Under these circumstances Democracy can never exist in Thailand.
- Some striking statistical comparisons -
1) 52.2% support laws against vote-buying
2) 64.6% will sell their vote
3) 82.9% will not alert election officials about vote-buying
From today's Bangkok Post
GENERAL ELECTION / SURVEY RESULT
Two-thirds willing to sell their vote for cash
About two-thirds of the respondents in a recent opinion poll say they will sell their votes in exchange for cash or benefits and most will not report poll fraud to election officials.
The Abac poll surveyed 3,758 respondents in 14 provinces nationwide on Oct 15-20 and found 64.6% would accept cash or other benefits offered in exchange for their votes in the general election. Only about one-third of respondents (35.4%) said they would turn down such offers.
The greater majority (82.9%) said they would not alert officials about vote buying if they were aware of it. About 66% believed vote buying was rampant.
However, the survey found 52.2% backed a move by Deputy Prime Minister Sonthi Boonyaratkalin to crack down on vote buying in the Dec 23 general electionm while 27.7% disagreed and 20% gave no comment.
Gen Sonthi, former chairman of the Council for National Security (CNS), has been appointed head of the national committee to stop vote buying.
When it comes to voting, just over half the respondents (51.9%) said they would consider both major parties and individual candidates before making their choices.
About 28% said they would vote for individual candidates rather than for parties while 20.1% said they would vote for parties.
The 14 provinces where the survey was conducted were Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Prachin Buri, Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Trang, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Abac Poll director Noppadol Kannikar said it was worrying that many people had a tendency to accept cash offers in exchange for supporting certain parties or candidates. Worse, most people chose to turn a blind eye if they witnessed vote buying.
He said the government should raise public awareness about the danger of vote buying and damage caused to the country if corrupt politicians are elected. People should be urged to cooperate with authorities to rid the country of vote buying and other election fraud.
In a Suan Dusit poll, people named five essential qualifications they expect from candidates and parties: honesty, far-sighted vision, determination, keen knowledge of the nation and clear political ideologies.
Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva tops a list of five popular politicians, followed by Chart Thai leader Banharn Silpa-archa, People Power party leader Samak Sundaravej, Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai and ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The survey was conducted on Oct 17-21 among 1,884 people across the country.
Two articles on this:
Bangkok Post : General news
Bangkok Post: Top Stories
Last edited by Hamster; 22nd October 2007 at 12:39.
...you get what you need.
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Ever seen the results of a similar survey in Western countries? I haven't.
Or would you like to swing on a star?
There's no point challenging the hierarchy. For your average Thai trying to arse lick his way up the ladder, you can't afford to bite the hand that feeds you. If jobs were given on achievement and not on position perhaps some might challenge but when you have the odds so weighted against the lower middle and the poor classes here, challenging authority just means you slip even lower down the list of opportunity.
Simple solution: An EC fire sale.
Bring in proof of your bribe and receive a 10% mark-up from their offer.
The vote merchants get caught, and the constituent is able to vote their conscience while still getting some tea money.
Thai "democracy":
show me a country with a true democracy...
"so please show no pity as we come up from the ground, and please remember as you kill us and cut us down that time will not wash clean the bloody face of history, and someone will breathe here again and they will hate you for what you leave." m.g.
and that ladies and gentlemen just about sums it up...Originally Posted by Well
I can show you a whole lot of countires where there is massively more transparency and accountability in government.
Thais are born and bred with the notion that the best form of government is one with a "benevolent" father figure in charge. What we consider democratic institutions seems to take Thais out of their comfort zone and nobody willingly wants to go there.
"Democracy", as we know it, is quite a foreign concept throughout all of Asia with the exception of Japan and perhaps, to some extent, India. Can't really see that ever changing.
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
―
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greens peuan pom.
And I'll show you some countries where you won't find,
fcuk me that's worse than the West's apathy towards the entire process.
Too true! We all know why these findings are what they are. They shouldn't affect us, or should they? They say it takes about two generations for serious social change to turn around. Hell, that's only 50 years! That is if the population is at least semi-educated and the majority want change.
This is especially frightening when you read last Sunday's BKK Post. The piece about reforming the police was quite scary. A large number of the cops say that if they don't give their commanding officer enough cash they'll not be promoted.
I think this happens in the West as well....although more companies and unions or what have you getting 'kickbacks'!!! Or people being promised tax cuts (which is kind of like giving them money really) for 'votes'!!!
Riddle me this brother can you handle it
Your style to my style you can't hold a candle to it
Equinox symmetry and the balance is right
Smokin' and drinkin' on a Tuesday night
It's not how you play the game it's how you win it
I cheat and steal and sin and I'm a cynic
^Vote with cash.
^ I thought you just had to tick something mate?
You need to pay to vote now? Fug dat!!!
^ that's some good stuff there KK.
So for you this is yet another topic where Thailand is exempt from criticism, then?
For most people it's clear that democratic institutions are far stronger in places like the UK, USA etc.
But, since they're not 100 per cent cast iron perfect then let's not say anything negative about the utterly shambolic thai 'efforts'?
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