RATCHABURI, 17 June 2011– The Election Commission (EC) has indicated that yellow and red cards might be issued for some MP candidates before the election result is announced due to a flood of complaints over electoral frauds.
During his visit to Ratchaburi province to observe the readiness of the local EC office, EC Secretary-General Suthipol Thaweechaikarn pointed out that the upcoming 3 July general election was different from previous polls in terms of the prevalence of electoral law violations and political slandering. He hinted a possibility for both yellow and red cards to be prescribed for certain MP candidates prior to the announcement of the official poll result.
Moreover, Mr Suthipol said the EC had undergone operational restructuring for higher efficiency while its provincial offices across the country had been working more closely with the police on preventing illegal activities. Thus far, the greatest concentration of complaints is in the northeastern region.
Regarding the EC’s planned visit to Thai people in other countries, the EC Secretary-General clarified that the objective was to raise their awareness of their rights to vote outside the Kingdom as well as related procedures in their areas. He confirmed that, while away, the EC’s duties within the country would proceed unabated as responsible personnel would remain in charge.
