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Thai Voting Is Disrupted by Protesters Protesters Disrupt Thai Voting, Forcing Additional Elections
(about 7 hours later)
BANGKOK — Protesters seeking to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra disrupted voting in Thailand’s general election on Sunday in what appeared to be a prelude to a period of continued political paralysis in the country. BANGKOK — Protesters seeking to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra disrupted Thailand’s general election on Sunday in what appeared to be a prelude to more political upheaval.
Opposition forces, who represent a minority in the country and are seeking to replace the country’s elected government with an appointed council of technocrats, say they will challenge the elections in the courts while continuing their street demonstrations in Bangkok. The opposition forces, who represent a minority of Thais and are seeking to replace the country’s elected government with an appointed council of technocrats, said they would challenge the election results in court while continuing to hold street demonstrations in Bangkok, the capital.
Protesters on Sunday stopped the distribution of ballot boxes and pressed election officials to call off voting in a number of districts in Bangkok and in most of southern Thailand, the stronghold of the protest movement. Although there was no violence reported during voting hours, a battle in Bangkok on Saturday between would-be voters and gunmen allied with the protesters left at least seven people wounded and may have deterred many voters from participating. Protesters stopped the distribution of ballot boxes on Sunday and pressed election officials to call off voting in a number of districts in Bangkok and in most of southern Thailand, the stronghold of the protest movement. Although no violence was reported during voting hours, a battle in the capital on Saturday between would-be voters and gunmen allied with the protesters left at least seven people wounded and might have deterred voters the next day.
One of those unable to vote on Sunday was an election commissioner, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, whose polling place in Bangkok was shut down because protesters blocked the delivery of ballot boxes. One of those unable to vote on Sunday was an election commissioner, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, whose polling place in Bangkok was shut because protesters prevented the delivery of ballot boxes. Furious Bangkok residents filed complaints at police stations while protesters nearby, many of them looking threatening with military-style clothing and covered faces, blocked access to roads near polling places.
Furious Bangkok residents who were blocked from voting filed complaints at police stations, while protesters nearby, many of them looking threatening with military-style clothing and covered faces, blocked access to roads near polling places. “This is the dark ages,” said Wantanee Suthachiva, a businesswoman who was turned away from her polling place.
“This is the dark ages!” said Wantanee Suthachiva, a businesswoman who was turned away at her polling place. In a stark illustration of the divisions in Thailand, the election went smoothly in northern, central and eastern regions. Voting was successfully carried out in nearly 90 percent of the country’s 375 electoral districts; the disruptions were limited to Bangkok and the south.
In a stark illustration of the divisions in Thailand, voting went smoothly in northern, northeastern, central and eastern regions of Thailand. The disruptions were limited to Bangkok and the south. Voting was successfully carried out in nearly 90 percent of the country’s 375 electoral districts. But the protesters’ actions — both on Sunday and during the registration process leading up to the vote — will force a series of smaller elections before any government can be formed, a process that is likely to take months.
But the disruptions by protesters — both on Sunday and in the registration process leading up to the vote — will force a series of smaller elections before any government can be formed, a process that will most likely take months. The leader of the protests, Suthep Thaugsuban, who had urged Thais to boycott the election on the ground that it would return Ms. Yingluck to power, said Sunday was the day “when you choose your side.”
The leader of the protests, Suthep Thaugsuban, who urged Thais to boycott the elections on the grounds that they would return Ms. Yingluck to power, said Sunday was the day “when you choose your side.” Among those who did not vote were television actors and middle- and upper-class Bangkok residents, who, along with southerners, form the core of the protest movement. Instead, protesters held what they called a picnic in central Bangkok that included live music and political speeches.
Among those who did not vote were television actors and actresses and middle- and upper-class Thais in Bangkok, who along with southerners form the core of the protesters. Rather than voting, protesters held what they called a “picnic” on the streets of central Bangkok that included live music and political speeches. The protest movement includes many powerful Thais, but the list of high-profile Thais who did vote on Sunday, including the country’s most senior military commanders, was also significant. The protesters have pleaded with the military to help them carry out their seemingly quixotic plan to replace Parliament with an unelected “people’s council.”
The protest movement includes many powerful Thais. But also significant on Sunday was the list of high-profile Thais who voted, including the country’s most senior military commanders. The protesters have pleaded with the military to intervene in the power struggle and help them carry out their seemingly quixotic plan for an unelected “people’s council” that would replace Parliament. Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army commander, who has given ambiguous signals to both the governing party and the protesters in recent weeks, appeared eager to avoid waiting reporters and left his polling place so hastily that he forgot to retrieve his identification card. But many people took the fact that he voted as an indication that the military supported an electoral solution to the power struggle.
Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the powerful commander of the army, who has given ambiguous signals to both the governing party and the protesters in recent weeks, appeared eager to avoid waiting reporters and left his polling place so hastily that he forgot to retrieve his identity card. But his vote was taken by many as a signal that the military supports an electoral solution to the power struggle. The army has carried out a dozen coups in modern Thai history. But one military officer who was called in to keep the peace in Bangkok on Sunday said that the army itself was divided in the current conflict and that it feared a backlash by government supporters if it intervened.
The army has carried out a dozen coups in modern Thai history. One military officer, who declined to be identified because of the delicacy of the matter and who was called in to keep peace in Bangkok on Sunday, said that the army itself was divided and that it feared a backlash by government supporters if it were to intervene. Another would-be arbiter, the ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 86, has been silent about the crisis.
Another would-be arbiter in the crisis, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 86, is ailing and has been silent about the political standoff. Thailand has had many interruptions to democratic rule, including the coups, since it abolished absolute monarchy more than eight decades ago. But until recently, its electoral system — including the organization of elections and the transparent counting of ballots — had been praised as a model for less developed neighboring countries. Opposition parties had conceded defeat in all recent elections, and there had been no challenges to the legitimacy of the process.
Thailand has had many interruptions to democratic rule since the absolute monarchy was abolished more than eight decades ago, including the coups. But the country’s electoral system — the organization of elections and the transparent counting of ballots — had until this general election been praised as a model for less developed neighboring countries. Opposition parties have conceded defeat in all of the recent elections and there have been no challenges — until now — to the legitimacy of the process. The opposition Democrat Party and the protesters assailed Sunday’s election on the ground that Ms. Yingluck and her elder brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire tycoon and former prime minister, were corrupt and had disregarded the rights of the political minority.
The Democrat Party and the protesters justify their opposition to the elections on the grounds that Ms. Yingluck and her elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire tycoon and former prime minister, are corrupt and disregard the rights of the political minority. But many independent observers saw a naked power grab by the opposition and its allies in the courts and some independent state agencies.
But many independent observers see a naked grab for power by opposition forces and their allies in some of the independent state agencies and the courts. Nattakorn Devakula, a prominent commentator and one of a handful of Thai aristocrats who have spoken against the protest movement, lashed out on Friday. “Those orchestrating this entire sham of a putsch will see their comeuppance in the end and it will be hell,” he wrote on Twitter.
Nattakorn Devakula, a prominent commentator and one of a handful of Thai aristocrats who are vocally against the protest movement, lashed out on Friday. “Those orchestrating this entire sham of a putsch will see their comeuppance in the end and it will be hell,” he wrote on Twitter. The government has strong support in the northern and northeastern parts of the country, mainly because Mr. Thaksin was the first Thai politician to devise policies that specifically addressed the needs of poorer rural residents.
The government has strong support in the northern and northeastern part of the country, mainly because Mr. Thaksin was the first Thai politician to specifically devise policies that addressed the needs of poorer rural Thais.
Mr. Thaksin, who was prime minister from 2001 until the military ousted him in 2006, has been widely accused of using his power to further his business interests. He was convicted of abuse of power in a politicized trial in 2008 and lives abroad in self-imposed exile.Mr. Thaksin, who was prime minister from 2001 until the military ousted him in 2006, has been widely accused of using his power to further his business interests. He was convicted of abuse of power in a politicized trial in 2008 and lives abroad in self-imposed exile.
Verapat Pariyawong, a Harvard-trained lawyer and commentator, said there was no denying the governing party’s faults. The governing party “is surely a big part of the problem,” he said in an email, “but to overthrow them and the rule of law altogether will only provide them with legitimate call for more support.” Verapat Pariyawong, a Harvard-trained lawyer and commentator, said there was no denying the governing party’s faults. Ms. Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party “is surely a big part of the problem,” Mr. Verapat said in an email, “but to overthrow them and the rule of law altogether will only provide them with legitimate call for more support.”
Mr. Verapat said he believed that the opposition forces would call for the annulment of the elections on the grounds that they were not free and fair because of the many disruptions. He called this argument “absurd” because the opposition forces themselves were responsible for the problems plaguing the elections. Mr. Verapat said he believed that the opposition would call for the election to be annulled on the ground that it was not free and fair because of the many disruptions. He called this argument “absurd” because the opposition forces themselves were responsible for the problems that plagued voting.
A nullified general election, he said, “would lead to much more blood on the streets.”A nullified general election, he said, “would lead to much more blood on the streets.”
Although the Democrat Party, which represents the Bangkok establishment, has boycotted the elections and thus will be excluded from Parliament, every other major Thai party took part, and a number have vowed to become Thailand’s new opposition force. Although the Democrat Party, which represents the Bangkok establishment, has boycotted the elections and so will be excluded from Parliament, every other major party took part, and a number have vowed to become Thailand’s new opposition force.