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Published on November 13, 2007

After a frenzied round of musical chairs, candidates for the 2007 election lined up yesterday to register for their constituencies amid scenes of passion, cheers, tears, and fits of pique.

At the heart of the opening day of registration was the desperate grab for those precious lucky ballot numbers that would make it easy for voters to remember the candidate and party. But the rules laid down yesterday could now make that difficult for some.

Candidates from eight political parties turned up at the Thai-Japan Youth Welfare Centre before 8.30am, the starting time of registration. They were from the Democrats, Puea Pandin, Matchima Thipataya, Chart Thai, People Power, Prachakorn Thai, Pracharaj and New Aspiration.

It took 40 minutes of quibbling to agree on the rules for candidate numbering. The candidates drew their ballot numbers, but parties were refused permission to use the same numbers in each constituency.

In the 12 constituencies in Bangkok, which each have three seats, it was initially proposed that candidates from the same party could use the same numbers throughout.

But some parties, including Pracharaj, New Aspiration and Prachakorn Thai, are not fielding candidates in every constituency. So, uniform numbering would have meant candidate numbers in some constituencies remaining vacant.

Confusing the situation even more, Bangkok Election Commission chairman Ping Rungsamai said candidates who registered at a later stage would not be entitled to get the same numbers their colleagues had drawn in the morning.

The candidates and the EC then agreed to a separate draw for each constituency. The process involved one of the three candidates from each party drawing a constituency number and the other two would then automatically get the subsequent successive numbers.

Puea Pandin candidates struck it lucky when they got the coveted numbers 1, 2 and 3 in six of the 12 capital constituencies, the easiest to remember.

For the rest, it wasn't so simple. People Power's Wattana Sengpairoh, when asked the ballot number he was given, had to pause and think. After being unable to reply, he said he would need some time to remember it.

Some were clearly unhappy. Matchima Thipataya's Bangkok candidates in Constituency 2 were in conflict over who would get which number. The team drew the number 1, which meant its candidates would be in the first three places on the ballot. The candidates were listed in order as Ayuth Jirachaipravit, Pichien Amnatworaprasert and Supaporn Saengthong. But Pichien put his name at number 1 and Ayuth at number 3, which did not please the latter, who cried foul to the EC.

The commission said it was up to the party to decide. Ayuth, who was unable to contact key party members to sort things out, said he would file a criminal suit against Pichien and the EC officials.

Amid the bickering and disarray, the normal registration day clamour of competing political parties was more subdued this year. Officials restricted the number of supporters allowed to follow each candidate to the registration area, so the atmosphere was not as boisterous as party-list registration last week.

Much of the media spotlight initially fell on well-known personalities, especially those entering politics for the first time, but it wasn't long before they had to step aside for the real political high rollers.

Among them were Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, PPP leader Samak Sundaravej, who turned up with TRT's former Bangkok group chairman Sudarat Keyuraphan and Chalerm Yoobamrung, Chart Thai deputy leader Korn Dabbarangsi, Paveena Hongsakul and Janista Liewchalermkul.

Puea Pandin Party leader Suwit Khunkitti gained top spot when he registered to run in Khon Kaen's Constituency 3.

Sanan Kachornprasart registered his candidacy in Phichit's Constituency 2 and received number 1 even though he picked the draw after others from competing parties.

Chart Thai Party leader Banharn Silapa-archa could not stifle a smile when he too drew the lucky number in Suphan Buri's Constituency 1. Banharn drew the number 13 last week for party-list MP registration.

People Power candidate Surapong Towichakchaikul's supporters wore face masks of ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra when he went to register.

Kornchanok Raksaseri,

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

 The Nation