EDITORIAL
It was inconvenient to many of the candidates, but the invasion of expert opinion into the race for Bangkok governor managed to lay down a few facts about campaign fudging. Three men who actually know about the subject recently challenged the three men who lead the polls for the March 3 election. The result was a careful and realistic look at the promises on the campaign trail, particularly for traffic and transport. Voters should heed their statements before they head for the polls.
Traffic expert Saksit Chalermpong of Chulalongkorn University, engineer Suchatvee Suwansawat of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang and Nida vice-rector Thawatchai Supadit stripped the recklessness from the rhetoric of the top three candidates. But their criticism generally applied to all. Candidate promises are thin as tissue, details are skimpy. In some cases, candidates have made promises they cannot keep, either because of Bangkok's subservience to the government or other laws.
This is not to say candidates are basically insincere or dishonest. What we witness is part of the realities of a modern election campaign. The media search for sound bites over lengthy explanation never ends. Every candidate for governor is applying for a job that comes with a lot of pressure. If they can't handle the campaign pressure, how can voters trust them to stay rational when in office?
So the intrusion of the experts was a welcome relief for voters. Election campaigns are usually high on rhetoric and unrealistic promises, and Bangkok elections frequently top the national ones. Bangkok is a massive, complicated metropolis. Too often, instead of serious talk, the electorate is subjected to simplistic speeches that seem more relevant to a campaign for elementary school class president _ shorter classes, longer recess and free ice cream at lunch.
Independent candidate Suharit Siamwalla has promised he will ride a bicycle to work every day, if elected. Voters might be impressed if Mr Suharit presented a careful map and traffic control plans for bicycle lanes and bicycle paths in Bangkok.
Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen, the front-runner and government-approved candidate of the Pheu Thai Party, made the same promise to ride a two-wheeler to City Hall every day _ with the same lack of vision. His chief opponent, MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, is obviously an unlikely bike rider. But he has, he said, "begun research" on a 40km ring road for cyclists. You can see his plans, maybe, if you elect him again.
The point is not to ridicule the statements of the candidates. Rather, the problem is that they are so easily ridiculed because their offers are obviously inadequate for a gigantic metropolitan area. Bangkok has serious problems, many of them interlocking. With eight more days of campaigning, the chances of a serious debate or discussion are dwindling fast.
With nearly 20 candidates in the race, each voter will have a difficult time sorting out the most deserving one. But one place to start eliminating choices is with their speeches, interviews and debates. A candidate who holds out false hope or "promises the moon" is showing disrespect for the voters.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/02/22/reality-checks-on-candidates/
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