Election News
Thailand Opposition Parties, After Stunning Election Win.
BANGKOK, Thailand — Thailand’s main two opposition parties began preparations for the next step of their bid to oust the military-dominated government on Monday, following a shock election triumph in which they secured a majority of seats in the House of Representatives.
The Move Forward Party, led by 42-year-old businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, won the election, outperforming most predictions. It narrowly defeated the Pheu Thai party, which was widely expected to win the election.
Despite the star power of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former populist prime leader who was deposed in a 2006 military coup and who is the driving force behind the party, Pheu Thai has faltered.
“The overwhelming electoral victory by Move Forward and Pheu Thai is a decisive sign that voters want a polity where the people, not the military, decide their future,” said Tyrell Haberkorn, a University of Wisconsin Thai studies scholar.
“Voters want a Thailand with free speech, without compulsory military conscription, and where the people’s voices are valued, not something to be silenced or bought,” she stated.
Pita stated on Monday that he has been in discussions with five other parties about building a coalition government. It would have 309 House seats in total, which would be more stable than the previous 292-seat partnership with Pheu Thai as the sole ally. Parliament will choose a new prime minister in July, giving them roughly two months to reach an agreement.
On Monday afternoon, supporters of Move Forward paraded through Bangkok’s streets to celebrate their triumph. Pita smiled broadly and waved as an open truck convoy brought him and other party members gently through the streets of the capital’s historic quarter.
Thailand has been led for the past nine years by former army leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, who took power in a 2014 military coup and was re-elected prime minister following the 2019 election. He ran for reelection on Sunday, but has been chastised for a sluggish economy, a bungled early reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, and stifling democratic changes – a particular irritant among younger people.
“The sentiment of the era has changed, and it’s right,” Pita said on Monday. “And today is a new day, and hopefully it will be full of bright sunshine and hope for the future.”
Earlier, as it became evident that his party would take the lead, he stated that as the country’s 30th prime minister, he is ready to bring about change. “Whether you agree with me or not, I will be your prime minister.” I will serve you whether you voted for me or not.”
Move Forward and Pheu Thai are mainly united in their opposition to the military’s periodic meddling in politics, as seen by more than a dozen coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, and most recently in 2006 and 2014.
Both parties support some aspects of monarchy reform, which irritates the traditional royalist establishment, which sees the institution as sacred. Move Forward is viewed as radical in the perspective of mainstream Thai politics since it has been more outspoken on the matter.
With nearly all votes counted as of Monday, Move Forward has won over 24% of the popular vote for 400 constituency seats and more than 36% of the votes for the 100 seats allocated under proportional representation.
The Pheu Thailand party was a close second, with a combined seat total of 141 expected.
Prayuth’s United Thai Nation Party is ranked fifth in constituency votes and third in party preferences, with a predicted total of 36 seats.
Despite the fact that the numbers favour Pita becoming the next Prime Minister, he faces a long road ahead.
Candidates are hampered by constitutional provisions created by the military regime to prevent populist political parties from taking root and upending the long-established conservative system.
The prime minister of Thailand is chosen by a combined session of the newly elected House’s 500 members and the military’s 250 senators. The winning candidate must receive at least 376 votes.
The Senate, together with the army and the courts, voted unanimously for Prayuth in 2019, allowing him to overcome Pheu Thai’s first-place finish and form a coalition government.
There is a considerable risk that Pita will be viewed as too radical by some partner parties, forcing them to seek a more moderate candidate.
Paetongtarn, Pheu Thai’s party base, is the most favoured pick. However, her ties to her father, Thaksin, with whom the military has never reconciled since deposing him in 2006, would make gaining Senate support impossible. In that situation, real estate magnate Srettha Thavisin, another Pheu Thai candidate for prime minister, would have a stronger chance.
There are also concerns that conservative groups in Thai politics would once again use dirty techniques to maintain power. Since Thaksin’s demise, they have regularly exploited the courts and ostensibly independent state bodies like the Election Commission to produce contentious legal judgements that have crippled or sunk political threats from opponents. Such tactics would very certainly spark violent street protests.
“Is Pita’s proposed coalition, with 309 seats, stable enough?” It is the most stable in a democratic world. However, in a world of half-dictatorship in which the Senate is a key component, Move Forward must leverage the Senate with the voices of the people,” said Pinkaew Laungaramsri, an anthropology professor at Chiang Mai University.
“We’ll have to wait and see if the authoritarians will dare to use their illegitimate powers against the will of the people.” If they do that, they’re just encouraging people to return to the streets, (asterisk) she remarked.
SOURCE – (AP)
Election News
Trudeau Determined to Avoid Early Election After NDP Coalition Ended
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasised he does not want an early election and said he will want to work with his former partner just hours after the New Democratic Party (NDP) withdrew from an agreement it had with the current Liberal Party Government.
“I look forward to conversations with Mr. (Jagmeet) Singh about how we’re going to continue to demonstrate that confident countries invest in their citizens, invest in their future, because that’s what we’re doing,” Trudeau said, addressing the media in the town of Rocky Harbour, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. That declaration came shortly after Jagmeet Singh, who has been in power since March 2022, declared his party was leaving the Supply and Confidence Agreement.
As in previous years, Trudeau continued, “I’ll let others focus on politics, but I will point out that I really hope the NDP stays focused on how we can deliver for Canadians, rather than focusing on politics.”
With Trudeau’s party in the minority in the Commons, the opposition Conservative Party is preparing to call for an early election through the possibility of a no-confidence resolution when the House reconvenes on September 18.
The timing of the motion is still unknown, according to reports from Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party, who stated, “At this time, we don’t have a calendar to indicate when we can put forward a motion.”
“After Sellout Singh did this stunt today, he is going to have to vote on whether he keeps Justin Trudeau’s costly Government in power,” he stated, putting further pressure on the NDP.
“I certainly hope that the NDP will stay true to its fundamental values, which is making sure that Canadians get the support they need and keeping away from the austerity, the cuts, and the damage that will be done by Conservatives if they get the chance,” stated Trudeau, expressing optimism that early elections can be avoided.
October 2025 will see Canadian federal elections, but Trudeau’s Liberals only have 154 members of the 338-member House. It had made it through until Wednesday morning thanks to the backing of the 25-member NDP caucus.
Posting a video message on Wednesday, Singh claimed to have “ripped up” the accord and stated that “Canadians are fighting a battle.” A struggle for the middle class’s future. Justin Trudeau has often demonstrated his willingness to give up to corporate greed. People feel let down by the Liberals. From Canadians, they don’t deserve another opportunity.
The news coincided with the Trudeau Government’s severe unpopularity, which has negatively impacted the NDP. The non-profit public polling organisation Angus Reid Institute, or ARI, released a survey indicating that the Conservatives have 43% of the vote, a significant 22% lead over the ruling party.
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Election News
Kamala Harris Challenges Donald Trump to Transparent Debate with Live Microphones
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the US presidential election in November, called on her Republican opponent Donald Trump to debate her with their microphones turned on during the event.
Kamala Harris and the former president have agreed to debate on September 10th, which will be hosted by ABC News.
“Donald Trump is giving in to his aides, who refuse to allow him to debate with a live microphone. “If his own team doesn’t believe in him, the American people certainly won’t,” Kamala Harris wrote on X.
“We’re running for President of the United States. Let’s have a transparent debate, with microphones on the whole time.”
Trump has stated that he prefers to keep his microphone on and did not like it muted at the last debate against then-candidate Joe Biden.
So-called “hot mics” can help or hinder political campaigns by recording off-hand comments that were not intended for the public. Muted microphones also restrict debaters from interrupting their opponents.
A spokeswoman from ABC did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The discussion would be the first between Harris and Trump since Biden stepped out of the presidential race following a dismal performance at a CNN debate in June that prompted concerns about his mental acuity.
Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, and JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, have agreed to a CBS News debate on October 1.
ORIGINAL STORY: Why Kamala Harris Campaign is fighting for Unmuted Debate Mics
Some experts believe the Trump campaign’s eagerness to maintain the muting rule for the Kamala Harris debate on September 10 is because to the great reception he received in June for a more controlled performance than many had anticipated versus Mr Biden. In practice, it rendered interruptions impossible.
The former president, on the other hand, appears unconcerned with the regulation, and has even contradicted his own team’s statements advocating for its continuation. “[It] does not matter to me. I’d prefer to have [the microphones] turned on,” he stated on Monday.
“But we agreed that it would be the same as the last time. “In that case, it was muted,” he explained.
Trump announced on social media Tuesday afternoon that he had “reached an agreement” with ABC for the September 10 debate. He did not mention mics in the post, but did say that the “rules will be the same as the last CNN debate,” which included muted mics.
In the article, he also accused the network of being “unfair,” but added that his team had been guaranteed that the debate would be “fair and equitable.”
With only two weeks until the debate, the Kamala Harris team wants to change the agreed-upon regulations so that both candidates’ microphones are unmuted during the event. What do they believe they will benefit from this change?
More broadly, they feel it has the potential to show viewers an unfiltered, even irritable, Trump, who will be audible throughout Kamala Harris’s speech.
“Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own,” said Kamala Harris’s spokeswoman.
Election News
Why Kamala Harris Campaign is fighting for Unmuted Debate Mics
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are scheduled to face battle in their first presidential debate next month, but the campaigns are still fighting about logistics, specifically microphones.
Trump’s campaign is advocating for microphones to be muted when it is the other person’s turn to speak. Joe Biden originally requested this regulation as the Democratic candidate.
Trump’s team eventually consented to the request, which was clearly an attempt by Biden’s campaign to limit disruptions. (The pair’s turbulent first 2020 debate was marked by numerous interruptions, with Mr. Biden finally shouting at his rival: “Will you shut up, man?”)
Kamala Harris Campaign Advocates for Unmuted Mics: Potential Advantages
Some experts believe the Trump campaign’s eagerness to maintain the muting rule for the Kamala Harris debate on September 10 is because to the great reception he received in June for a more controlled performance than many had anticipated versus Mr Biden. In practice, it rendered interruptions impossible.
The former president, on the other hand, appears unconcerned with the regulation, and has even contradicted his own team’s statements advocating for its continuation. “[It] does not matter to me. I’d prefer to have [the microphones] turned on,” he stated on Monday.
“But we agreed that it would be the same as the last time. “In that case, it was muted,” he explained.
Trump announced on social media Tuesday afternoon that he had “reached an agreement” with ABC for the September 10 debate. He did not mention mics in the post, but did say that the “rules will be the same as the last CNN debate,” which included muted mics.
In the article, he also accused the network of being “unfair,” but added that his team had been guaranteed that the debate would be “fair and equitable.”
With only two weeks until the debate, the Harris team wants to change the agreed-upon regulations so that both candidates’ microphones are unmuted during the event. What do they believe they will benefit from this change?
More broadly, they feel it has the potential to show viewers an unfiltered, even irritable, Trump, who will be audible throughout Kamala Harris’s speech.
“Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own,” said Kamala Harris’s spokeswoman.
Source: BBC
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