Registration starts for poll hopefuls
A five-day nationwide registration of candidates for constituency seats kicked off yesterday.
The three big parties – Thai Rak Thai, Democrat and Chart Thai – are fielding candidates in almost all 76 provinces.
Mahachon, whose leader Anek Laothamatas drew No.11 in the Jan 7 registration of party-list contenders, will register today, Jan 11, in the belief the date is auspicious and will bring them good luck.
Every candidate spoke confidently of winning a seat in the Feb 6 general election.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, the Election Commission (EC) warned of the need to keep a close watch on six constituencies – 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11 – where fierce competition was expected.
Paiboon Makkawimarn, the provincial election chief, said he had asked the Second Army for 1,600 soldiers to help count the ballots in those six constituencies, to replace government officials whose impartiality was questioned by voters.
The EC also appointed Nakhon Ratchasima chief prosecutor Thaweechai Suwannawat a member of the provincial election committee to fill the vacant seat left by the removal of Wijai Charoenruangwanich, director of Nakhon Ratchasima's civil works and town planning office.
A source in the provincial election committee said election workers were worried about vote buying in constituency 4 where leading contenders include Uthai Mingkwan of Thai Rak Thai and Democrat Ladtha Chanapai and constituencies 5 and 9 where Thai Rak Thai's closest rivals would be from Mahachon.
PM: Cabinet sleep-over not vote-grabbing stunt
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday rejected the opposition’s claim that he had instructed his cabinet ministers to spend the night at local leaders’ houses in Chiang Rai on Monday because the general election was coming up and the move could make a big difference.
The overnight stay was part of the mobile cabinet meeting in Chiang Rai and was aimed at giving the ministers a chance to familiarise themselves with local problems first-hand, he said.
Mr Thaksin spent Monday night at kamnan Inthararat Sujarit's house in Muang district of Chiang Rai. The prime minister later cooked noodle dishes which were auctioned off on the restaurant owner's request, with the proceeds going to tsunami victims in the South.
The opposition alleged that the move was a vote-grabbing stunt designed to give the Thai Rak Thai party an edge in the Feb 6 general election. With eight constituency seats at stake in Chiang Rai, the province should be a hotly contested turf between Thai Rak Thai, Chart Thai and Mahachon candidates.
Thai Rak Thai made a clean sweep in Chiang Rai in the previous general election four years ago.
Mahachon win likely in Korat's constituency 5
The Mahachon party seems set to win at least one House seat in Nakhon Ratchasima province, where voters in constituency 5 are dissatisfied with their sitting MP.
Mahachon's Tasaneeya Ratanaset is competing with Thai Rak Thai’s Pitsinee Moongfakklarng, who is seeking re-election on Feb 6.
Samran Wongklarng, a village head in tambon Dan Phla of Non Sung district, said Mrs Pitsinee had hardly visited her constituents during her four-year term, so they intended to vote for the Mahachon candidate this time.
Prakorng Jongrangklang, a village head in tambon Polsongkhram in the same district, said he liked Thai Rak Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra but did not like Mrs Pitsinee. An MP should visit her constituents regularly and contribute to her constituency, he said.
Mrs Tasaneeya, a former director of Nakhon Ratchasima Vocational College, said she was upbeat about winning because she had worked steadily for the constituency.
Her husband Virat Ratanaset said he was 100% confident of victory. He lost to Mrs Pitsinee by only about 4,000 votes in the previous general election.
Mrs Pitsinee rejected the charges but admitted she was now the underdog as most tambon and village heads were backing the Mahachon party.
Democrat walks into Newin meet
Songkhla – Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob and his canvassers were caught off guard when Democrat candidate Thavorn Saenniam entered their meeting room in Hat Yai, and heard the deputy minister promising to hand out cash to local administrative organisations if his Thai Rak Thai party won in Phatthalung’s constituency 2.
Mr Newin yesterday called a meeting of Thai Rak Thai candidates and canvassers to discuss the campaign strategy for the Feb 6 election. The meeting was held at the Rubber Research Centre’s conference hall in Songkhla's Hat Yai district at 9.30am.
Over 300 people attended the meeting. During the meeting, Mr Newin discussed the campaign strategy for Khananart Muennoo, who is contesting constituency 2 in Phatthalung.
A poll survey found Mr Khananart was trailing in popularity behind a Democrat candidate by 3%.
Mr Newin told his canvassers: “I want to place my bet in all 25 tambons of Phatthalung's constituency 2. If Thai Rak Thai wins, I will give each tambon 100,000 baht. Can you take my bet? I will give the money to the provincial governor. The vote counting will be on the night of Feb 6 and on the morning of Feb 7 you will get the money if Thai Rak Thai wins. We don't care about yellow or red cards.”
During the meeting, the Democrat MP for Songkhla’s constituency 6 made a surprise visit to the meeting room.
Mr Newin and other participants were taken aback at seeing Mr Thavorn, who told the deputy minister, “My dear brother, let's go have coffee when you've finished here.”
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ballot
a voting paper
ballot box
the container where votes (ballots) are put by voters
cast a ballot
to vote
polling station
the place where voters go to vote
go to the polls
to go to vote
poll
an election; an opinion survey
seat
an election position in parliament
run
to try to win an elected position (elections are often called “races” and that is why candidates “run”)
candidate
a person who is trying to win (who is running for) an elected position
campaign
the planned set of activities that parties and candidates use to persuade voters before an election
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constituency
a district that elects its own representative to parliament
constituents
people who live in an election district (a constituency)
rival
opponent
contest
to compete in an election
hotly contested
to be very competitive
seeking re-election
tying to win an election again after being elected previously
incumbent
a candidate who is seeking re-election
canvasser
a person who works for a political party or candidate and tries to persuade voters to vote for that party or candidate
soliciting
asking for support; canvassing
under the (party) banner
with the support of a political party |
rally
a public meeting or event organised by a political party
pledging
promising
the opposition
the political parties that were not part of the previous government
landslide
a very large victory
upset
an unexpected win (or loss)
turnout
the percentage of people who have the right to vote who actually go to vote
majority
more than half
favourite
the candidate who is expected to win
dark horse
a candidate who is not expected to win but who might do so
underdog
a candidate who is expected to lose
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