2 Coups; Same Results?

Anyone who read my blog knows that I think the current military coup in Thailand is an exercise in futility. Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha may be in power now but his rule will probably end in tears because in any general elections which is even remotely fair, the red shirts will crush the yellow shirts at the polls.

As I wrote last week, the only way for the yellow shirts to win is to NOT have free and fair elections. Even then, there’s no guarantee things will go smoothly for him. He can just ask former military chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt.

Over a year after ousting Egyptian President, Mohammed Morsi, and the Muslim Brotherhood from power in a military coup, al-Sisi is now trying to gain some respectability by winning an election. It is an election that no one doubt he will be win because he is the only viable candidate.

It is also an election the Muslim Brotherhood is boycotting.

The call for a boycott is working as voter turnout in the election is so low al-Sisi and the military government has no choice but to extend voting into a third day. The Egyptian election is supposed to last only 2 days but with voter turnout rumored to be at 15% (at most), al-Sisi is desperate. If only 15% voted for him, this means 85% of the Egyptian people are against him because he is the only candidate! So voting is extended. Yes, that's how "fair" the Egyptian election is. 

So Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha and the Thai military better not be too comfortable in their position right now. It is always calm before the storm.