THAILAND: Thais go to vote in general election, but the crisis in political leadership is likely to drag on

Record ID: 858757

  • Title: THAILAND: Thais go to vote in general election, but the crisis in political leadership is likely to drag on
  • Date: 3rd April 2006
  • Summary: THAKSIN MARKING HIS BALLOT
  • Embargoed: 18th April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • City:
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAE11DR1LH06MGKN065HIUNU3NU
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Thais began voting on Sunday (April 2) in a general election Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called three years early to counter a protracted street campaign by anti-corruption protesters to kick him out.
    But, the move looks likely to plunge the country into a constitutional mess due to an opposition boycott that has already guaranteed empty chairs in the 500-seat parliament, which must be filled for a new government to be formed.
    In one constituency in Nonthaburi province, 20 km northwest of Bangkok, there were no candidates on the ballot paper following the last-minute disqualification of the unopposed candidate of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party but people still went out to vote for the Party list.
    "I want to tell the leader and let him hear my voice. I hope it will be loud enough to show how I think about the political issue now," said Sakda Limpanichpakdee (pron: Sak-da Lim-pa-nich-pak-dee) who voted for nobody.
    Pranpreeya Thamadul (pron: Pran-pree-ya Tam-ma-doon), voted for Thai Rak Thai Party although the opposition and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), an ad-hoc group bent on forcing Thaksin out, are urging voters to tick the "abstention" box on ballot papers as a vote against a leader they accuse of corruption and abuse of power.
    "Our country has the election and we should use it. We should not bring mob rule above the law. We have democracy, then we should use it in the right way. We should not boycott it or anything," she said.
    Early morning in Bangkok polling station, Chulalongkorn (pron: Ju-la-long-korn) University's top political scientist Chaiyan Chaiyaporn (Pron: Chai-yan Chai-ya-porn) tore up ballot papers, a gesture to protest what he calls an "illegitimate Thaksin regime".
    Damaging ballot papers is a criminal offence in Thailand, and Chaiyan could face a maximum one year jail term, a fine of 10,000 baht (260 U.S. dollars) and a five year suspension of voting rights.
    Chaiyan said he was exercising his rights under Article 65 of the constitution to oppose any unconstitutional means by any groups of people to take control of a government.
    "The way we accepted Thaksin's regime to dissolve the parliament, avoid the investigation, intervene and control the media. It means we accepted the dictator to control the democracy. He defrauded the constitution which I cannot accept," Chaiyan told reporters after tearing up two ballot papers and being detained by the police.
    Nevertheless, Thaksin, who has turned the vote into a referendum on his leadership by pledging to quit if he wins less than 50 percent of ballots cast, looks set for another thumping majority thanks to unwavering support from the rural masses.
    Upcountry Thais, 70 percent of the country's 63 million people, turned out early and in numbers to vote for a prime minister who has given them cheap healthcare and credit during his five years in office.
    Polling stations opened at 8 am (0100GMT) and were due to close at 3 pm. Preliminary results from the Election Commission (EC) were expected to trickle in throughout the night, with a final tally likely on Monday morning (April 3).
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