EC to disqualify some candidates

ELECTION 2007

EC to disqualify some candidates

PENCHAN CHAROENSUTHIPAN and MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

The general election went smoothly with a voter turnout of at least 70%, and while some candidates may be disqualified their numbers will be limited, according to election commissioners.

Apichart Sukhagganond, chairman of the Election Commission (EC), said the organisation of voting went smoothly, even in the troubled far South.

He said his commission would base its investigations into electoral complaints on facts and would conclude all cases as soon as possible.

Under the 2007 constitution, candidates who are red-carded before the official election result comes out, will be barred from by-elections.

Election commissioner Praphan Naikowit said he was happy with a voter turnout of at least 70%.

About 13 million eligible voters exercised their rights.

A total of 538,582 ballots, or about 4% of all used ballots, were invalid and 247,017 ballots, about 2%, were marked in the no-vote box.

Election staff should finalise the list of the 480 winning candidates and hand it to the EC by Wednesday and barring complaints, the EC should officially announce the names of the winners by Jan 3, according to Mr Praphan.

According to EC deputy secretary-general Jarungwit Phumma, the EC received 927 complaints on electoral fraud between Nov 20 and yesterday, but most could not be verified.

Only 101 cases may lead to candidates being disqualified, he said.

Most complaints concerned vote buying which did not take place on the eve of the election but a week beforehand. Votes were reportedly bought for between 200 and 500 baht each.

However, election commissioner Sodsri Sattayatham complained yesterday that disqualifications would be limited as election officials were not eager to investigate electoral fraud.

From hundreds of electoral complaints, investigators in the EC office could verify only slightly more than 10 cases where the Election Commission might issue red cards and disqualify candidates, she said.

"We must check why we have nothing concrete out of those complaints. We may have to check the backgrounds of some officials," she said.

Mrs Sodsri blamed EC staff for slowing down their work. She claimed officials did not bother to take legal action against Prasaeng Mongkolsiri, a former candidate of the PPP, although he had insulted the EC right in front of its headquarters and at its branch in Suphan Buri province.