Wailing Into The Void

The prime minister there has just moved to shut down Parliament rather than face a no-confidence vote.  Can he do that?  Yes.

Technically, what Mr. Harper did was to “prorogue” Parliament, a move that stops all actions on bills and the body’s other business, and thus goes well beyond an adjournment (which was not available to Mr. Harper in any event, as it requires parliamentary approval). It is not unprecedented — prorogation is used occasionally to introduce a new legislative agenda — but this is the first time any Parliament members or constitutional scholars here could recall the maneuver being used in the midst of a political crisis and over the objections of Parliament.

Mr. Harper declared the parliamentary suspension after a two-and-a-half hour meeting in Ottawa with Ms. [Michaëlle] Jean [, who represents Queen Elizabeth II!]. While no governor general has ever previously rejected a prime minister’s request to prorogue Parliament, several constitutional scholars said Mr. Harper was the first one to have asked permission when he did not have the support of the legislature.

Grab the popcorn and stay tuned.

Anti-government protesters have seized control of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.  One of the protesters’ main grievances is over vote-buying:

The protesters, a loose coalition of royalists, academics and members of the urban elite, say they are frustrated with years of vote-buying and corruption. Many are also skeptical of Thai democracy in its current form and propose a voting system that would lessen the representation of lower-income Thais, whom they say are particularly susceptible to vote-buying.

Those of you who follow current events in this country are well aware we have a similar problem here, where ACORN exchanges crack for votes.