BANGKOK, Feb 4 – The ruling Pheu Thai Party is lodging a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), demanding legal action against anti-government protesters who disrupted Sunday’s general election.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the EC will be asked to take action against Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary general of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), and nine accomplices for their unlawful activities and obstructing voters from exercising their rights.
He said the protesters violated the Election Law, and that the EC should also file lawsuits against the protesters in the Civil Court for breaking into the government printing house and damaging printed ballots.
He said the protesters disrupted elections in Bangkok and the South on Sunday and forced election officials to close polling stations in many constituencies.
Mr Prompong said the EC should urgently stop Mr Suthep and his supporters from obstructing the rescheduled advance election on Feb 23 and new elections in constituencies where balloting was unsuccessful on Sunday.
He warned that election commissioners will be charged with negligence if they failed to act against the protesters, adding that the protesters have blocked the pre-election preparations and balloting for almost a month while the EC had not done anything.
He called on the EC to set new election date within a week in nine provinces where balloting was cancelled and nine other provinces which managed to hold elections in certain, but not all, constituencies.
“Organising elections is the EC’s responsibility. Don’t pass the buck to other government agencies,” said Mr Prompong.
He said the Pheu Thai legal team will also submit a complaint to the EC, in its capacity as registrar for political parties, seeking to dissolve the Democrat Party for violating the Political Party Act by supporting the PDRC’s rallies and attempting to change the country’s political system from democratic rule.
