BY-ELECTIONS: Security tightened amid news of threats

Published on February 10, 2005

EC concerned about reports of misleading leaflets, ballot tampering

Reports of threats and the circulation of leaflets with misleading information marred a by-election yesterday in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Constituency 5, sources claimed.

The Election Commission called the by-election in Tambon Tanod, Non Sung district, because 49 more ballots were cast in Sunday’s election than there were eligible voters.

Sources told The Nation that 5,000 leaflets were distributed in Non Sung district on the eve of the by-election urging voters not to go to the polls because they had been misled. They were told that to turn out would be to take part in sabotage.

A group of men driving a pickup also threatened voters, warning them to vote only for a certain candidate.

Paiboon Makkawiman, chief of the province’s Election Commission, said he heard there might be a robbery of ballot boxes so he deployed 30 security officials to protect the boxes and used 400 soldiers to count votes after the voting closed.

Meanwhile in Trang’s Muang district, former Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai, accompanied by his mother, went to cast his vote yesterday in a by-election. The new poll was called after election officials found six more ballots had been cast than the number of voters who turned out.

To avoid errors in the by-election, the EC replaced former election officials with schoolteachers.

In Satun, Democrat MP candidate Thanin Chaisamut led Thai Rak Thai candidate Jirayus Naowaket by a small margin last night in another by-election.

As of 7pm, Thani led with 4,362 votes to Jirayus’ 4,284.

The province came under the spotlight last month after reports that Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob had allegedly offered money to canvassers and high-ranking officials in Satun and Phattalung in return for votes.

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