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Published on August 20, 2007

Monitoring coordinator Sakul Suesongtham suspected names had been removed in a scheme to produce a higher voter-turnout percentage.

Sakul said village heads and local officials probably submitted names of those they expected not to vote or vote against the draft constitution. The Interior Ministry then removed these names before rolls were delivered to the Election Commission, Sakul said.

Sakul recalled this tactic was employed "some decades ago and resulted in deceptive 100-per-cent turnouts in some areas".

"[Officials] are under stress. They were told to produce certain voting-turnout figures. So they delete the names of those they believe will not exercise their vote.

Those giving [doctored] lists to the commission are Local Administration Department offices," Sakul claimed.

"This is an old practice of the department. It used to give prizes to those areas with high voter turnout and some claimed 100 per cent. This is illegal and abrogates the rights of voters."

 Sakul said if cheating was "not too widespread", the Kingdom would experience a more peaceful political period after the referendum.

But, according to Asian Network for Free Elections observer Chatchawan Rakchart, that was not the case.

"That's not going to happen. The problem is far more complex," he said, adding that the legitimacy of the draft charter and coup leaders would be in doubt if there was a low turnout.

Meanwhile, Surapong Suebwonglee, a key member of the Thai Rak Thai group, called on the commission to scrutinise complaints that only 80 per cent of all ballots were delivered to polling stations.

He suspected an attempt to cheat by declaring the undelivered 20 per cent as yes votes. The group was looking closely at discrepancies, he added.

Election Commission chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said all complaints should be sent to the commission, which would examine them.

Pravit Rojanapruk,

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation