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Rabu, 21 Oktober 2020

Thai PM Prayut backs down on protest ban, protesters give 3-day deadline to quit - CNA

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha backed down on Wednesday (Oct 21) over emergency measures he imposed last week to stop three months of protests, but which spurred even bigger demonstrations against his government and the monarchy.

As the former military ruler spoke in a televised address, tens of thousands of people were marching to his office and many said his offer to lift the restrictions was not enough.

The emergency measures from last Thursday prompted demonstrations by tens of thousands of people, the biggest in three months of rallies to demand Prayuth's removal and reforms to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

"I will make the first move to de-escalate this situation. I am currently preparing to lift the state of severe emergency in Bangkok and will do so promptly if there are no violent incidents," he said in an address to the nation.

Riot police stand guard behind barbed wire as protesters march during an anti-government rally in Bangkok on Oct 21, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Mladen Antonov)

The measures had banned political gatherings of five or more people and the publication of information deemed to threaten security.

"We must now step back from the edge of the slippery slope that can easily slide to chaos," Prayut added.

The protests have become the biggest challenge to Thailand's establishment in years and have drawn the most open opposition to the monarchy in decades despite lese majeste laws setting jail terms of up to 15 years for insulting royalty.

As Prayut spoke, tens of thousands of protesters marched towards his office at Government House to demand his resignation as well as the lifting of the emergency measures and release of dozens of activists arrested in a crackdown.

protesters tear down sections of a barricade during an anti-government rally in Bangkok — Protesters tear down sections of a barricade during an anti-government rally in Bangkok on Oct 21, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Mladen Antonov)

About 2km from Government House, a wall of riot police initially blocked marching protesters, but eventually allowed them through.

"RESIGN"

"It's not enough. He must resign," said Too, 54, one of the marchers.

Most demonstrations have been peaceful so far, but police used water cannon against protesters last Friday, further fuelling the anger of government critics.

In his speech, Prayut said "terrible crimes had been committed against the police using metal rods and huge cutting implements" on that day, although witnesses reported no such incidents at the time. But he also said Thailand would not "get to a better society through the use of water cannon".

Protesters say Prayut engineered an election last year to keep hold of power he seized in a 2014 coup. He says the election was fair.

The other demands of protesters are for a new constitution and for reforms to a monarch they say has enabled years of military domination.

A government supporter attempts to stop a march by protesters during an anti-government rally — A government supporter (centre) attempts to stop a march by pro-democracy protesters during an anti-government rally in Bangkok on Oct 21, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Mladen Antonov)

One Thai protest leader, Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, said that Prayut must resign despite the lifting of emergency measures.

Tattep told Reuters that other demands of protesters could be discussed in parliament.

"Prayut must resign first and that is the easiest thing to do," he said.

Protesters had set a three-day deadline for Prayut to quit.

At his office, demonstrators handed over a mock resignation letter. They claimed success after an official took it inside.

Prateep Kiratilaekha, deputy secretary-general to Prayut, listens to a protester address the crowd — Prateep Kiratilaekha (in white), deputy secretary-general to Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, listens to a protester address the crowd during an anti-government rally in Bangkok on Oct 21, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Jack Taylor)

"Our goal today is successful. We submitted a letter to Prayut and his representative accepted it, promising it would reach him," protest leader Patsaravalee “Mind” Tanakitvibulpon told the crowd.

"But our fight isn't over as long as he doesn't resign. If within three days he doesn't resign, he will face the people again."

The palace has a policy of making no comment to media.

In his speech, Prayut said disputes should be resolved in parliament. His supporters are in the majority, the entire upper house having been appointed by his former junta.

Protesters march from Victory Monument during an anti-government rally in Bangkok Oct 21, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Mladen Antonov)

"The protesters have made their voices and views heard," Prayut said. "It is now time for them to let their views be reconciled with the views of other segments of Thai society."

Scores of Thai royalists and anti-government protesters earlier confronted each other at Ramkhamhaeng University.

The yellow-shirted royalists advanced on student protesters and the two sides shouted abuse at each other. Some threw water bottles and other objects before the students pulled back and police stepped in to separate the sides.

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2020-10-21 15:45:00Z
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Thai PM Prayut may lift emergency moves, protesters want more - CNA

As the former military ruler spoke in a televised address, tens of thousands of people were marching to his office and many said his offer to lift the restrictions was not enough.

The measures had banned political gatherings of five or more people and the publication of information deemed to threaten security.

"We must now step back from the edge of the slippery slope that can easily slide to chaos," Prayut added.

About 2km from Government House, a wall of riot police initially blocked marching protesters, but eventually allowed them through.

"RESIGN"

"It's not enough. He must resign," said Too, 54, one of the marchers.

Most demonstrations have been peaceful so far, but police used water cannon against protesters last Friday, further fuelling the anger of government critics.

Protesters say Prayut engineered an election last year to keep hold of power he seized in a 2014 coup. He says the election was fair.

The other demands of protesters are for a new constitution and for reforms to a monarch they say has enabled years of military domination.

One Thai protest leader, Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, said that Prayut must resign despite the lifting of emergency measures

Tattep told Reuters that other demands of protesters could be discussed in parliament.

"Prayut must resign first and that is the easiest thing to do," he said.

The palace has a policy of making no comment to media.

In his speech, Prayut said disputes should be resolved in parliament. His supporters are in the majority, the entire upper house having been appointed by his former junta.

"The protesters have made their voices and views heard," Prayut said. "It is now time for them to let their views be reconciled with the views of other segments of Thai society."

Scores of Thai royalists and anti-government protesters earlier confronted each other at Ramkhamhaeng University.

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Thai PM Prayut says he's preparing to lift emergency measures amid protests - CNA

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday (Oct 21) he was preparing to lift emergency measures imposed last week to stop protests in Bangkok and that disputes should be settled in parliament.

The measures had banned political gatherings of five or more people and the publication of information deemed to threaten security.

"We must now step back from the edge of the slippery slope that can easily slide to chaos," Prayut added

"RESIGN"

"It's not enough. He must resign," said Too, 54, one of the marchers.

Protesters say Prayut engineered an election last year to keep hold of power he seized in a 2014 coup. He says the election was fair.

The other demands of protesters are for a new constitution and for reforms to a monarch they say has enabled years of military domination.

One Thai protest leader, Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, said that Prayut must resign despite the lifting of emergency measures

Tattep told Reuters that other demands of protesters could be discussed in parliament.

"Prayut must resign first and that is the easiest thing to do," he said.

The palace has a policy of making no comment to media.

In his speech, Prayut said disputes should be resolved in parliament. His supporters are in the majority, the entire upper house having been appointed by his former junta.

"The protesters have made their voices and views heard," Prayut said. "It is now time for them to let their views be reconciled with the views of other segments of Thai society."

Scores of Thai royalists and anti-government protesters earlier confronted each other at Ramkhamhaeng University.

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Barack Obama to hold his first in-person event for Joe Biden - CNA

WASHINGTON: Former President Barack Obama is returning to Philadelphia on Wednesday (Oct 21) for his first in-person 2020 campaign event for Joe Biden.

In 2016, the man known as one of the Democratic Party’s strongest orators delivered Hillary Clinton’s closing argument in the same place – at a rally for thousands the night before Election Day on Independence Mall.

Now, with the coronavirus pandemic upending campaigning, Obama will be speaking to a much smaller crowd at a drive-in rally, where supporters will listen to him over the radio inside their cars.

The format reflects the challenge Democrats face in boosting enthusiasm and getting out the vote in a year when they’ve eschewed big rallies in favour of small, socially distanced events, drawing a contrast with President Donald Trump and Republicans on the coronavirus.

READ: In Pennsylvania, Trump touts the economy and warns of 'Biden depression'

While Obama is usually one of the party’s biggest draws and most compelling speakers, that impact may be blunted by the format.

But Democrats say that as one of the men who knows Biden best, both as his former partner in the White House and personally, Obama remains one of the party’s greatest assets in the final stretch of the campaign.

“Especially in Philadelphia, he is the ultimate draw and still a great standard-bearer for Democrats,” said former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

Obama's visit to Philadelphia underscores the significance of Pennsylvania, the swing state Biden himself has visited the most this campaign. If Trump loses the state, his path to winning reelection narrows significantly.

And Nutter said Obama's appearance in Philadelphia would help boost the campaign's standing with voters who sat out the last presidential election, as well as voters in the Philadelphia suburbs who supported Obama in 2008 and 2012 but switched to Trump in 2016.

“I think he helps remind people what’s at stake, what being president is about, what things could be like,” Nutter said.

Obama has already been helpful to the Biden campaign, adapting to the shift to virtual events by focusing much of his work on getting younger Americans to vote.

He’s appeared on Twitch, the video game streaming platform, pushed a voter registration message on Snapchat and recorded a video for the Shade Room, a black-owned Instagram page and media company with 21 million followers.

READ: President, lawmakers, mushrooms: What are Americans voting for on Nov 3?

“President Obama has been appearing throughout the pandemic on non-traditional platforms to reach swing voters and mobilise younger voters that don’t consume political media throughout the day," said former Obama press secretary Ben LaBolt.

"He has the singular ability to credential how Vice President Biden would approach the job in the Oval Office.”

Obama has appeared on two podcasts run by some of his former aides and has lent his name to texts and emails encouraging supporters to register to vote and donate money to the campaign.

Obama has also been a big money draw for the campaign – he appeared at two virtual fundraisers with Senator Kamala Harris this month and a handful prior to that. A grassroots virtual fundraiser Obama headlined with Biden in June brought in US$7.6 million.

Obama has also been active for down-ballot Democrats, raising money for House Democrats and appearing in ads for some of the party’s top candidates, like Sara Gideon, running for the Senate in Maine, and for vulnerable incumbents, like Michigan Senator Gary Peters.

And he filmed a series of digital videos for the Democratic National Committee emphasising the need for voters to make plans for casting their ballot.

“He’s doing enough for our campaign,” Biden told reporters before boarding a flight in New Castle, Delaware, last week. “He’ll be out on the trail, and he’s doing well.”

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2020-10-21 10:57:44Z
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Protesters ready in case Trump refuses to accept election result - CNA

NEW YORK: Sean Eldridge says he's "preparing for the worst" in case President Donald Trump tries to undermine the results of next month's vote or refuses to accept a victory for the Democrats.

The 34-year-old is one of the organisers of a coalition planning protests across the United States if Trump loses to his election rival Joe Biden but refuses to concede.

The White House incumbent has repeatedly refused to say whether he would cede power peacefully in the event of defeat in the presidential vote on Nov 3.

He has suggested that massive voter fraud involving the tens of millions of ballots sent by mail this year and early voting due to the coronavirus pandemic could prevent him from winning.

"This is pretty unprecedented in American politics to have to be worried about whether a sitting president will accept the election results and ensure a peaceful transition of power," said Eldridge.

He is a former Democratic candidate for Congress and one of the leaders of the successful movement to legalise gay marriage.

Now he is also in charge of the New York-based anti-Trump organisation Stand Up America.

"This is work that I never hoped that we would have to do. (But) we have to take him at his word when he says he may not accept the election outcome.

"Certainly everything we've seen from him over the past three and a half years has been a total lack of respect for democratic norms and for our election processes," he told AFP.

In a country that recently saw huge demonstrations against racial inequality following the death of George Floyd, Eldridge is focused on organizing new protests almost everywhere.

The Protect the Results coalition has laid the groundwork for nearly 250 rallies, from Las Vegas to New York and Maine to Florida.

The group brings together more than 100 organisations, in particular ones campaigning for the environment and women's and LGBTQ rights, but also at least one group of anti-Trump Republicans.

They represent tens of millions of people, according to Eldridge.

While the precise locations of the readied protests are yet to be identified, participants have been warned that the mobilisation could begin at 5pm on Nov 4.

It may take several days or more for the election result to become clear due to a high volume of mail-in ballots.

"We need to make sure that any corrupt pressure from Trump to undermine the election results will be met by a swift response from the American people to demand that every vote be counted and demand that the final valid results be respected," said Eldridge.

ARMY FOR TRUMP

The US president has called on his supporters to go to polling stations and "watch very carefully" for any attempted fraud, of which there is very little history of in US elections.

His campaign launched a website calling on supporters to perform typical election tasks such as knocking on voters' doors and registering Republican voters.

But opponents have expressed concern at the site's name, which is Army for Trump, and at the president's refusal to denounce far-right groups such as the Proud Boys which he even called on to "stand back and stand by" during a debate with Biden.

With tensions high and the country extremely divided, law enforcement agencies are reported to be preparing for the possibility of violence around the election.

An anonymous FBI official quoted by The Washington Post said the federal police were "paying particularly close attention" to the possibility of civil unrest.

The New York Police Department has told its officers to prepare for the possibility of protests that could last into 2021.

If Trump is clearly the victor and there is "no serious interference" then the Protect the Results coalition will respect the outcome, Eldridge says.

"I hope we will not have to mobilise," he explained.

But if they do, Eldridge assured that the demonstrations would be non-violent.

"We are not going to be intimidated by the dangerous rhetoric and the violence we are seeing on the other side," he said.

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2020-10-21 02:59:19Z
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Selasa, 20 Oktober 2020

President, lawmakers, mushrooms: What are Americans voting for on Nov 3? - CNA

WASHINGTON: On Nov 3, American voters will choose whether President Donald Trump will go on to a second term or if his Democratic challenger Joe Biden will take the helm at the White House.

But control of Congress - and the fate of dozens of lawmakers along with it - is also on the ballot, plus governors, referendum measures and more in some states.

READ: Trump and Biden hit the campaign trail in charged US election week

READ: Americans voting early in record numbers in presidential election

Here is where those issues stand.

CONGRESS

In addition to voting for president, millions of US voters will also chose their congressional representatives in November. Congress is made up of two chambers: The Senate and the House of Representatives

- House of Representatives: The 435 members are elected to represent their districts for two-year terms. Democrats currently hold the majority in the House, an advantage that is unlikely to change this year, according to experts.

- Senate: In 2020, 33 of 100 seats are up for election to six-year terms.

If Biden wins the presidency and Democrats are able to win the Senate as well as hang onto the House, the party will control all the levers to federal power in Washington - which could also give them considerable control at the state and local levels.

GOVERNORS

Residents in 11 of 50 states are set to vote for a new governor on Nov 3. Governors head the executive branch of state-level governments, which manage the many issues not handled at the federal level.

The governor is the most powerful political personality in state-level politics, along with senators, who often facilitate communication between statehouses and Washington.

READ: Trump goes big on campaign trail, Biden maintains low profile with 2 weeks to go until election day

REFERENDUMS

The re-introduction of wolves in Colorado, decriminalization of hallucinogenic mushrooms in Washington, DC, labor laws in California - voters are also called on to register their opinions on local initiatives in the November elections.

Five months after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by police in Minnesota, police reform measures are also on the ballot in many cities and counties.

LOCAL ELECTIONS

Thousands of elected officials are also up for renewal - or not - at the local level: Races for state legislative bodies, judges, city councils, mayors, county officials, sheriffs and more.

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2020-10-21 02:28:49Z
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In Pennsylvania, Trump touts the economy and warns of 'Biden depression' - CNA

ERIE, Pennsylvania: President Donald Trump campaigned in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday (Oct 20), telling supporters he needed a second term in the White House to ensure a successful recovery from the novel coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout.

At an airport rally in Erie in the northwest corner of the state, Trump said Pennsylvania could put him over the top in the Nov 3 election and warned that Democratic rival Joe Biden would decimate the state's energy and manufacturing jobs.

"This is an election between the Trump super recovery, which is happening right now, and a Biden depression," Trump told cheering supporters, who as at most of his rallies were packed shoulder to shoulder, with many not wearing masks.

"If you want open schools, an open economy and a safe, healthy, thriving country, vote for me," he said.

READ: Trump goes big on campaign trail, Biden maintains low profile with 2 weeks to go until election day

Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 220,000 people in the United States and thrown millions out of work, has taken a toll on his re-election prospects.

Biden has criticised Trump for failing to confront the pandemic and rushing to reopen the economy and belittling safety measures such as social distancing and wearing masks. Opinion polls show more Americans trust Biden than Trump to lead on the health crisis.

The former vice president was off the campaign trail on Tuesday to prepare for his debate this week with Trump.

READ: Final Trump-Biden debate will feature 'mute' button after chaotic first clash

Trump's trip to Pennsylvania came the day before Biden's old boss - former President Barack Obama - will campaign in the state for the Democratic candidate, which will play an important role in deciding who wins the White House race.

With two weeks left in the race, more than 35 million Americans already have cast early ballots, according to the University of Florida's US Elections Project. That represents more than a quarter of the total vote in the 2016 presidential contest.

National opinion polls show Biden holding a wide lead over Trump, although the contest is closer in the swing states that will decide the election, including Pennsylvania, Florida and North Carolina.

Trump has gained ground on Biden in Pennsylvania, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, which showed the challenger leading by 49 per cent to 45 per cent, slightly narrower than a week earlier.

"If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole thing," Trump said in Erie.

First lady Melania Trump, who was diagnosed recently with COVID-19 and had planned to travel with the president, did not make the trip out of "an abundance of caution" because of a lingering cough, her spokeswoman said.

Trump who was hospitalised for three nights after also contracting the coronavirus has resumed a heavy schedule of campaign travel, including rallies like the one in Pennsylvania, despite rising cases of the highly contagious disease.

Obama will campaign for Biden at a drive-in car rally in Philadelphia, the state's biggest city, to urge supporters to vote early as the campaign hits the final stretch. It will be Obama's first in-person campaign event for Biden, who served with him for eight years.

The visit to Pennsylvania also comes ahead of Thursday's second and final debate between Trump and Biden, which will give the Republican president a prime-time opportunity to change the trajectory of the race.

READ: Trump and Biden hit the campaign trail in charged US election week

BIDEN AHEAD IN MICHIGAN, TIED IN NORTH CAROLINA

New polls on Tuesday showed Biden maintaining his lead over Trump in Michigan, while the two were in a dead heat in North Carolina, two other critical swing states that could make the difference in the race.

Early voting returns show registered Democrats outpacing Republicans in most states that track party affiliation. Trump has repeatedly characterised mail-in voting as prone to fraud, although experts say it is as secure as any other method.

His campaign and the Republican Party have sought, with mixed success, to limit voting by mail in states that expanded it in response to fears of spreading COVID-19 at crowded polling places.

Three more states began early in-person voting on Tuesday - Wisconsin, Utah and Hawaii.

Wisconsin voters bundled up and braved temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 degree Celsius), to stand in line at polling locations in such cities as Milwaukee, where people waited about an hour, according to videos posted by media outlets.

"We're holding our breath, and I'm concerned about lines at early voting places," said Jay Heck, executive director of the nonpartisan voting rights group Common Cause in Wisconsin.

"Every area - red counties and blue - there seems to be a lot of enthusiasm," he said in reference to counties that lean toward either of the parties.

In Miami, where people gathered for the second day of in-person early voting, a police officer in uniform wore a "Trump 2020" face mask inside a polling location, according to the Miami-Dade Democratic Party chairman, who posted a photo of the officer.

The Miami Police Department said on Twitter the behavior was "unacceptable, a violation of departmental policy, and is being addressed immediately."

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2020-10-21 01:54:12Z
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