Voters deserve a candidates debate
With only two weeks to go before the general election, many people have their minds made up on who to vote for, and in fact most of them probably decided long ago. Undecided voters who might be inclined to base their decisions more on the issues involved than party loyalties must be thinking that something has been lacking. What is missing is a clear explanation of policy from the major candidates themselves, rather than merely soundbites from the campaign trail. There is no better way to bring this about than a well organised debate between the two major candidates.
Since the fifth century BC when the Council of Five Hundred met in Athens, and a few hundred years later at the Forum in Rome, debates have been synonymous with democracy, and today they are considered a necessary step in political contests in most democratic nations.
Soon after the Pheu Thai Party announced that Yingluck Shinawatra was its choice for prime minister, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and other high-ranking Democrats proposed a debate to help voters make their decisions. The offer was quickly rejected, with most people assuming it was partly because of Mr Abhisit's reputation as an excellent orator and partly because Ms Yingluck needed sheltering, as if she would be likely to fall apart in a debate or at the least be easily flustered. But given her performance these past weeks on the campaign trail _ speaking several times a day to large crowds and the media with perfect composure and a winning personality _ that doesn't appear likely.
The advantage still has to go to Mr Abhisit, not only for his debating experience but also because he should be much more familiar with policy questions after a lifetime in politics and holding the prime minister's post since December 2008.
Most voters will be aware of this and make some allowances for style. What people are really looking at are differences in substance and whether the candidate is able to think on his or her feet.
In rejecting the debate proposal Pheu Thai deputy leader Plodprasop Suraswadi said it was unwarranted because the two rival parties had already outlined their respective policies. This is missing the point. If there is a clear choice between the Democrats and Pheu Thai _ other than on the amnesty issue, which is a must topic for debate _ the leaders of the respective parties should be able to articulate their visions and answer challenges to their positions from the other side in real time.
AGENT ORANGE: DEALING WITH A TOXIC LEGACY
On Friday, Vietnam and the United States began the first phase of a joint operation to clean up the chemical defoliant Agent Orange from a former US military base at Da Nang in central Vietnam. Agent Orange contains chemical dioxin, which has been linked to cancers and birth defects. US planes sprayed tens of millions of litres of Agent Orange over Vietnamese jungles in a futile attempt to deny cover to Viet Cong fighters during the Vietnam War. The Da Nang base was used as a storing and loading point for the chemical. The US$32 million (976.64 million baht) clean-up effort comes far too late, but it is at least a step in the right direction.
A big reason for the delay is fear on the part of the US government and the manufacturer of Agent Orange, Dow Chemical, of being held liable for damages resulting from the use of the defoliant. Although in 1991 Congress enacted legislation authorising compensation and medical treatment for US Vietnam veterans with diseases associated with Agent Orange, for a long time the US argued that more research was needed to show that the chemical is to blame for widespread and serious health problems among Vietnamese. According to the Vietnamese Red Cross, as many as three million Vietnamese are affected. The US disputes that figure, but does acknowledge serious health risks associated with dioxin.
The cleanup is another sign that the once bitter enemies are becoming strong allies, and hopefully it will also serve as warning against the arrogance and futility of trying to subjugate nature.
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