MONGKOK BANGPRAPA

The Election Commission says it could not identify Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidhob as promising cash for votes in Songkhla two weeks ago.

The commission arrived at the ruling after police examined audio recordings of a voice purported to be that of Mr Newin offering the cash at a meeting in Hat Yai. Police said they could not establish if the voice belonged to Mr Newin.

Poll commissioner Parinya Nakchatri said Thavorn Senniam, the Democrat election candidate who exposed the scandal, had planned to hand over another compact disc recording related to the Newin affair today.

Mr Parinya said the EC was pressing on with probes into vote-buying complaints in Surin and into a mudslinging campaign petition in Buri Ram.

It could start disqualifying or suspending poll candidates guilty of cheating from this week.

The EC was looking into reports of police confiscating cash, a list of eligible voters and campaign CDs belonging to a Democrat candidate in Chiang Mai. To date, however, no charges under the election law had been brought against anyone.