WITH ballot boxes at the fiercely-contested local election in Udon Thani having closed at 5 p.m. today (Nov. 24) and vote counting now proceeding, very early result shows that Pheu Thai Party (red colour) is slightly ahead of People’s Party (orange colour),Naewna and TV Channel 7 said.
As of 7.24 p.m. in the election for Nayok Or Bor Jor or head of the Udon Thani provincial administration Pheu Thai candidate, Mr. Saravut Petpanomporn, number two, received 131,164 votes while People’s candidate Mr. Khanisorn Khurirang, number one, got 103,527 votes and Mr. Danuch Tanthetthit, an independent candidate,number three, got 6,761 votes.
Election Commission Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee admitted that fewer than expected people had come out to vote both in Udon Thani and Phetchaburi and Nakhon Si Thammarat where similar local elections took place.
This could have stemmed from legal factors leading to heads of provincial administration resigning one after another which dismayed people for having to vote twice and residents in other areas of the country unable to travel to their hometown to cast their ballot.
In Udon Thai so far there were only two cases of slander which are being investigated, he added.
With fewer people having come out to vote the unofficial results should be known faster by around 9 p.m. with official results to be announced after the polling agency investigates all the complaints.
Both de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra and former Move Forward leader and current People’s campaign assistant Pita Limjaroenrat visited Udon Thani to drum up support for the respective camp’s candidate.
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Top and Front Page: Vote-counting in Udon Thani. Photo: TV Channel 7
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