Political Parties should offer voters something to vote for

Vicha Poolvoraluck, chief executive of Major Cineplex Group, is one of the optimists. During a trip to Hong Kong last weekend, while having dim sum at a restaurant overlooking the Hong Kong skyline, he spoke about his confidence that Hong Kong's economic expansion would not stop soon.

But despite his optimism in the economic prospects and appreciation of the delicious food, Vicha was not so enamoured by the island state to forget that he had to fly home on Saturday to cast his vote in the Bangkok council election.

"I must exercise my rights and perform my duty. We cannot simply demand rights, without fulfilling our duty," he said, in a serious tone. 

That is understandable, given that his flagship cineplex at Siam Paragon was closed for such a long time during the political turmoil in April and May.

But it still puzzles many why, even when a billionaire like Vicha cares to cast his ballot, the voter turnout at the election was as low as 40 per cent.

The most surprising fact in the election was that the New Politics Party, whose members are mostly leaders of the yellow-shirt group - which claimed success in toppling former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra - failed to win even a single seat.

This is despite the fact that the party was so bullish on its political future, given the huge crowds supporting the yellow-shirt protests over the past few years.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the New Politics Party, referred to a talk with the party's supporter Chamlong Srimuang, saying it was good the party had failed.

Winning up to five seats against major players like the Democrats and Pheu Thai could have wrongly convinced it of its political strength. But what hit me was Chamlong's comment that voters clung to "old politics" by throwing votes to the two major parties.

What is old politics and what is new?

The Democrats' campaigned on the platform of keeping the capital clean and safe, while Pheu Thai asked for power to scrutinise the Democrats, as the Bangkok governor also belongs to the party.

New Politics meanwhile left its candidates to use their own selling points.

What we saw was a banner saying "Bangkok acknowledges change."

I, as a resident of Prawet, voted for the Democrat candidate, in the hope he would carry out his long-standing promise to tackle severe water drainage problems in the area.

I would not have hesitated to vote for any candidate of any party who promised me that.

But there was none.

Like other Bangkok voters, I am yearning for something authentically new. All of us are sick of being held hostage - so give us a better choice next time, not something worse.

I believe that then the voter turnout will be higher. The administrative

style will also change then, and nobody including Vicha will need to grimace over negative political consequences.

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