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Thailand Vote 2007


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Rights group questions "free and fair" elections in Thailand

 

New York - Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday questioned whether Thailand's upcoming general election Sunday will be "free and fair" in light of evidence that the military has interfered in the process.

 

The New York-based human rights group faulted Thailand's Election Commission for failing to act on growing evidence that the military has tried to undermine the chances of the People Power Party, a political party close to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a coup on September 19, 2006, from winning the election.

 

HRW noted that a military-backed Constitutional Tribunal on May 30 this year dissolved Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party and banned 111 TRT politicians (including Thaksin) from politics for five years for allegedly manipulating the last general election of April 2, 2006.

 

"The courts dissolved the Thai Rak Thai Party for manipulating the electoral process, but now the junta is doing the same thing," :elf: said Elaine Pearson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. "Military leaders are maneuvering to influence voting results and to prevent Thaksin's allies from returning to government

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/12/21/politics/politics_30059798.php

 

 

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Millions of Thais have begun to vote in Sunday's general election. Intended to restore democracy in the wake of last year's coup, the vote also has turned into a contest of whether to keep out or rehabilitate Thaksin Shinawatra, the premier ousted by the military.

 

Although some 43 political parties have registered to contest the election, the two main rivals are the People Power Party (PPP), whose main platform has been to bring Thaksin back to Thailand and give him a fair trial on numerous corruption charges, and the Democrat Party, the main opposition party during Thaksin's controversial premiership between 2001 and 2006 before he was toppled by a coup on September 19, 2006.

 

The PPP is headed by Samak Sundaravej, 72, a veteran Thai politician with a right-wing past who has dubbed himself a "nominee" for Thaksin, campaigning on the promise to continue the populist policies initiated by Thaksin's now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party and to guarantee a return for the former prime minister.

 

Thaksin, a billionaire former telecommunication tycoon, has moved from his mansion in London to his luxury apartment in Hong Kong to observe the election. Thaksin, a brilliant manipulator of the mass media, reportedly wishes to return to Thailand on February 14, Valentine's Day.

 

The Democrat Party is led by Abhisit Vejjajiva, 43, an Oxford- educated liberal politician who has campaigned on his clean record and the boast that he is the best candidate to lead Thailand out of its current political and economic slump.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=124636

 

:tophat:

 

 

 

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PPP wins most seats, unclear how much.

 

If this party can do the majoritiy government

with leader Samak Sundarevej as Prime Minister,

then i want to see how long this Government will survive.

 

:shakehead

 

Samak made already an Interview on CNN one hour ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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