By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE ELECTION Commission today (Feb.12) categorically dismissed a persistent call from students for a recount of all votes in a constituency of Chonburi amidst allegations of rigging and irregularities over Sunday’s election.
Election Commission Chair Narong Klanwarin announced that the polling agency had investigated the alleged rigging and irregularities over the counted ballots and concluded that no such malfeasance had been committed as charged by those protesters, thus prompting the commissioners to categorically deny the sustained demand for a recount of the votes raised by the students and other protesters who had gathered at a downtown gym used by the agency for storage of the ballots since Monday.
The alleged rigging conspiracy in regard to vote-counting papers shown by the referees, their handling of cardboard boxes containing the ballots, unused cable ties and the relocation of the venue for the storage of the ballots and relevant papers had by no means violated regulations pertaining to the electoral process, the chief of the polling agency contended.
Narong said six unnamed persons who had joined in the unsuccessful call for the recount of the votes had been questioned by the agency’s officials and admitted that they themselves had not literally seen any irregularities allegedly perpetrated by any referees or anyone else and that they had merely moved by hearsay.
In Constituency 1 of the eastern province, Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Natural Resources & Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin who ran to seek re-election under the Bhumjaithai tickets reportedly defeated the first runner-up, namely Warot Siriruck vying under the People’s banners, by about 3,800 votes.
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Top and Front Page – Protesters in Chonburi surround a pick-up truck and a truck transferring ballot boxes to a new location. Photos – Naewna
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