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Spokesman Kuthep Saikrajang alleged the deployment was to block support for the party and was part of a plan by the Council for National Security to undermine it.

Kuthep said Si Sa Ket was one area where this was occurring. He said five soldiers from the 16th Infantry Division in Yasothon were deployed to each district in one constituency to find out who was canvassing for the party.

Kuthep said workers were told not to support the party. He added they were told they would be blocked from buying votes, but other parties would be allowed to.

"This has really happened and the soldiers really exist. I've called those soldiers and they said they came from the Yasothon base," Kuthep said.

He did not blame Army chief General Chettha Thanajaro because the soldiers were acting on the order of former council chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who is now a deputy prime minister.

Kuthep said Si Sa Ket people were willing to testify but he wanted to ask Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to order the soldiers to desist.

He called on the Election Commission to make a formal statement as to whether former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra could act as a party adviser.

He said the party did not plan to return Thaksin to politics but it wanted "valuable economic advice" from the former prime minister.

The party alleged the commission redrew constituency boundaries with the intention of undermining its support.

Its deputy spokeswoman Thitima Chaisang said the commission put separated districts into constituencies, or divided districts into parts and assigned them to different constituencies.

She said the commission violated the Members of Parliament and Senators Election Act by grouping separated districts.

She cited Chachoengsao as one example of this.

Another deputy spokesman, Supachai Phosu, said the "weird" drawing of constituencies happened in several Northeast provinces, too, including Nakhon Phanom.

Local officials informed Supachai the constituencies were divided to weaken political support for his party.

But, he said the practice would make it inconvenient for voters to seek help from their representatives after the election.

The Nation