Voting plan takes heavy flak as 'unfair and unjust' !!!

 

The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) has agreed to
adjust its proposed electoral system following heavy criticism
 of it being "unfair and unjust".

CDC spokesman Norachit Sinhaseni said Wednesday after
 receiving feedback from critics, the committee was finding
 ways to fine-tune the proposed mixed-member apportionment
 (MMA) electoral system, so that the winning constituency
MP candidates would not be disadvantaged.

The panel is considering two options.

The first is to subtract the votes for a failed candidate who

 receives the second-largest number  of votes in a constituency

 from the votes for the winning candidate and the result will

 be added to the party-list votes of the political party of

which the winning candidate is a member.

For example, if a candidate wins 90,000 votes while a

 second-place candidate gains 70,000 votes, 20,000 votes will

be given to the winner's political party.

 The second option is to subtract the votes for all losers in

 a constituency from the votes for the winning candidates

and the resulting figure given to the winning candidate's

political party, Mr Norachit said.


The two options mean the political party of the winning

 constituency candidate will not be put at an disadvantage

 when it comes to calculating party-list votes, Mr Norachit said.

 Mr Norachit also said.

Mr Norachit also said the CDC initially agreed the ratio

between the constituency MPs and party-list MPs should be 350:150,

 which is no different from the past.

The CDC is maintaining the principle that "every vote is

 meaningful" and not wasted for its proposed electoral system.

 The CDC's move to adjust the system came after it faced

fierce criticism from political parties and academics who

expressed anger that the original MMA system was not respecting

 the principles of democracy.

 Under the original proposed MMA, a single ballot would be

 used for both constituency and party-list MPs.

All votes cast for the losing constituency candidates would still

 be used to calculate the number of party-list seats, rather than

 being thrown away under the old first-past-the-post system.

 But critics have slammed the system, saying it does not reflect

 the real intentions of voters.

 Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, a former member of the

 defunct National Reform Council, and academics from the

 National Institute Reform Council, and academics from the

National Institute of Development Administration, are among

critics of the proposed system.

 He said the votes cast for winning constituency candidates will

 not be included in the count for the party-list system but the votes

 for the losers will be.

As a result, the party-list MPs will effectively be unsuccessful

 candidates.

 "This is unfair and unjust, and even violates the rights of voters,"

 he said.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told the Bangkok Post

 the original MMA does not respect the will of the electorate.

 He said it is not fair to use only the the votes for poll losers to

 calculate party-list seats while votes for winning candidates

 are discarded.

 Mr Abhisit also disagreed with the use of a single ballot for

 both constituency and party-list MPs, because it does not

demonstrate whether the voters want to select an individual

constituency MP or choose their preferred party.

 He also said the MMA system would open the way for

political parties to field "nominee candidates" to contest in

their rivals' strongholds to take votes away from candidates

 favoured to win.

If those nominees lose in the constituency elections, votes

 for the nominees can still be used in the calculation of

party-list seats to benefit those parties, Mr Abhisit said.

 He added that under the proposed voting system, party-list MPs

 will not be subject to scrutiny from the public since they are

 chosen with the votes of unsuccessful candidates.

It is also unfair that they will have a chance to become cabinet

 ministers, Mr Abhisit said.

 Deputy Democrat leader Jurin Laksanavisit said  the proposed

 single ballot system does not reflect the real intentions of voters.

Under the single ballot system, voters will be "forced" to

 choose both the party and the individual candidate against

their Mr Jurin said.

 

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party leader Virote Pao-in earlier said

 the party stands by the charter recommendations it submitted

 to the Borwornsak committee.

 Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam agreed Wednesday

 with the CDC's notion that every vote should count rather than

 thrown away.

 "Today, we should not endure the serious flaws of the old

[election] system [before the MMA]," Mr Wissanu said.

"It is obvious that it has more disadvantages than benefits."

.
News,Political,Bangkok Post, 5 November 2015.

Agree with the the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC)

  to adjust its proposed electoral system to make it represent

for the benefit of voters to support sustainable democracy.

 

Sincerely Yours.