Plenty of vote-buying complaints

Mongkol Bangprapa

The election panel in Nakhon Nayok received complaints of vote-buying in the lead up to the June 30 by-election, an election commissioner said yesterday.

Gothom Arya said election law breaches took place in Ban Na and Ongkharak districts during June 26-30.

The amount of money paid ranged from 100-200 baht a head.

The news coincides with ongoing debate over a tape-recorded telephone conversation allegedly between Somsak Prisnananthakul, Chart Thai deputy leader and deputy House speaker, and Nakhon Nayok MP Sithichai Kittithanesuan, about buying votes for 200 baht each in the two districts.

Mr Gothom said two NGOs monitoring the election in seven constituencies of six provinces received 92 poll violation complaints.

Of the total, 28 took place in Surin, 17 in Buri Ram, 14 in Khon Kaen, 12 in Kanchanaburi, 12 in Nakhon Nayok, eight in Ubon Ratchathani's constituency 10 and one in Ubon Ratchathani's constituency 1.

Seventy-two were about vote-buying.

However, most complainants said they did not want to testify as witnesses.