Petition to void March 24 election to be decided today

Raksagecha Chaechai, secretary-general of the Ombudsman’s Office. Photo: Office of the Ombudsman
Raksagecha Chaechai, secretary-general of the Ombudsman’s Office. Photo: Office of the Ombudsman

The national ombudsman will decide today whether to forward to the courts a petition to invalidate all results from last month’s election.

The chief executive of the Ombudsman’s Office said they would deliberate Friday on a formal request to void the poll from a member of a political party disbanded three weeks before Election Day, according to public broadcaster Thai PBS.

The petition was filed by a member of the former Thai Raksa on the grounds that plans by election officials to allocated party-list seats violate both the constitution and election laws.

Update: Election Endgame: Petition to void results refused, battle over party seats grinds on

A special meeting is being held to consider the request, Raksagecha Chaechai of the Ombudsman’s Office said. If his office agrees there is merit to the request, it will be forwarded to the courts.

The election results have been in limbo since March 24. Thai Raksa Chart was disbanded by the courts in early March for having nominated a former princess to be its candidate for prime minister. The king overruled her candidacy, saying it inappropriately drew the royal family into politics.

While junta leader Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s bid to remain in power is all but assured by support from the 250-member upper house – all appointed by him and empowered to vote for the next PM in the 2017 constitution written under military supervision.

The Election Commission, widely faulted for bungling the poll, says it wouldn’t be able to give a final vote count and party-list allocations until next month.

Meanwhile, pro-establishment elements have been pulling out the stops to disqualify or incriminate opposition candidates. Chief among them is Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the charismatic leader of the Future Forward Party who placed a strong third with wide support from younger voters.

Thanathorn returned to Thailand last night from a trip abroad to face the latest challenge seeking to disqualify him from office.



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