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Thai protesters block voting in chaotic national election
Voting began in Bangkok on Sunday after gun battles between anti-government protesters and supporters of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra late on Saturday wounded seven
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra casts her vote on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Opposition protesters blocked voting at thousands of polling stations in Thailand on Sunday, triggering angry scenes in the capital over an election that plunged the strife-racked kingdom into political limbo.
Despite weeks of mass street demonstrations aimed at forcing her from office, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was widely expected to extend her billionaire family’s decade-long winning streak at the ballot box.
But widespread disruption to voting meant that the results are not expected for weeks at least. And few believe the polls will end the political turmoil that has plagued the kingdom since her elder brother Thaksin was ousted as premier in a military coup in 2006.
Yingluck’s opponents say she is a mere puppet for the ousted leader, a hugely controversial figure who lives in Dubai to avoid prison for a corruption conviction.
The main opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the vote, said it was gathering legal evidence to seek an annulment of the election.
About 10,000 out of nearly 94,000 polling stations were unable to open, according to the Election Commission, affecting millions of people, although it was unclear how many had planned to vote.
An angry crowd gathered outside one voting centre in the Bangkok district of Din Daeng, holding their ID cards in the air and chanting “Vote! Vote!”, before storming inside. They later filed complaints with police about the blockade.
“I came to vote, but they have denied my rights,” said Praneet Tabtimtong, 57, clutching a large wooden club. “I am begging them to let me vote.”
The disruption means that even if Yingluck wins she will remain in a caretaker role with limited power over government policy until elections are held in the troubled areas, because there will not be enough MPs to convene parliament.
“Normally even if one polling station is blocked we cannot announce the result,” said Election Commission member Somchai Srisutthiyakorn.
“As long as there are protests and no negotiation, then parliament cannot open.”
Experts say a protracted period of political uncertainty and possible street violence could set the scene for a military or judicial coup. The army chief has repeatedly refused to rule out seizing power, while Yingluck is under investigation by an anti-corruption panel.
Protesters demanding the right to vote argue with security and election officials at a district office where voting was called off. Photo: Reuters
At least 10 people have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes, grenade attacks and drive-by shootings since the opposition rallies began, with victims on both sides.
Tensions were running high after a dramatic gun battle between rival protesters on the streets of the capital on the eve of the election that left at least seven people wounded, but there were no reports of serious violence on election day by the time polls closed.
‘Thuggery and intimidation’
The demonstrators want Yingluck to step down and make way for an unelected “people’s council” to oversee reforms to tackle corruption and alleged vote-buying.
In many parts of the south, a stronghold of the anti-government movement, protesters stopped post offices from distributing ballot sheets and boxes.
Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher with New York-based Human Rights Watch, accused the demonstrators of “thuggery and intimidation”.
But in the government’s heartland in north and northeast Thailand, as well as some areas of the capital, voting went ahead without major disruption in a boost to Yingluck’s hopes of re-election.
“I did my duty today as I came to vote - it’s my right,” said Pui, 43, who cast his ballot at a polling station in Bangkok’s historic district where a handful of police watched over voters.
Anti-government protesters gather in front of ballot boxes as they block voting at the Ratchathewi District Office. Photo: EPA
Authorities said roughly 130,000 police were deployed around the country for the vote, but with tens of thousands of polling stations, many had only a light security presence.
The backdrop to the unrest is a long-running political struggle pitting Thailand’s royalist establishment - backed by the courts and the military - against Thaksin.
The protests were initially triggered by a failed amnesty bill that could have allowed the fugitive former premier to return without going to jail.
The recent violence is the worst political bloodshed in the kingdom since 2010 when protests by pro-Thaksin “Red Shirts” left more than 90 dead and nearly 1,900 injured in clashes and a military crackdown.
The elite-backed opposition Democrat Party - which has not won an elected majority in around two decades - refused to take part in the vote, throwing its support behind the anti-government protests.
The party said on Sunday that it was preparing to mount a legal challenge to the vote.
“We are compiling evidence and information to ask the court to nullify this election,” said deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon.
The protesters have vowed to keep up their fight to topple Yingluck, whatever the outcome of the polls.
“The winners will not represent the Thai people,” rally leader Suthep Thaugsuban, an opposition heavyweight, told supporters on Sunday. “The winners must be Thaksin slaves.”
Anti-government protesters sit inside a district office in front of election boxes which were to be delivered to polling stations just before voting was set to start. Photo: Reuters
Opposition protesters blocked voting at thousands of polling stations in Thailand yesterday, triggering angry scenes in the capital over an election that plunged the strife-racked kingdom into political limbo.
Despite weeks of mass street demonstrations aimed at forcing her from office, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was widely expected to extend her billionaire family's decade-long winning streak at the ballot box.
But widespread disruption to voting meant that the results were not expected for weeks at least. And few believe the polls will end the political turmoil that has plagued the kingdom since her elder brother, Thaksin, was ousted as premier in a military coup in 2006.
Yingluck's opponents say she is a mere puppet for the ousted leader, a hugely controversial figure who lives in Dubai to avoid prison for a corruption conviction.
The main opposition Democrat Party, which boycotted the vote, said it was gathering legal evidence to seek an annulment of the election.
About 10,000 out of nearly 94,000 polling stations were unable to open, according to the Election Commission, affecting millions of people, although it was unclear how many had planned to vote.
Empty ballot boxes at a polling station in Bangkok. Photo: EPA
An angry crowd gathered outside one voting centre in the Bangkok district of Din Daeng, holding their ID cards in the air and chanting "Vote! Vote!", before storming inside. They later filed complaints with police.
"I came to vote, but they have denied my rights," said Praneet Tabtimtong, 57. "I am begging them to let me vote."
The disruption means that even if Yingluck wins she will remain in a caretaker role with limited power over government policy until elections are held in the troubled areas, because there will not be enough MPs to convene parliament.
"Normally even if one polling station is blocked we cannot announce the result," said Election Commission member Somchai Srisutthiyakorn.
"As long as there are protests and no negotiation, then parliament cannot open."
Experts say a protracted period of political uncertainty and possible street violence could set the scene for a military or judicial coup. The army chief has repeatedly refused to rule out seizing power, while Yingluck is under investigation by an anti-corruption panel.
The protesters have vowed to keep up their fight to topple Yingluck, whatever the outcome of the polls. They want her to make way for an unelected "people's council" to oversee reforms.
"The winners will not represent the Thai people," rally leader Suthep Thaugsuban told supporters. "The winners must be Thaksin slaves."
At least 10 people have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes since the opposition rallies began.
Tensions were running high after a dramatic gun battle between rival protesters on the streets of the capital that left at least seven people wounded, but there were no reports of serious violence on election day by the time polls closed.
THAILAND GOES TO THE POLLS
The voters
There are 49 million eligible voters for 375 constituencies. A further 125 seats are allocated based on the percentage of votes each party wins.
Bangkok, dominated by the Democrat Party in the 2011 poll, has 33 constituencies. Out of 2.16 million people who registered for early voting on January 26, 440,000 were unable to vote. They will have another chance on February 23.
In the last election in 2011, Yingluck Shinawatra's Puea Thai party won 265 seats with 48 per cent of the vote, while the Democrats got 159 seats with 35 per cent. Turnout was 75 per cent.
The results
The Election Commission said it expected a strong turnout in the north, northeast and central provinces, but warned of disruption to voting in Bangkok and the south.
Another day of voting is already planned for February 23 because of the disruption to advance voting. This means a delay to the final result in some constituencies.
Candidates were unable to register in 28 constituencies because of action by the anti-government protesters, who also blocked the delivery of voting papers to some polling stations. By-elections will have to be held there, as and when possible.
Probable delay to opening of parliament
At least 95 per cent of the 500 lawmakers must be present for parliament to open and then proceed to the election of a prime minister. Given the delay in registering candidates in some places, the vote cannot deliver a quorum.
Holding by-elections could take several months, especially as the constituencies that will be involved are in areas of the south of the country loyal to the Democrat Party and supportive of the present anti-government protest movement.
