Police to be equipped with cameras and meters to prevent poll rigging

Police personnel dispatched to polling stations throughout Bangkok tomorrow will be equipped with counting meters and shoulder-mounted cameras in a bid to prevent electoral fraud in the capital's gubernatorial polls.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Lt-General Kamronwit Thoopkrachang said that to assist the balloting, the Metropolitan Police Bureau had purchased more than 10,000 counting meters to record voter turnout.

Two police officers will be deployed at each polling station and some 1,000 policemen will be mobilised to reinforce the regular forces if deemed necessary, he said.

"At polling stations, one of the two police officers in charge will carry a security camera to report any incident in real time," he said.

Kamronwit pledged full efforts to prevent any attempts to rig the voting and its outcome. He voiced readiness yesterday to keep peace and assist in the balloting process.

National Police chief General Adul Sangsingkaew said the security cameras would enable the police to deal with balloting violations in a speedy manner.

Police will assist district and electoral officials to investigate any violations in connection with tomorrow's vote, Adul said.

A total of 14,096 policemen would be on duty for the balloting at 6,548 polling stations.

Election-law experts will be on hand to deal with any alleged balloting offences, Kamronwit said.

He voiced puzzlement that three Bangkok districts - Bang Phlat, Taling Chan and Kanna Yao - had not requested police deployment at polling stations.

"I don't know the reason for the objection but police are duty-bound to keep peace regardless of what the three districts decided," he said.

On Wednesday, Lak Si police launched an investigation into the suspicious transfer of domicile involving 17 individuals, including three whose names coincided with those reported as dead.

The ruling Pheu Thai Party has alerted election officials of suspected tampering of voter lists in Phasi Charoen and Wang Thong Lang districts, deputy spokesperson Sunisa Lertpakawat said. She added that the party also found a case in Bang Khae where six bogus voters were added to a household with one eligible voter.



_ The Nation’s senior editor Tulsathit Taptim will begin his live blogging on the Bangkok election today. Follow the race with him on our website (nationmultimedia.com).