News Forum - Return of 2-ballot voting system could prove a threat to PM’s future

[Thaiger]

The future of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and that of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party is in question due to the return of the 2-ballot voting system. The Bangkok Post reports that Parliament has approved a charter amendment bill that proposed a return to the system. According to the report, the voting system could prove an advantage to the Pheu Thai opposition party in the next election. The move comes following the removal of Deputy Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow and Deputy Labour Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat from their posts last week, both of whom are close with Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon, who […]

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[Shade_Wilder]

The international community dubbed the last election "Free but not Fair" due to... ahem... er... 'irregularities' on behalf of the Junta. If the same people decide to cheat again, the system used simply won't matter.

The BIG question is whether the Thai people will accept the cheaters cheating again.

I very much hope not, but I am not sure.

 

 

[HolyCowCm]

If they change it one way, it will be rigged another way. 250 free senate votes needs to be done away with. Now my take is it doesn't matter who is PM on that side of the fence, but their real worry of offence and defense is to stop Move Forward Party alias Future Froward Party. So the precedence of stop them is a sure sign that MFP is way bigger than they will ever let up for everybody to really see the numbers and following. I also think PTP would make a deal with anyone on either side if if brings them back into some play of power or say brings back brother and sister under amnesty with some big MP positions.. 
Something just feels and looks really phony about them.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

The future of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and that of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party is in question due to the return of the 2-ballot voting system.

And being incompetent has nothing to do with it?

[gummy]

1 minute ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

And being incompetent has nothing to do with it?

Gets you to the top of the tree in the current government. It is a prime requsite of being nominated initially

[Shade_Wilder]

1 hour ago, HolyCowCm said:

If they change it one way, it will be rigged another way. 250 free senate votes needs to be done away with. Now my take is it doesn't matter who is PM on that side of the fence, but their real worry of offence and defense is to stop Move Forward Party alias Future Froward Party. So the precedence of stop them is a sure sign that MFP is way bigger than they will ever let up for everybody to really see the numbers and following. I also think PTP would make a deal with anyone on either side if if brings them back into some play of power or say brings back brother and sister under amnesty with some big MP positions.. 
Something just feels and looks really phony about them.

 

Good post, but I disagree a bit...

 

Much has been said about the 250 Senators having a voice in the selection of a new PM, but I am convinced that that is overblown and doesn't matter much; it is a legal requirement but politics trumps the law. The last time a PM was selected (Prayut), that side of the aisle went waaaaaaaay out of their way to attract enough votes to ensure that they had a majority in the lower house; that was the precise moment when it mattered least. To elect a new PM now that got in through the votes of the appointed Senate and without a majority of the lower house would be considered illegitimate by the Thai people and would make Thailand a laughingstock globally; I don't believe that Thailand/PTB would be willing to take that level of ridicule and embarrassment. Imagine the comments; When is a majority not a majority? In Thailand! Imagine the headlines of global newspapers; Illegitimate government of Thailand sworn in; Thai style Democracy means the loser wins! Thailand's Leaders Can't Count! Losers Win in Thailand! Etc. Etc. Etc.

 

I tend to agree that the FFP and its successor is more popular than published numbers show; I suspect that it was and still is the most popular party in the country. Further, I think that you are correct that it has a BIG target on its back. Finally, I would bet a lot that sometime between now and the next election, the 'independent agencies' will find another reason to ban its current incarnation.

 

There is a list of reasons as long as your arm to be suspicious of Thaksin, but I don't really believe that he thinks he is ever coming back; he is so loathed by his opponents that a Benigno Aquino situation is almost guaranteed. Yes, he is still influential and will be until the day he dies, but my gut tells me that many would like to move on (or perhaps, Move Forward).

 

The real wildcard in all this is the Thai people. It is hard to argue that a lot of crap hasn't been dropped on them from above, but the assumption that they have been cowed beyond redemption is, in my view, mistaken. Thai society has been at war with itself for fifty years, and I don't believe that either side has been vanquished. More importantly, I don't believe that either side believes that the other side has been vanquished, so everyone is still on their toes. Every Thai person that I know is mad as hell; what they do about it remains to be seen. I think it'll all come down to the idea of the 'consent of the governed', an amorphous concept if there ever was one. If, and I don't really know how it'll be expressed, the Thai people accept the results of the next election, then whoever 'won' will govern. If they don't, then they won't.

 

What keeps running around my brain are the numbers 1-9-9-2. Around and around. Right round Baby right round.

 

 

 

[Poolie]

14 minutes ago, Shade_Wilder said:

The real wildcard in all this is the Thai people. It is hard to argue that a lot of crap hasn't been dropped on them from above, but the assumption that they have been cowed beyond redemption is, in my view, mistaken. Thai society has been at war with itself for fifty years, and I don't believe that either side has been vanquished. More importantly, I don't believe that either side believes that the other side has been vanquished, so everyone is still on their toes. Every Thai person that I know is mad as hell; what they do about it remains to be seen.

How many do you know?

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, Shade_Wilder said:

Good post, but I disagree a bit...

 

Much has been said about the 250 Senators having a voice in the selection of a new PM, but I am convinced that that is overblown and doesn't matter much; it is a legal requirement but politics trumps the law. The last time a PM was selected (Prayut), that side of the aisle went waaaaaaaay out of their way to attract enough votes to ensure that they had a majority in the lower house; that was the precise moment when it mattered least. To elect a new PM now that got in through the votes of the appointed Senate and without a majority of the lower house would be considered illegitimate by the Thai people and would make Thailand a laughingstock globally; I don't believe that Thailand/PTB would be willing to take that level of ridicule and embarrassment. Imagine the comments; When is a majority not a majority? In Thailand! Imagine the headlines of global newspapers; Illegitimate government of Thailand sworn in; Thai style Democracy means the loser wins! Thailand's Leaders Can't Count! Losers Win in Thailand! Etc. Etc. Etc.

 

I tend to agree that the FFP and its successor is more popular than published numbers show; I suspect that it was and still is the most popular party in the country. Further, I think that you are correct that it has a BIG target on its back. Finally, I would bet a lot that sometime between now and the next election, the 'independent agencies' will find another reason to ban its current incarnation.

 

There is a list of reasons as long as your arm to be suspicious of Thaksin, but I don't really believe that he thinks he is ever coming back; he is so loathed by his opponents that a Benigno Aquino situation is almost guaranteed. Yes, he is still influential and will be until the day he dies, but my gut tells me that many would like to move on (or perhaps, Move Forward).

 

The real wildcard in all this is the Thai people. It is hard to argue that a lot of crap hasn't been dropped on them from above, but the assumption that they have been cowed beyond redemption is, in my view, mistaken. Thai society has been at war with itself for fifty years, and I don't believe that either side has been vanquished. More importantly, I don't believe that either side believes that the other side has been vanquished, so everyone is still on their toes. Every Thai person that I know is mad as hell; what they do about it remains to be seen. I think it'll all come down to the idea of the 'consent of the governed', an amorphous concept if there ever was one. If, and I don't really know how it'll be expressed, the Thai people accept the results of the next election, then whoever 'won' will govern. If they don't, then they won't.

 

What keeps running around my brain are the numbers 1-9-9-2. Around and around. Right round Baby right round.

 

 

That 250 wields a lot control power to lopside things in favor for them as it is supposed to do. Without these 250 it would be impossible for them to keep control and so would have to revert to other unscrupulous methods like they are so good at doing. On one point they in a sense don't care what the west thinks of them because they still have the red of the east to support them on the other foot, but on another foot yes they do, so how things are usually handed out is they find something that looks like it is ok on the surface so not making it look like the bad guy on the block when underneath it really is. Politics is never clean especially when having alliances with the outside world many things are fully overlooked. Correct, don't count the good people out, as anything can turn tide very fast.

 

[riclag]

3 hours ago, Shade_Wilder said:

The international community dubbed the last election "Free but not Fair" due to... ahem... er... 'irregularities' on behalf of the Junta. If the same people decide to cheat again, the system used simply won't matter.

The BIG question is whether the Thai people will accept the cheaters cheating again.

I very much hope not, but I am not sure.

Imop ! It’s a done deal! The people with the most guns usually have the powers to enforce their will !

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

Maybe this song by Kris Kristofferson was written about Prayut Chan-o-cha, just hope there are not too many wrong directions left with this guy.

 

But if this world keeps right on turnin' for the better or the worse,
And all he ever gets is older and around
from the rockin' of the cradle to the rollin' of the hearse,
The goin' up was worth the comin' down

He's a poet, he's a picker
He's a prophet, he's a pusher
He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned
He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and mostly fiction,
Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home.
There's a lotta wrong directions on that lonely way back home.