Ballot count draws protests

EC officials to probe claims of poll errors

- CHAIRITH YONPIAM

Protests in Chon Buri following allegations of irregularities in last Sunday’s general election are prompting calls for the Election Commission (EC) to order recounts in several provinces.

The focus of public attention has centred on Constituency 1 in Chon Buri, where crowds of voters and supporters of the People’s Party (PP) gathered for more than 15 hours to demand greater transparency in the vote-count-ing process.

The protests began late on election night and continued into the following day at a municipal badminton hall in Chon Buri town, the designated storage site for ballot boxes from Constituency 1. Hundreds of demonstrators remained on site, closely monitoring the ballot boxes amid heightened security, insisting that the EC conduct a recount to ensure the integrity of the result.

Similar demands have since surfaced in several other provinces nationwide.

Three days after polling day, the EC has yet to formally certify the election results, although it is widely accepted that the Bhumjaithai Party emerged as the largest party and is expected to lead the formation of the new government.