Suspected vote-buying and the tearing of voters’ ballots were the most common legal breaches on election day, with many complaints of such criminal acts lodged with the Election Commission (EC) and private watchdog P-Net.
A number of voters were arrested yesterday for tearing ballots for various reasons – ranging from misunderstanding to drunkenness to upset after crossing the wrong boxes – all of which could subject violators to a five-year restriction on voting, a one-year prison term and/or a maximum fine of Bt20,000.
P-Net reported a number of vote-buying incidents in which voters were paid Bt200 in Phichit. In other incidents, about 100 names of candidates were missing from a list, while election posters of certain parties were seen at a number of booths.
Police yesterday prosecuted 17 people for tearing up ballots and another 21 for electoral fraud and vote-buying. In another case, a person was charged with attempting to take his double ballots away from a booth. Eleven offences involved illegal verbal attacks or unfavourable statements among candidates.
Nobody was hurt in an explosion at a booth in Narathiwat’s Rue Soh district, said national police chief Pol General Wichean Potephosree. He dismissed claims by Matuphum Party candidate Phoolphol Asvahame that he had been punched in the stomach by a number of policemen providing security at a booth in Samut Prakan. The officers later filed a complaint against Phoolphol, accusing him of intimidating policemen on duty.
Full Article: Vote buying, ballot tearing top legal complaints.