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Published on October 6, 2007

Vote-buying in the Northeast has penetrated schools with teachers being urged to bribe students, a government public-relations panel has found.

Canvassers in many provinces in the region are also organising tours to neighbouring countries for local elected officials.

Prasarn Maruekapitak, chairman of the special subcommittee, said yesterday that during visits to provinces in Isaan last month, his panel had learned about the offering of paid trips to kamnan, village chiefs and Tambon Administration Organisation members.

However, that was not illegal, as the election decree has not yet been issued, he said.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told the Election Commission he had heard about vote-buying with ATM cards instead of cash.

Prasarn said his panel had received a convincing report that principals of primary and secondary schools in Nakhon Ratchasima were contacted to have students tell their parents to vote for a particular party and they would get good grades.

Meanwhile, Sangsit Piriyarangsan, chairman of the National Legislative Assembly's finance committee, said the prime minister supported the call for the government to revive the two- and three-digit lottery.

After meeting with Surayud, Sangsit told reporters the PM had said he wanted the government to hold the popular lottery as soon as possible to prevent proceeds from the underground lottery going to buy votes.

Sangsit said he had informed Surayud that Assumption University and the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce had carried out a survey and some 35 million people wanted the lottery back.

Surayud promised to talk to the finance minister and speed up the bill to allow the government to conduct the lottery legally.

The National Legislative Assembly was scheduled on Thursday to deliberate the two- and three-digit lottery bill as proposed by 159 members, but the reading was postponed.

Election Commission spokesman Sutthipol Taweechaikarn said the agency would accept applications until October 11 from people interested in serving as election officials in 157 constituencies around the country. They must not be members of any political party and must be natives of the province where they would work, he said.

Woranaree Kosajan,

Atthayuth Butrsripoom

The Nation