Opposition protesters prevented 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 the disruption to voting means that the results are not expected for weeks at least, and there will not be enough MPs to convene parliament and appoint a government until new elections are held in the problem areas. 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.
“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.” Disruption by protesters to ballot paper deliveries was a major cause of the problems.
Few believe the polls will end the political turmoil that has plagued the kingdom since Yingluck’s elder brother Thaksin was ousted as premier in a military coup in 2006. The premier’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.
Full Article: Thai protesters block voting in chaotic election.