After almost five years under military rule, campaign season is in full swing in the Northeast. But among many rural voters, there seem to be only muted excitement and little hope that the election will bring about change. Visarut Sankham captures the mood ahead of the polls on March 24 in Khon Kaen’s Constituencies 3 and 4, two of the largest electoral districts in the province where candidates of 42 parties contest in the race.
The rally of Palang Pracharat Party last weekend in Khon Kaen drew a crowd as large as 30,000. But according to a recent poll, the military junta’s proxy party faces an uphill battle in the Northeast.
After almost five years of banned political activity under military rule, Pheu Thai Party still commands a loyal following in the Northeast. At a rally on March 1, long-time supporters and members of the Red Shirt movement gathered to show their support for the party.
For the first time since the 2014 military overthrow of the government they had helped to vote into power, followers of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), or the Red Shirts, gathered to call for democracy and show support for the Pheu Chat Party.
Many in Thai society have been waiting for an election which, like Godot, never seems to arrive. The military junta has scheduled the election many times, only to delay it again and again. Yesterday, it was made official: Elections have been called for 24 March. Will Godot finally arrive?
The campaign slogans might have been written in red, but Saturday night’s United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship rally couldn’t have been any clearer: vote for the blue and white of Pheu Thai.
