Voting Ends In Thai Election

BANGKOK, February 2 (TNA) - Voting in Thailand's general election ended at 3 p.m. local time on Sunday and, according to police, no bloody violence was reported throughout the day except disruptions at booths by anti-government protesters aimed at preventing eligible voters from casting their votes. The Election Commission (EC) Secretary-General Puchong Nutrawong said that the results of the election must also add with scores earned by candidates from a fresh by-election for an advance voting which will be held on February 23 and also from votes cast by Thais living in overseas. Deputy EC secretary-general Tanith Sriprateth said that the EC was informed that out of 143,807 Thais in 67 foreign countries who had registered for casting vote between January 13 -26, only 38,350 persons exercised their rights. Mr. Tanith said no untoward incidents during Sunday’s general election were reported in 16 northern and 20 northeastern provinces. Voting in nine southern provinces was called off. A total of 488 stations in five constituencies in Bangkok called off the election due to problems ranging from blockade by anti-government protesters in front of the booths to the absence of ballot boxes and papers. Police, meanwhile, are speeding on gathering evidence so that action could be taken against perpetrators of Saturday’s clash between the pro-government group of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship and the anti-government protesters in Bangkok’s Lak Si district, said spokesman of the Royal Thai Police Pol. Maj. Gen. Piya Uthayo. At least six people, including a Thai and a foreign journalist, were wounded in the clash. (TNA)