The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) has recently released its report on Thailand’s 23 December 2007 general election. The full report is available online. It includes a long list of recommendations for future elections and a great deal of material about how the election was run.
In his foreword to the report ANFREL Chairman General Saiyud Kerdphol puts it this way:
As the September 2006 coup and the weaknesses of this election demonstrated, democracy in Thailand still needs to be nurtured and developed. The challenge of building democracy in Thailand is long term, and I firmly believe that Thai civil society and international organisations like ANFREL must continue to play an active role to build a deep rooted respect for the rule of law, democratic institutions, and free and fair elections.
Thanks to regular New Mandala contributor Michael H. Nelson for drawing this important report to my attention.
As an aside, I do wonder what, if any, international monitoring will ultimately be allowed during Burma’s upcoming referendum? Is it wrong to presume that the answer will be none-zilch-zero?
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