By Thai Newsroom Reporters
NON-PARTISAN CANDIDATES vying for head of provincial administration, also known in Thai as Nayok Or Bor Jor, have won most of the contested seats in yesterday’s (Feb.1) elections in 47 provinces in all regions of the country.
Those non-partisan contestants were voted Nayok Or Bor Jor by constituents in most of the total 47 provinces at stake, compared to nine won by the largest ruling Pheu Thai whilst the People’s, currently in the opposition bloc at parliament, secured none.
The People’s had been earlier forecast to win no more than seven heads of provincial administration but eventually came up with none from among a total of 17 provinces which the reformist camp has contested with Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Pita Limjaroenrat, former leaders of the court-dissolved Future Forward and Move Forward respectively, performing as campaign aides.
Most of the winning candidates have run under the tickets of ”independent” groups purportedly in pursuit of provincial-level, public interests and apparently keeping their distances from national-level, Bangkok-based parties.
Acting as a campaign aide, de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra has intensely helped to woo votes for his partisan contestants mostly in northern and northeastern constituencies with unfulfilled hopes of winning most of the contested seats.
According to unofficial results of yesterday’s provincial elections, Thaksin’s ruling camp has won nine seats of Nayok Or Bor Jor in Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Panom, Prachinburi, Lampoon, Lampang and Chiang Mai.
Nevertheless, some winning candidates, particularly those vying in northeastern constituencies, were believed to be more or less associated, albeit in hush-hush fashion, with the Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob.
CAPTIONS:
Top: De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra helping a Pheu Thai candidate campaign in the provincial administration chief elections. Photo: Thai Rath
Front Page: Pheu Thai candidate Mr. Pichai Lertpong-adisorn gives a wai after unofficial result showed he won in Chiang Mai.Photo: Thai Rath
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