No rubber stamps for voting
Former opposition parties on Wednesday called on the Election Commission (EC) to cancel the use of rubber stamps for ballot casting, and to investigate the rallies prone to violate election laws.
They also called on the commission to conclude the investigaŽtion concerning small political parties hired to compete in Sunday's election.
Meanwhile, Thai Rak Thai deputy party leader and caretaker Agriculture Minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan has dared the commission to examine the party's rallying tactics as it had an open campaign policy.
If anyone had any evidence that the incumbent Thai Rak Thai Party had assigned government officials to help woo votes for it, as alleged by some law lecturers, they should file complaints to the EC, she said.
Democrat Party deputy leader Jurin Laksanawisit, chairperson of the joint meeting of representaŽtives from the three former oppoŽsition parties, said the EC's election rules might contain holes that would allow cheating, especially the use of rubber stamping, which would be difficult to examine on questioned ballots.
Although the EC had issued letters around the country to allow voters to either make an X mark with a pen or a rubber stamp when voting, cheaters might still be able to use rubber stamps to make the mark before the election, he said.
Chat Thai Party deputy leader Nikorn Chamnong said ballot boxes might be switched with those from other constituencies after the election. With rubber stamps it would be difficult to prove, and would affect the turnout in each constituency, as a 20percent turnout was required in a conŽstituency with only one candidate.
The Nation
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