Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Stop procrastinating, call the election now!
News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 21/03/2018
» The latest proposal by Somchai Sawaengkarn, a member of the coup-installed National Legislative Assembly (NLA), asking for a consensus from political parties for a further delay of the general election of another three months has been seen as a regime tactic to extend its grip on power. Such a proposal deserves to be condemned.
New political parties must wipe slate clean
News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 07/03/2018
» As new political parties rush to reserve names and kick off the registration process, there emerges an impression that our politics is being returned to a democratic mode. The existing political parties are supposed to start confirming the memberships of their members next month. However, there still is no clear signal from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) over when it will allow political parties -- new or old -- to conduct activities. The road ahead remains full of pitfalls and loopholes. It will be a long time before the dust settles, if ever.
Military treats democracy like a video game
News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 13/06/2017
» Our leaders handle politics as if it were a video game. There is a reset button. Everything can be reset to zero -- and we start all over again.
Shutting out parties is recipe for trouble
News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 06/12/2016
» The gag order issued by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) after the 2014 coup which prohibits political gatherings of more than five people will be a key obstacle for parties when preparing for the next general election.
'Reset' by charter drafters fails to deliver
News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 22/11/2016
» The Constitution Drafting Committee's (CDC) current effort to deliberate the draft organic laws to "reset" independent organisations fails to touch on anything of real substance.
Thai politics needs room to thrive, mature
Oped, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 13/09/2016
» Since the draft constitution gained public approval in the Aug 7 referendum, discussions have now shifted towards the organic laws, in particular the one on political parties.
Governor's errors play into NCPO's hands
News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 30/08/2016
» Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra is the latest to fall under the sword of Section 44. Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, as head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), issued an order suspending him from work without pay. The suspension is supposed to be temporary until further notice.
Regime should exploit 'win' to forge unity
News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 09/08/2016
» No wonder Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was confident when he announced he would vote "Yes" two days before the referendum on Sunday. The results confirmed what he might have known through internal polls. The draft constitution passed with 61.4% of the vote, compared to a "No" vote of 38.6% at the time of writing; official results could differ only a little. The voter turnout was 55%, or 27.6 million Thais who came out to cast their vote.
Open debate on the draft charter is critical
News, Suranand Vejjajiva, Published on 27/07/2016
» As the nation rounds the last corner towards the Aug 7 constitutional referendum, the outcome remains uncertain and the aftermath worrisome.