ID :
160595
Sun, 02/13/2011 - 11:04
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/160595
The shortlink copeid
Thailand holds first election of farmers’ councils
BANGKOK, Feb 13 (TNA) - The first election of Thai farmers’ councilors at the village level took place on Sunday (Feb 13) as the Thai Agriculture Minister expected the voter turnout to exceed 15 percent nationwide.
Thailand’s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thee-ra Wong-sa-mut visited the poll unit at Bang Bua Thong district office in a Bangkok suburb and said that representatives of farmers at the village level would sit as members of the farmers’ councils at the provincial level. He expected voters’ turnout to exceed 15 percent as there are over 70,000 poll units and as many as 65 percent of villages see only one candidate who will automatically become a farmers’ councilor without an election.
Poll units cover only 20 percent of all villages and the expected voter turnout should not pose any problem as provincial authorities already informed local people of the importance of farmers’ representatives and encouraged them to cast their votes.
Many voters showed up at Bang Bua Thong district office Sunday morning. The voter turnout here is expected at 65 percent as there are two candidates. Farmers support and are pleased with the election of their representatives as they hope they will have a say on agricultural issues after a long wait of nearly 40 years.
In the South, voter turnouts were low in the morning. A handful of people cast their votes in Narathiwat province possibly because they may be unaware of the roles of farmers’ representatives. The voter turnout there is expected at about 50 percent out of over 70,000 registered farmers in the province. Authorities impose tight security measures at election locations.
The election is also inactive at all the 84 poll units of 1,012 villages in 16 districts in Songkhla province as most farmers are tapping latex.
In Trang, also in southern Thailand, voters rarely showed up at their poll booths as well. Observers also believe most local farmers are too occupied with their work. (TNA)
Thailand’s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thee-ra Wong-sa-mut visited the poll unit at Bang Bua Thong district office in a Bangkok suburb and said that representatives of farmers at the village level would sit as members of the farmers’ councils at the provincial level. He expected voters’ turnout to exceed 15 percent as there are over 70,000 poll units and as many as 65 percent of villages see only one candidate who will automatically become a farmers’ councilor without an election.
Poll units cover only 20 percent of all villages and the expected voter turnout should not pose any problem as provincial authorities already informed local people of the importance of farmers’ representatives and encouraged them to cast their votes.
Many voters showed up at Bang Bua Thong district office Sunday morning. The voter turnout here is expected at 65 percent as there are two candidates. Farmers support and are pleased with the election of their representatives as they hope they will have a say on agricultural issues after a long wait of nearly 40 years.
In the South, voter turnouts were low in the morning. A handful of people cast their votes in Narathiwat province possibly because they may be unaware of the roles of farmers’ representatives. The voter turnout there is expected at about 50 percent out of over 70,000 registered farmers in the province. Authorities impose tight security measures at election locations.
The election is also inactive at all the 84 poll units of 1,012 villages in 16 districts in Songkhla province as most farmers are tapping latex.
In Trang, also in southern Thailand, voters rarely showed up at their poll booths as well. Observers also believe most local farmers are too occupied with their work. (TNA)
