Most people believe Thailand not ready for elections, poll shows

More than two-thirds of people surveyed by Master Poll believe the country is not ready for a general election.

The poll released yesterday was conducted on the leaders of 659 communities between February 19 and 21.

Of the total, 28 per cent said the country was ready for a general election because they believed the government was in control of the situation.

But 71 per cent said the country was not ready because political conflicts still existed, the charter-drafting process was not yet completed and there were not suitable politicians to vote for. They also believed the current government was doing a good job but the political situation was not yet stable.

Asked whether the country would lose or gain benefits if a general election were held after the completion of national reform, 83 per cent believed the country would benefit because policies would be clearer and the political condition would be more stable.

However, 16 per cent said the country would stand to lose because the later the general election was postponed the more pressure the country would face from the democratic world community while foreign countries would interfere in the country's domestic affairs, which may result in sanctions and an adverse economic impact.

 The Nation

Publication Date : 23-02-2015