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December 18, 2007

Questions raised over high voter turnout

Not spontaneous, say political analysts

POST REPORTERS

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Photo: Poll workers carry 20 boxes of advance ballots into a cell for safekeeping at Din Daeng police station on the weekend. The sealed boxes will be kept at the police station until election day next Sunday when they will be opened and counted. An estimated one and a half million people cast early ballots over the weekend. SURAPONG PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN

The high voter turnout in two days of advance voting was far from spontaneous and may have been organised beforehand, political analysts said.

They do not believe many voters came out to vote without being influenced by the state and that ‘‘money politics’’ could come into play during the final week before polling day next Sunday.

An estimated one and a half million people turned out to cast advance votes in the general election, defying previous speculation of a low turnout due to lack of public interest in politics. Advance voting across the country began on Saturday and ended yesterday.

Narong Boonsuayphan, an academic at Walailak University in Nakhon Si Thammarat, said the high turnout did not represent full public awareness of democracy.

It appeared to be a well-orchestrated campaign by those in power to whip up voter support, he said.

He said the final week before the polling day would see political rivals resort to various means to rally voter support.

‘‘They will mobilise support using money power,’’ he said, adding that this could sully the value of the democratic system in the long term.

Somphan Techa-athik, a lecturer at Khon Kaen University, said the Election Commission (EC) played a role in persuading people to vote in advance.

The EC had asked business owners to give employees time off work to vote.

However, Mr Somphan questioned whether the transportation of voters to polling booths was a violation of the election law.

People also realised that if they failed to vote they could be stripped of their voting rights under the new constitution, he said.

He predicted that large numbers of voters would still turn up for the election if the high turnout for the advance voting was used as a yardstick.

He added that undecided voters from the middle class in major cities could be a decisive factor in determining the outcome of the election.

He said poll cheaters had now devised subtle ways to buy votes.

Lt-Gen Samrerng Sivadamrong, commander of the Third Army based in the North, dismissed allegations that soldiers were given orders to turn up in force to cast advance votes.

The last day of advance voting yesterday went smoothly, although some voters still did not understand the procedures, according to observers.

Many buses were seen taking workers from industrial factories to polling stations.

Police and military officers kept coming out to vote.

turnout - the number or percentage of eligible (having the right to do something) voters who actually vote
spontaneous – not planned เกิดขึ้นเอง
ballots – voting papers บัตรเลือกตั้ง
cast ballots – voted (also cast votes) ลงคะแนนเลือกตั้ง
speculation – making a guess or forming an opinion when you don’t have information to be certain การคาดการณ์
well-orchestrated – carefully arranged, sometimes unfairly, to achieve an intended result ได้มีการเตรียมการอย่าดี
campaign – a series of planned activities intended to achieve a particular goal การรณรงค์ การเคลื่อนไหว
whip up – to encourage or cause people to have strong feelings about something ปลุกปั่น
rivals – people or groups competing for the same thing; opponents; competitors คู่แข่ง คู่ปรับ
resort to – to do something that you don’t want to do because you cannot find any other way of achieving it จำต้องทำเช่นนั้น
means – methods วิธีการ หนทาง
rally – to whip up; to encourage people to do something ปลุกระดม
mobilise – to organise something, e.g., a group of people, for a purpose ระดมกำลัง
sully – to spoil someone’s or something’s good reputation ทำให้มัวหมอง ทำให้แปดเปื้อน
polling booths – the place in a polling station where people mark their ballots (voting papers) – although in this case it appears to refer to the polling stations themselves หน่วยลงคะแนนเลือกตั้ง
stripped of – taken away from; removed from แย่งชิงไป ยึดไป
predicted – said that an action or event would happen in the future; forecast ทำนาย คาดการณ์
yardstick – a method of measuring something เครื่องวัด
decisive factor – the thing that most strongly affects how a situation develops ปัจจัยตัดสิน
outcome – result ผล
devised – invented; created คิดค้น หาวิธี
subtle – not obvious or noticeable; done in a quiet way that does not attract attention แยบยล
allegations – unproven statements that someone has done something wrong or illegal ข้อกล่าวหา
in force – in large numbers จำนวนมาก

Election commissioner Somchai Juengprasert estimated that about 80% of the 2.09 million people who registered to cast advance ballots outside their constituencies came out to vote during the two-day advance voting, which ended yesterday.

In the Northeast, more than 800,000 voters cast ballots on Saturday, or 42% of those who registered for advance voting nationwide.

In Bangkok, 46% of 900,000 registered people went to the polling stations to vote on Saturday.

Mr Somchai said he was satisfied with the high turnout. He said people were politically active and wanted the country to move forward.

The two-day advance voting ran smoothly. He conceded, however, that some voters were still confused by the different sets of ballots for the party list and constituency elections.

He assured the public that all ballot boxes would be kept safely. Some are locked in store rooms at post offices and in cells at police stations.

Political parties were invited to observe the EC’s handing of the ballot boxes.

He said he had heard reports that some people were planning to create chaos after the election.

In Suphan Buri, a People Power party candidate has been charged with insulting police during the election campaign.

Prasaeng Mongkholsiri, 45, a constituency candidate for Uthai Thani, refused to acknowledge the charge.

He threatened to file a counter-suit against police.

Mr Prasaeng has been accused of insulting a police team led by Suphan Buri police chief Chairat Thipchan during a campaign rally in tambon Tha Piliang in Muang district.

The officers rushed to the scene and asked the candidate to campaign elsewhere following complaints that the campaign rally caused traffic congestion on Khunkrai road.

estimate – to make a guess about the size, value, cost, etc. of something ประมาณการณ์
constituency – a district that elects its own representative to parliament เขตเลือกตั้ง
conceded – admitted, often unwillingly, that something is true ยินยอม
party list (proportional representation) system - a system that gives each party in an election a number of seats in relation to the number of votes its candidates receive ระบบสัดส่วน, ระบบปาร์ตี้ลิสต์
chaos – a state of confusion or a total lack of order ความโกลาหล
charged – officially accused someone of a crime ตั้งข้อหา
insulting – saying or doing something that is rude, impolite or offensive ดูหมิ่น
candidate – a person who is trying to be elected ผู้สมัครรับเลือกตั้ง
acknowledge – to admit, accept or recognise รับรู้
file a (law)suit – (of an ordinary person) to formally ask a court of law for a legal decision over damage or injury that someone has cause you ยื่นฟ้องร้อง
counter-suit – a lawsuit filed against someone who has filed a lawsuit against you คำฟ้องกลับ ในกรณีที่มีผู้อื่นฟ้องร้อง
traffic congestion – very crowded with motor vehicles รถติด

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 01:39 PM

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Words in the News General News Business, Economics, and Technology News Business Words in the News Teaching with the Bangkok Post Feature Focus From the Weeklies Mainly for Fun Hey kids! Weekend Practice Lessons on H.M.the King 60 years ago World Cup English About Site General suggestions for teachers Building your vocabulary Suggestions for learners Suggestions for parents Who is Acharn Terry? Who is Acharn Jon?	December 18, 2007 Advanced voting December 18, 2007 Questions raised over high voter turnout Not spontaneous, say political analysts POST REPORTERS Photo: Poll workers carry 20 boxes of advance ballots into a cell for safekeeping at Din Daeng police station on the weekend. The sealed boxes will be kept at the police station until election day next Sunday when they will be opened and counted. An estimated one and a half million people cast early ballots over the weekend. SURAPONG PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN The high voter turnout in two days of advance voting was far from spontaneous and may have been organised beforehand, political analysts said. They do not believe many voters came out to vote without being influenced by the state and that ‘‘money politics’’ could come into play during the final week before polling day next Sunday. An estimated one and a half million people turned out to cast advance votes in the general election, defying previous speculation of a low turnout due to lack of public interest in politics. Advance voting across the country began on Saturday and ended yesterday. Narong Boonsuayphan, an academic at Walailak University in Nakhon Si Thammarat, said the high turnout did not represent full public awareness of democracy. It appeared to be a well-orchestrated campaign by those in power to whip up voter support, he said. He said the final week before the polling day would see political rivals resort to various means to rally voter support. ‘‘They will mobilise support using money power,’’ he said, adding that this could sully the value of the democratic system in the long term. Somphan Techa-athik, a lecturer at Khon Kaen University, said the Election Commission (EC) played a role in persuading people to vote in advance. The EC had asked business owners to give employees time off work to vote. However, Mr Somphan questioned whether the transportation of voters to polling booths was a violation of the election law. People also realised that if they failed to vote they could be stripped of their voting rights under the new constitution, he said. He predicted that large numbers of voters would still turn up for the election if the high turnout for the advance voting was used as a yardstick. He added that undecided voters from the middle class in major cities could be a decisive factor in determining the outcome of the election. He said poll cheaters had now devised subtle ways to buy votes. Lt-Gen Samrerng Sivadamrong, commander of the Third Army based in the North, dismissed allegations that soldiers were given orders to turn up in force to cast advance votes. The last day of advance voting yesterday went smoothly, although some voters still did not understand the procedures, according to observers. Many buses were seen taking workers from industrial factories to polling stations. Police and military officers kept coming out to vote. turnout - the number or percentage of eligible (having the right to do something) voters who actually vote spontaneous – not planned เกิดขึ้นเอง ballots – voting papers บัตรเลือกตั้ง cast ballots – voted (also cast votes) ลงคะแนนเลือกตั้ง speculation – making a guess or forming an opinion when you don’t have information to be certain การคาดการณ์ well-orchestrated – carefully arranged, sometimes unfairly, to achieve an intended result ได้มีการเตรียมการอย่าดี campaign – a series of planned activities intended to achieve a particular goal การรณรงค์ การเคลื่อนไหว whip up – to encourage or cause people to have strong feelings about something ปลุกปั่น rivals – people or groups competing for the same thing; opponents; competitors คู่แข่ง คู่ปรับ resort to – to do something that you don’t want to do because you cannot find any other way of achieving it จำต้องทำเช่นนั้น means – methods วิธีการ หนทาง rally – to whip up; to encourage people to do something ปลุกระดม mobilise – to organise something, e.g., a group of people, for a purpose ระดมกำลัง sully – to spoil someone’s or something’s good reputation ทำให้มัวหมอง ทำให้แปดเปื้อน polling booths – the place in a polling station where people mark their ballots (voting papers) – although in this case it appears to refer to the polling stations themselves หน่วยลงคะแนนเลือกตั้ง stripped of – taken away from; removed from แย่งชิงไป ยึดไป predicted – said that an action or event would happen in the future; forecast ทำนาย คาดการณ์ yardstick – a method of measuring something เครื่องวัด decisive factor – the thing that most strongly affects how a situation develops ปัจจัยตัดสิน outcome – result ผล devised – invented; created คิดค้น หาวิธี subtle – not obvious or noticeable; done in a quiet way that does not attract attention แยบยล allegations – unproven statements that someone has done something wrong or illegal ข้อกล่าวหา in force – in large numbers จำนวนมาก Election commissioner Somchai Juengprasert estimated that about 80% of the 2.09 million people who registered to cast advance ballots outside their constituencies came out to vote during the two-day advance voting, which ended yesterday. In the Northeast, more than 800,000 voters cast ballots on Saturday, or 42% of those who registered for advance voting nationwide. In Bangkok, 46% of 900,000 registered people went to the polling stations to vote on Saturday. Mr Somchai said he was satisfied with the high turnout. He said people were politically active and wanted the country to move forward. The two-day advance voting ran smoothly. He conceded, however, that some voters were still confused by the different sets of ballots for the party list and constituency elections. He assured the public that all ballot boxes would be kept safely. Some are locked in store rooms at post offices and in cells at police stations. Political parties were invited to observe the EC’s handing of the ballot boxes. He said he had heard reports that some people were planning to create chaos after the election. In Suphan Buri, a People Power party candidate has been charged with insulting police during the election campaign. Prasaeng Mongkholsiri, 45, a constituency candidate for Uthai Thani, refused to acknowledge the charge. He threatened to file a counter-suit against police. Mr Prasaeng has been accused of insulting a police team led by Suphan Buri police chief Chairat Thipchan during a campaign rally in tambon Tha Piliang in Muang district. The officers rushed to the scene and asked the candidate to campaign elsewhere following complaints that the campaign rally caused traffic congestion on Khunkrai road. estimate – to make a guess about the size, value, cost, etc. of something ประมาณการณ์ constituency – a district that elects its own representative to parliament เขตเลือกตั้ง conceded – admitted, often unwillingly, that something is true ยินยอม party list (proportional representation) system - a system that gives each party in an election a number of seats in relation to the number of votes its candidates receive ระบบสัดส่วน, ระบบปาร์ตี้ลิสต์ chaos – a state of confusion or a total lack of order ความโกลาหล charged – officially accused someone of a crime ตั้งข้อหา insulting – saying or doing something that is rude, impolite or offensive ดูหมิ่น candidate – a person who is trying to be elected ผู้สมัครรับเลือกตั้ง acknowledge – to admit, accept or recognise รับรู้ file a (law)suit – (of an ordinary person) to formally ask a court of law for a legal decision over damage or injury that someone has cause you ยื่นฟ้องร้อง counter-suit – a lawsuit filed against someone who has filed a lawsuit against you คำฟ้องกลับ ในกรณีที่มีผู้อื่นฟ้องร้อง traffic congestion – very crowded with motor vehicles รถติด Version 3.2 Copyright © 2001-2005 Six Apart. All Rights Reserved. Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 01:39 PM
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