EC : Over 20 candidates likely to be disqualified

General News - Saturday December 22, 2007

RACE TO PARLIAMENT

EC : Over 20 candidates likely to be disqualified

Evidence of poll fraud mounting, say officials

MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

Electoral fraud has been widespread in the run-up to the polls and officials should have enough evidence to disqualify at least 20 candidates after tomorrow's voting, the Election Commission (EC) said yesterday. EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said electoral fraud had been extensive and that the commission had received over 1,000 vote-buying complaints and was determined to collect as much evidence as possible. Collected evidence included cash ranging from 100 baht up to a million baht per case, he said.

Mr Apichart said 1.3 million baht in cash was seized in Phetchabun province as it was unusual for the banknotes to be divided into wraps and piled in the same spot.

He said the EC would not disqualify any candidate before the election because its resolution has to be forwarded to the Council of State for scrutiny and the review will take five days. However, the EC would be able to disclose the names of the disqualified candidates before the official announcement of the election results, he said.

He said evidence collected so far should lead to the disqualification of a minimum of 10 candidates.

However, election commissioner Praphan Naikowit said the evidence should lead to the ''red carding'' of at least 20 candidates. A candidate receiving a red card from the EC cannot run for re-election.

Mr Praphan denied however that the EC was pressured by the election law to hold quick by-elections, which requires the panel to announce at least 95% of total MPs within 30 days of the general election.

He said the EC had more then enough time to hold further by-elections to fill seats of disqualified MPs.

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, chairman of the People's Network for Elections (P-Net), met with the EC yesterday to press for the disqualification of eight candidates from three political parties in Maha Sarakham province.

He said the parties were guilty of election fraud and that he had witnessed the cheating himself during a visit to the northeastern province last Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to Mr Somchai, three candidates of one party hired villagers to attend their campaign rallies in Kut Rang district on Nov 17 and three more candidates of another party gave 100 baht to each villager during their campaign tour.

In Yang Si Surat district, a candidate from a party gave 200-400 baht in cash to each villager on Dec 7 and 8, he alleged.

In Wapi Pathum district, village headmen and their deputies were called to a meeting in which each of them received 1,500 baht. Speakers in the session campaigned for a specific candidate, he said.

''The parties involved are the parties contesting seats in the areas. The ones who gave the money are former MPs,'' Mr Somchai told reporters.

P-Net surveys on election campaigning since Nov 17 found that traditional vote-buying practices of political canvassers being handed money from candidates which they then distribute door-to-door was still taking place, he said.

In another development, Sukhumpong Ngonkham, a legal official of the People Power party, said yesterday Prasaeng Mongkolsiri, its candidate in Uthai Thani, had resigned from the party.

The PPP now has 79 candidates for proportional representation and 399 candidates contesting constituency seats.

Mr Prasaeng recently put up posters of himself alongside deposed prime minister and former Thai Rak Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra and distributed VCDs of Mr Thaksin's speech.

Bangkok Post