In four days, Bangkokians head to the voting booths. Thus far we've heard what the candidates are willing to do to be the next governor: everything. From driving a bus to hopping onto a garbage truck, from spoon-feeding the elderly to holding a baby for the cameras, from meddling with the polls to doctoring celebrities' photos. If you asked them to do Gangnam Style or the Harlem Shuffle, they would.
But let's cut to the chase. It's going to be a two-horse race. On one hand we have the Pheu Thai Party's Pongsapat, with his slogan "Working with the government seamlessly". To be fair, for a Bangkok governor to accomplish much, he needs the government's backing, especially from the Transport and Interior ministries. The catch is that the slogan comes with a caveat: "Pinching taxpayers' coffers with the government, seamlessly". They are like Siamese twins.
On the other hand is the Democrats' Sukhumbhand. He's certainly kept busy during his tenure - like extending the BTS contract without permission. Feeling the heat, the Democrats have cautioned voters against backing independents, which would reduce the count for Sukhumband.
Even if the Democrats win due to a "home-field advantage", they should realise it mostly because of Bangkokians' hatred for the man in Dubai, not their affection for the party. There's a big difference between the two.
Whereas the Democrats represent a sorry past, Pheu Thai represents a bleak future. It's a hard choice, a Catch-22 situation. Ultimately, however, no matter who wins, the consolation is that things will remain the same, unless we see structural reform more spectacular than the meteor that hit Russia. Until then, God bless Bangkok!
Edward Kitlertsirivatana
Bangkok
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/02/27/as-always-voters-will-get-what-they-deserve/
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