A member of the People’s Alliance for Democracy displays a wreath outside the Election Commission’s offices in protest against its ruling on Sunday in favour of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The commission yesterday said it would revert to the old-style booths, which face election staff, for the Senate election on April 19 and advance voting for the Senate on Thursday and Friday.

The old configuration will also be used for the 39 by-elections pending as a result of the inconclusive April 2 poll.

Election Commissioner Prinya Nakchudtree yesterday announced a by-election for constituency 3 in Samut Sakhon.

He said cheating was suspected in the last poll, because the number of ballots and the number of registered voters did not add up.

In the 39 constituencies, 11 candidates from the Thai Rak Thai Party will be unopposed in the second round of voting, after new candidates from small parties - particularly in the southern provinces of Songkhla, Phang Nga and Chumphon - were disqualified yesterday.

More candidates will probably be disqualified and announcements are expected today.

Prinya said the EC was not forced to change the configuration of the booths. He said the new-style booths might have allowed onlookers to see how people voted.

The EC will also provide pens for voters who do not want to use rubber stamps, and candidate lists will not be posted in front of the booths.

The Administrative Court has also been authorised to open registration for new candidates in the by-election, he said.

Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Thaworn Senneam, had asked the Administrative Court to void the EC's invitation to new candidates, saying such a move was beyond its authority. But Prinya said the court ruled in the EC's favour.

However, the election directors of each constituency could file complaints with the Supreme Court, he said.

Atthayuth Butrsripoom

The Nation