Even before the official polling day next Sunday, Thais were able to give some of your voice, which many did with great commitment. In the election centers lively exchange of opinion prevails.
Despite the burning midday sun is a bustling place on the market square of Chonburi, an industrial city about an hour’s drive East of Bangkok. “We have our hands full,” says the government, to tents the officials at the entrance of the Choice, while the sweat trickles down the forehead down. “Because of the many factories and workplaces in Thailand live in Chonburi voters from all regions, what are the tents in the respective Choice of their province from here to vote.”
Before the election of the Northern provinces of tents, the largest of people forming grapes. The mostly poor rural population and the majority supports the “Pheu Thai”party of the businessman, Thaksin Shinawatra, who fled in 2010 after allegations of corruption, into exile and since then, his political forces in Thailand, Dubai orchestrated. “I wish to return to Thaksin”, little is heard all of a sudden the Northern tents. “I deserve only 16,000 Baht (around 450 Euro) per month and living in Thailand is getting more and more expensive. We need fresh blood in the government. The military is crippling the economy,” complains the 24-year-old factory worker Tip that comes from the North-Eastern province of Khon Kaen.
Tip (left) from the northeast of Thailand is hoping that a victory of the Opposition’s economic recovery
“Generals worry for safety”
Next door receives the Phalang-Pracharat party of the ruling military junta support. “The generals provide security in the country. Since the coup of 2014, it became quiet between the political Camps. Thaksin has caused the whole mess in the first place,” says a pensioner in front of the choice of province of Chonburi tent. He speaks of the bitter enmity between the “red shirts”, (followers of the populist Thaksin Shinawatra) and the royalist “yellow shirts”, which in 2014 massive unrest culminated in the Thai policy is paralysed. Then the army took over the Power in Thailand.
According to surveys, the “Pheu Thai”party of exiled Ex-Prime Minister Shinawatra or any of its splinter and successor parties in new robes are still on the first places of the Thai voters favor. Sealing party Palang Pracharath, which is competing with the military commander-in-chief Prayuth Chan-o-Cha as the top candidate to get the necessary votes, followed by the Pro-Junta.
One of the many choice of tents on the marketplace from Chonburi
Opposition at a disadvantage
The Opposition, however, with a Handicap at the Start. With the Referendum of 2016, the military has secured his Power to the extent that all of the 250 senators of the upper house will be determined exclusively by the army. Only the 500 members of the lower house to be determined by the people. That is, while the opposition parties need to have 376 seats to secure Power sufficient for the Pro-Junta party, Phalang Pracharat only 126 seats in the lower house for the election victory. And that is not the only block, which binds the military of the competition to the leg. Restrictions on certain political activities, temporary shutdowns of poor-critical media, as well as several court actions against politicians from the other parties in the Opposition continue to paralyze.
The head of government and Ex-General Prayuth with his cardboard duplicate. The press should inform critical issues of the latter, he left at the beginning of January know.
Irregularities feared
Back on the marketplace in Chonburi the first day of the election is coming to an end. Around 70,000 voters have made in the two election centres in Chonburi’s your voice. Although the election Commission seals off the Area with red-and-white barrier tape and the boxes sealed slips of paper with the choice, there are still dozens and dozens of citizens are still in the marketplace, eyeing the government officials is critical. Among them, the 72-year-old Sisuk: “The whole thing seems to me to be very unprofessional,” says the “Pheu Thai”sympathizer worried. “The ballot papers were stored in boxes, which were sealed on the four corners. Now, the ballot papers shall be Packed, suddenly, in simple plastic bags and without independent election observers transported to the choice of the centre of Bangkok. This is not yet safe,” grumbles the former Hotelier.
The critical comments come from about. After the last regular elections in the year 2011, nearly 2,000 complaints about electoral fraud have been received by the election Commission. According to a recent study by the national school of Administration NIDA, 78 percent of Thais believe that the current elections from corruption. The military wants to know anything. Despite claims by international human rights organizations Minister Don Pramudwinai rejected foreign foreign election observers categorically: “If the outside of elections must observe the respective country is a Problem.”