Polling Booths in Thailand’s Southern Provinces Forced to Close

BANGKOK, February 2 (TNA) - Polling stations in several southern provinces are forced to close on Sunday’s general election while Election Commission (EC) officials reported there were no problems for the opening of booths in the North and the Northeast regions. EC officials in all the three constituencies of the southern province of Phatthalung decided to close 770 stations in the province after anti-government protesters of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) blockaded and prevented EC officials from delivering ballot boxes and papers to committee members manning the booths. EC authorities in the province have already reported the incident to EC authorities in Bangkok and lawsuit would be filed with police later so that action could be taken against the protesters. A similar incident occurred in the resort province of Songkhla as booths were unable to open because PDRC protesters have surrounded the post office in Hat Yai district where ballot boxes and papers for other southern provinces are stored and officials were unable to distribute them. PDRC protesters have surrounded the Hat Yai post office and at other post offices in Chumphon province and in Thung Song district where ballot boxes and papers are stored for nearly a week now in order to disrupt the poll. A similar situation was also seen in other southern provinces including Phuket, Surat Thani, Phang-nga and in Trang. Polling stations in these provinces are unable to open due to problems including blockading by anti-government protesters who are demanding for national political reform before the election and an ouster of the caretaker government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra without any condition. While stations in southern provinces are unable to open, EC officials reported that no problems were seen in the North and the Northeast. Polling stations were opened at 8.00 a.m. and will be closed at 3.00 p.m. local time. (TNA)