Red-carded candidate Leena Jangjanya in tears after being prevented from voting at a polling unit near the Indra hotel. — WEERAWONG WONGPREEDEE

MANOP THIP-OSOD MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

Red-carded Bangkok governor candidate Leena Jangjanya yesterday filed a complaint with police after she was prevented by officials from casting her ballot in yesterday's election.

Mrs Leena, accompanied by Thai Rak Thai MP for Si Sa Ket Piyanat Watcharaporn, filed a complaint with Phayathai police against the Election Commission (EC).

She said she had been told by staff at polling unit 36 in Ratchathewi district that she was not allowed to vote.

She later went to Ratchathewi district office to seek an explanation from district director Sawang Bunyasit.

She was told the EC had stripped her of her voting right after she was red-carded on Aug 26 for campaign violations.

The EC ruled Mrs Leena had broken election laws by employing dancers and singers in a parade to attract voters.

Bangkok EC chairman Chalermphol Charoenying defended the commission's action, saying Mrs Leena's voting right had been suspended for one year because she was disqualified.

The commission is likely to drop an election violation complaint by Mrs Leena against other candidates she says put on boisterous performances on candidacy registration day on July 26.

Wassana Permlarp, national EC chairman, said the behaviour of candidates' supporters on registration day was not considered as violating election laws, as claimed by Mrs Leena.

During registration, the commission had not yet examined candidates' qualifications. Hence, whatever they did on the day was not viewed as breaking the law, he said.

This was not the same as Mrs Leena's case, Pol Gen Wassana said.

She was red-carded because she broke the law after her candidacy had been formally endorsed.

Mrs Leena had earlier accused the Election Commission of double standards, saying she had been singled out for harsh treatment.

Other candidates had staged equally boisterous performances on July 26 but were spared legal action, she said.