Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana says TV and billboards are not the way to reach voters

General news - Friday December 14, 2007

A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO POLLS

Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana says TV and billboards are not the way to reach voters

With limited financial support, the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana party has opted for a careful marketing strategy to get its candidates into parliament. The party does not believe that television advertising has a big impact or that big billboards make people vote for the candidates on them. And while other parties are planning their final campaign messages for next Friday, the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana party plans to skip it. ''What's the use?'' asked deputy leader Kasemsant Weerakun.

All political parties spend money taking supporters to rallies, but they do not attract new faces, he added.

The party mainly relies on its candidates getting out onto the streets. They talk to people and go around their communities explaining the party's policies which will be implemented if the people vote for their representatives.

The party has produced five different brochures with messages crafted for different target groups.

''One says no income tax for people earning less than 20,000 baht a month. This is for business areas,'' the former public relations man from Thai Beverage Plc gave as an example. It received a good reception with voters on Silom road, he said.

Another brochure mentions a two million baht village fund, which is aimed at rural areas, he added. Others policies include baby bonds for education and tax restructuring for teachers, tax breaks and better farm pricing and tax breaks for new small and medium businesses.

Party member Chutinant Bhirompakdi admitted the absence of former deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who was to have played a leading role for the party, had effected the campaign.

As one of the 111 former executive members of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party, Mr Somkid is banned from politics for five years. If he took part in any activities to support the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana party there is a risk the party would be banned by the Election Commission (EC).

Party leader Gen Chettha Thanajaro admitted his party has lowered its election forecast to winning about 30 seats, but is confident of winning most, if not all, in Nakhon Ratchasima and the rest from the northern and northeastern areas.

The former army chief is on the top of the list of the proportional representation system in zone 5, including Nakhon Ratchasima.

''I will be satisfied with 30 seats,'' said Gen Chettha, who said he is disappointed by the widespread vote buying in this election.

He denied that the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana party would insist on a political amnesty for the former TRT executives in exchange for an alliance with the Democrats in a bid to form a government after the polls.

Gen Chettha urged the government and Election Commission to encourage people to vote on Dec 23 and also to inform the public about how to vote.

Bangkok Post