Most say national politics do not affect provincial elections: poll

Most say national politics do not affect provincial elections: poll

Candidates register for an election for members of the Provincial Administration Organisation in Songkhla on Thursday. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawa)
Candidates register for an election for members of the Provincial Administration Organisation in Songkhla on Thursday. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawa)

A majority of people say national-level politics will have no influence on their votes for chairmen of provincial administration organisations (PAO) and members of PAO councils scheduled for Dec 20, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on 1,312 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education and occupations throughout the country, except in Bangkok, to gauge their opinions regarding voting in the Dec 20 PAO elections.

A huge majority, 80.03% of the respondents, said they would cast ballots, 15.09% said they would not and4.88% were still undecided.

The following questions were directed to those who would go to vote and those still undecided, a total of 1,114 respondents.

Asked whether current national-level politics in this time of anti-government demonstrations would affect their votes on Dec 20, 52.02% said it would have no effects on them at all because PAO elections are local politics; 20.20% said it would have a considerable effect on their decisions on whom to vote for; 17.68% said it would have a moderate effect; 9.43% said it would have little effect; and 0.63% had no answer or were not interested.

Asked whether they would vote for a PAO chairman and PAO council members from the same political party or group, 52.06% said "no", but would instead regard the qualifications, knowledge and capability of individual candidates; 28.19% said they would rather vote for a chairman and council members from the same party or group; and 19.75% were still undecided.

Lastly, asked whether they wanted the current PAO chairmen replaced, 47.31% said "yes"; 32.40% said "no"; 19.30% were undecided; and 0.99% no answer or were not interested.

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