holding it all together is slowly slipping away.

A return by Thaksin or even his policies in the south could be just the catalyst needed to turn the area into an even larger problem than it is today.

by **jackspratt** » July 9, 2011, 8:15 am

maaka wrote:there is alot of water to flow under the bridge yet before Taksin gets anywhere near the steering wheel..
the Dems have filed papers with the Courts against the PT party , so hold all tickets...coup number 19 maybe on the way.

Under Thai law, banned politicians (of which Thaksin is one) are forbidden from actively participating in election campaigns eg directing a Party. (Does anyone remember Thaksin's name being mentioned during the just concluded circus? :-k

)

PT was put on notice by the Dems that this issue would be raised after the election - but they chose to ignore it (or probably, had no choice), as they had done in previous guises during previous elections.

So the complaint has now been lodged with the Electoral Commission, who will investigate, and decide whether to refer it to the appropriate court.

If it is eventually upheld, it means the PT executive (not all MPs) will be disqualified, and if they are an MP, a by-election held for their seat(s). The party will also be banned, but can simply reform under a different name.

Yingluck is not a member of the PT executive, so she will remain in place (unless a separate, unrelated complaint about her is upheld). The process will not prevent the formation of the new government.

Ask yourself this question - if the positions were reversed, do you believe for a second that PT would not take the same action against the Dems?

by **bumper** » July 9, 2011, 10:37 am

merchant seaman wrote:I think everyone will agree Thaskin will once again be running the country, even if from abroad. The election only proves the majority of Thai's never wanted Thaskin to be over thrown from power in the first place. Will the elite and military stage another coup? Only time will tell but I don't think it would be condoned by the internationally community.

Yep that was easy to see, what is the second or third election they have won since he was ousted, sad to say no one we know here in Udon got the 500 Baht feel sort of cheated :lol:

Let me talk a moment about vote buying in America it's a industry unto itself, called lobbying. You want to be a Senator you are going to owe before you ever hit office. So I won't say much about that as don't think our system is much better. Just to say if the bought votes in this area it wasted money they already had the votes.

All these years and nothing learned, Democrats are filing actions already as is the PAD.

So where do we stand today it clear to me election by Court. So nothing new is really happening.

Thai general election, 2011