BANGKOK, July 29 — The Royal Thai Police will dispatch 1,650 police to ensure there is no disruption at the polls during Sunday’s by-election in the northeastern province of Nong Khai and in the northern province of Sukhothai, Royal Thai Police adviser Pol-Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen said on Friday.
The Election Commission (EC) ordered a by-election in Nong Khai Constituency 2 and Sukhothai Constituency 3 after giving ‘yellow cards’ to winning candidates for violating the election law on vote-buying.
Gen Pongsapat said following the situation assessment, the by-election in the two constituencies would run smoothly without any disruption.
Thailand Post Company and Police’s Crime Suppression Division delivered ballots to the local election committees of the two Constituencies, he said, adding that the vote counting for the two constituencies would be completed by 8pm.
As for the ballot recount in the southern border province of Yala Constituency 2 scheduled to be carried out on Sunday, Gen Pongsapat said the 170 ballot boxes which were kept at the Yala provincial police station would be transferred to the Youth Centre early Sunday morning.
The recount would start at 8am and expected to finish before noon, he said.
The EC had ordered a ballot recount in Yala’s Constituency 2 after a Pheu Thai candidate who lost to the Democrat candidate lodged a complaint about alleged irregularities concerning wrong tallies, extra ballots being provided to eligible voters and vote counting at polling stations not matching the voter turnout.
