New Mandala

12 responses so far ↓

• 1 Michael H. Nelson // Dec 23, 2007 at 3:09 pm

  I have visited four polling stations in Chachoengsao’s main municipality so far, starting at 9.00 hours. Voter turnout seemed to be somewhat modest, with no queues. At 11.00, some more voters seemed to have turned out to use their rights/do their duties. There even was a queue at one station.

  Some elderly people seemed to have problems with the election system, especially the two ballots. In polling unit 12, I observed one elderly women explaining to two of her two friends for some time what the ballots were about, and how to mark them. In the same station, a man was advised by the chairperson of the polling station while he was in the polling booth. Finally, he left it, put one ballot into the box and gave the other to the chairperson, which left her baffled. He then left the polling station, had a look at the information board in front, re-entered the polling station, took the ballot from the chairperson, went into the voting booth, marked the ballot, and put in into the box. Obviously, this sort of procedure was not altogether legally acceptable.

  A photo reporter showed me a picture that showed two ballot boxes that were not sealed by the plastic “lock”. He had asked the polling station officials what this meant, because it was obviously a serious violation of the ECT’s rules. They responded by saying that they simply “forgot” to seal the boxes and hurried to do it while he was still there.

• 2 Maliwaan // Dec 23, 2007 at 6:17 pm

  go dudes

• 3 Maliwaan // Dec 23, 2007 at 6:23 pm

  I love the side bars!

• 4 Adam Carr // Dec 23, 2007 at 6:33 pm

  What time do you expect significant results to be known?

• 5 Nicholas Farrelly // Dec 23, 2007 at 6:39 pm

  Adam,

  Here at New Mandala HQ, we expect that local results from across the country will start to dribble in from 7:45 pm Canberra time. Substantial national tallies may start to become available a few hours after that. Some of the Thai media has reported that major results won’t be known until much later in the evening but given the way ballots are being counted it seems likely that indicative results will become clear early on.

  Thanks for asking…and sorry I can’t be more certain about it.

  Best wishes,

  Nich

• 6 Adam Carr // Dec 23, 2007 at 6:44 pm

  There won’t be a “John Howard concedes” moment I guess

• 7 Bangkok Pundit // Dec 23, 2007 at 7:53 pm

  Adam: Most of the parties have said around 8pm Thailand time, we should know the results

• 8 randomthaiguy4thailand // Dec 25, 2007 at 5:00 am

  I have a friend up north telling me that they did a switcharoo with the ballot boxes in a town near chaingmai. I personally believe, as my opinion only and not a fact, that this is extremely possible. because of a certain ex priminister with deeeep pockets. When money is given to poor country farmers they feel obligated to return the favor. to a poor farmer up north 1000 baht is an entire month wage. but that 1000 baht also keeps him poor. it grantees that he, and his children will not have a chance to make it to the middle class. When bribes are accepted …. it takes the money away from the future (the children, for new schools, for better hospitals, etc. ) The PPP wants to dissolve the educated middle class, they are the one that see what is happening. The majority Poor do not understand … and i do not blame them. rarely is the majority ever right. (Jesus vs the Jews would be a great example) I only wish they could help themselves. But they cant when the upperclass keeps supressing them. HRM the King, wants his people to think for themselves. not get bribed to change their minds. I will never change my mind for any amount of money. (An American Presidential candidate help me see this) If i think your ugly …. damn right your ugly…. a million dollars will not make me think differently. If the PPP come into power i see the end of the monarchy… i see rich people …. and i see slaves. call my views harsh…

• 9 Restorationist // Dec 25, 2007 at 1:09 pm

  randomthaiguy4thailand: Some random thoughts from your post:

  The end of the monarchy may be a laudable objective. The Nepalis have shown the way forward!

  In Thailand, I don’t think PPP are the ones to end the monarchy. The monarchy are likely to do that for themselves if they insist on continually trying to manage democratic politics. It is clear that the old men who run the monarchy have been unable to do this over the past 16 months. They tried and failed. Sure, they are scared by PPP. They were also mortified by the demonstrations against Prem. They also realise that the good PPP election showing is a vote against their intervention in politics.

  They clearly have some thinking to do.

  They need to ensure the monarchy’s position. Maybe the death of Galayani, which can’t be far off, will be an opportunity for more grand shows of allegiance.

  However, the polls show that their political time and their influence is more limited than they had imagined.

  If one looks for the silver lining in the election, it is that the people of the N and NE have shown great determination not to be dictated to any more. Indeed, it seems the military were the big buyers of votes in those regions, and they largely failed!

  That’s a good lesson for the military. Their royalist coup failed.

  I think the military-royalist coalition now has a choice. Back away and support democratic development or use the bureaucracy and military (through the security laws and constitution they engineered) to limit popular sovereignty. If they opt for the second path (and maybe they are so arrogant that they will), then they risk their own privileged positions.

• 10 Lleij Samuel Schwartz // Dec 26, 2007 at 3:39 am

  Re: randomthaiguy4thailand

  Concerning your post No.8:

  Wow! Class hatred and anti-Semitism (via replacement theology) in the same post! You should have added a little sexism and gone for the trifecta.

  You wrote, “rarely is the majority ever right.”

  Indeed. That’s why I agree with your sentiment that we need an elite cabal to micromanage the lives of the general populace. However, the question remains, should our elites be composed of conservative industrial-military aristocrats or leftist academic technocrats? It’s a shame we can’t have a democratic vote as to which group should compose our elitist cabal due to that “certain ex priminister [sic] with deeeep pockets“. And by a ” certain ex priminster” you mean Prem, right?

  Since, randomthaiguy4thailand, I’m guessing the sarcasm of the previous paragraph will elude you, allow me to say this; as someone who practiced Judaism for 27 years before entering another spiritual path, forgive me if I believe the Jewish majority of 1st-century Judea were “correct” in your particular example. It’s just a shame that the Roman elites had to interfere. (By the way, just when is “Jesus vs the Jews in 3-D” coming out on DVD? I missed it when it was playing at the local cinema.)

• 11 Teth // Dec 26, 2007 at 4:25 am

  Wow, randomthaiguy, your analysis is so accurately based on fact (and not hearsay) and logic that I am stunned.

  Thaksin is out to destroy the educated, smart, wise, hardworking, virtuous middle class!

  While the poor are still stupid and rotten and undeserving of their ballots! Oh if only landowners were allowed to vote!

  And Thaksin is still in control of elections officials, so much so as to be able to switch ballot boxes, influence exit polls, and basically conspire to hijack the entire election!

  Woe to us!

  P.S. So what is it, did Thaksin pay the villagers OR did he do the ballot switching? If he did pay the villagers, wouldn’t the ballot box switching be useless? If he could switch ballot boxes, why would he bother paying them off?

  If the generals won’t accept the people’s mandate, why hold an election?

• 12 Konrad Kingshill // Dec 26, 2007 at 11:10 am

  All comments are interesting. What wil be the role of the Electoral Commission?

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