Bangkok Post



Parliamentary debate on political crisis "futile attempt": Suan Dusit Poll

A majority of people see the debate without voting in a special parliamentary session on Oct 26-27 to find a way out of the political crisis as a futile attempt, saying the Thai politics will remain unchanged and conflicts will continue to exist, according to an opinion survey by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.

The poll was conducted online on Oct 28-30 on 1,035 people throughout the country who followed up the parliamentary debate.

Asked to give their views on the debate, with the respondents allowed to give more than one answers, the responses varied - with 41.94% saying it was only the government's ploy to buy time which was unlikely to lead to any change; 39.00% said the prime minister would not resign; 32.32% said it was a political game; 31.93% thought it was an attempt to find a way out; and, 28.49% were of the opinion that MPs and senators should join hands to find a concrete solution to the problem.

On "positive" results of the debate, 57.20% said parties concerned had shown their attitudes more clearly; 43.93% all concerned were given a chance to voice their opinions; and, 36.52% said the government had shown its stance in the conflict.

On "negative" results of the debate, 54.40% said the conflict would remain unchanged; 34.78% believed the conflict would escalate; and, 10.82% said the conflict would continue in a less degree.

Asked what they thought the Thai politics would be after the debate, 51.69% believed it would remain the same; 35.36% thought it would be worse; and, only 12.95% believed it would improve.

Asso Prof Rungpop Khongritchan, of the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University's school of law and politics, said the debate produced no concrete results, indicating that the Thai parliamentary system could not be relied on at the time of political crisis.