By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PARTIES AND CANDIDATES contesting the May 14 general election may attend an upcoming Songkran festival anywhere but are not legally allowed to organise an event, confirmed Election Commission secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee today (Apr.8).
Those currently running either in constituency-based mode or party-listed mode in the nationwide election may attend celebrations and entertainment activities in relation to the annual Songkran festival which will last four to five days starting from April 13 but none is allowed to organise one, regardless of any likely intent to woo votes under the law pertaining to the election for MPs, Sawaeng said.
Electoral contestants are not legally allowed to sing songs or arrange live shows for entertainment purposes during the Songkran festival which they may attend anywhere, according to the polling agency’s secretary-general.
Electoral candidates may deliver campaign speeches or hand out campaign fliers to people in effort to woo voters during the water-splashing festival but cannot arrange such celebrations or other entertainment activities themselves, he said.
Meanwhile, government personnel were cautioned to see to it that they not do anything which might possibly compromise their supposed neutrality or unlawfully help any electoral contenders, according to the polling agency’s secretary-general.
CAPTION:
Traditional Songkran festival. Top photo: Sanook.com, Front Page photo: Thai Rath
Also read: Almost 4,800 running for constituency seats, nearly 1,900 in party-listed mode
Jureeporn banned from running for Roi Et MP over vote-buying bid
Pheu Thai vows to send professional soccer players for training with Fulham
Pheu Thai’s ‘ultra-populist’ digital wallet could backfire: NIDA academic
Pheu Thai, Move Forward tipped to together get over 50% party-listed MPs
Commoners Party – the country’s only camp with lone constituency-based candidate
Feature: Move Forward’s novel campaign style attracts Bangkokians
3 Replies to “Electoral candidates allowed to attend Songkran events, give speeches”