THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Confusion about electoral system is muddying the water  

Confusion about electoral system is muddying the water  

The current debate over whether the party with the largest number of MPs should take the lead in forming the government, rather than the party with the largest number of votes, is misguided and does not take into account the new electoral system which a majority of Thai voters approved in a nationwide referendum back in 2016.

It is true that in countries with different political systems, such as the United States, the presidency is awarded to the candidate who garners the largest number of votes from the electoral college, rather than the candidate with the most votes overall. The same is true in countries with parliamentary systems, such as the United Kingdom, where the party with the highest number of seats in the House of Commons is given first choice in forming the government. 
Under Thailand’s new electoral system, however, utmost importance is attached to ensuring that “every vote counts” and that the voices of all the voters are heard. Hence, if voters choose a certain party but the candidates of that party are not elected, their votes still count towards determining the number of party-list MPs for that party. Political parties stand to lose or gain from this system on an impartial basis according to their own election strategy of fielding candidates in constituencies. There is no bias against any single party. It is notable here that Future Forward, despite winning the fewest number of constituency seats among the top five parties, was able to gain the largest number of party-list MPs by a wide margin. All the votes for Future Forward counted even though the party’s candidates may have fallen short in many constituencies.
Observant Citizen

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