THAILAND: By-elections will be held in 38 Thai constituencies where Thaksin fails to win minimum 20 percent votes
Record ID:
858623
THAILAND: By-elections will be held in 38 Thai constituencies where Thaksin fails to win minimum 20 percent votes
- Title: THAILAND: By-elections will be held in 38 Thai constituencies where Thaksin fails to win minimum 20 percent votes
- Date: 4th April 2006
- Summary: THAKSIN BEING DRIVEN AWAY IN BLACK MERCEDES
- Embargoed: 19th April 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Thailand
- City:
- Country: Thailand
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVADKLYK9D4QC3E9LMJ1HTNL05TU
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Thai voters gave Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra a major slap in the face on Monday (April 3) with a strong protest "No vote" in a snap election intended to scotch an anti-corruption street campaign to kick him out.
An opposition boycott of Sunday's (April 2) poll, billed by Thaksin as a referendum on his leadership, had already guaranteed constitutional chaos because of the inevitability of empty seats in parliament, which must be full to form a government.
Thailand's Election Commission (EC) announced on Monday it would hold by-elections in 38 of 400 constituencies after ruling party candidates in uncontested races failed to get the constitutionally required 20 percent of eligible votes.
EC Secretary-General Ekachai Warunprapha told a news conference, "There are 15 provinces within 38 constituencies where candidates won less than 20 percent, which need to be reached. By-elections need to be held."
But he did not say when the by-elections would be held.
All 38 were in southern opposition strongholds, including the largely Muslim southernmost region, where embattled Thaksin is blamed for failing to stop separatist violence in which more than 1,100 people have been killed since early 2004.
His Thai Rak Thai party won only one southern seat in the last election in February 2005, when the Democrat Party, which joined two other opposition parties in boycotting Sunday's election, won most of them.
The premier has so far refused to comment extensively on the high number of abstention votes. Pressed by reporters once again, he told them, "I'll be on television tonight, ok."
The Thai constitution requires all parliament's seats be filled before a new government can be formed.
But, analysts say there is no guarantee the by-elections will ensure that happens.
Preliminary vote counts showed 50.1 percent of ballots in Bangkok were marked with 'No Vote', while candidates of Thai Rak Thai Party received 45.9 per cent of votes.
As the country waited for final results a group of undergraduates from Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University held a small protest infront of the Election Commission, accusing it of being on the side of Thaksin's TRT party.
The Election Commission had been under fire for allowing the snap elections to proceed despite the boycott by opposition parties.
Thailand's election watchdog alleged that voting booths have been placed in positions that breached secrecy rights of electorate, and will try to petition on Monday to have the election results overturned.
A giant television screen outside Government House broadcast the latest news to anti-Thaksin protesters, who have been camped out there for almost a month hoping to force Thaksin to resign.
"People do not have any confidence on the Prime Minister. There were high levels of abstention more than voting for (the Prime Minister) or even equal," said People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and Dharma Army leader, Chamlong Srimuang.
Chamlong told Reuters, the only way to stop the anti-Thaksin demonstration is Thaksin has to resign, if not, they will demonstrate again. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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