SONGKHLA, 31 January 2014 With just one day left until Sunday’s election, ballots for the 14 southern provinces are still stuck at postal centers in the South due to the People’s Democratic Reform Committee’s blockade of the venue.
Election officials have so far not been able to transport the ballots and ballot boxes to each of the locality in the southern provinces, as the PDRC still maintained its blockade of 3 postal centers – one in Hat Yai, Songkhla; one in Thung Song, Nakhon Si Thammarat; and one in Chumphon. Election Commission officials earlier negotiated with the PDRC figureheads in the said localities, but failed to secure a lifting of the blockades.
Meanwhile in Bung Kan, excited citizens poured into district offices to renew their citizen identification cards, which are required to vote. At Mueang Bung Kan district office, the number of people renewing I.D. cards was around 2-3 times higher than normal on Thursday. Most of those seeking card renewal either lost their cards or broke them. Many were young adults who will be exercising their voting right for the first time.
