MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

Complaints from losing candidates of the four major political parties flowed into the Election Commission (EC) yesterday alleging election fraud nationwide.

Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party-list candidate Wichit Plangsrisakul brought in the party's candidate for Angthong's constituency 2, Pol Maj-Gen Prachuab Pao-in, whose main rival was Somsak Prisanananthakul of Chart Thai. They had burnt bits from 105 list ballots and 92 constituency ballots bearing the number 9 for Thai Rak Thai.

They said the damaged papers were found at 1am yesterday by a man who said they all came from polling station No 59. Two electricity blackouts occurred during counting in the constituency.

The Thai Rak Thai hopeful for Prachuap Khiri Khan's constituency 2, Pornthep Wisutwattanasak, complained many ballot papers marked with number 9 were declared invalid for being ink stained because marker pens were used instead of ballpoint pens, and that two stacks of ballot papers were stolen before election day and their stubs found later.

The TRT candidate in Samut Songkhram's constituency 1, Chairat Thaijia-aree, complained of a lack of transparency during counting. The same party's candidate in Phetchaburi's constituency 3, Piya Angkhinan, accused the elected Democrat candidate Apichart Supapaeng of poll fraud. In Krabi's constituency 2, TRT's Damrong Kittikornkul also complained.

Several Democrat candidates also trickled in to EC headquarters. Phutthipong Poonnakun from Bangkok's constituency 4 (Phaya Thai) complained about poll fraud and provided video tape evidence.

Similar complaints came from Siriwan Pratsajaksattru from Phrae's constituency 2, Surachart Suwannapong from Nong Bua Lamphu's constituency 3 and Pramual Empia from Chon Buri's constituency 3.

Pongprayoon Ratcha-apai, Democrat hopeful for Chiang Mai's constituency 5, handed in photos of alleged irregularities, such as the separation of valid from invalid ballots before counting and the discovery of many voting papers in a basket.

Yutthapong Charassathian, the Democrat candidate for Maha Sarakham's constituency 3, said he had photos showing Sakda Yodsatoen, a canvasser for his TRT rival Suchart Chokchaiwattanakorn, paying Wimol Phophayak 300 baht on Feb 1 for his vote.

Mahachon candidates who complained were Inthira Nathongbor from Chiang Rai's constituency 5, Mallika Boonmeetrakul of Phayao's constituency 3 and Siriwat Kachornprasart from Phichit's constituency 1.

Chart Thai's candidate in Lop Buri's constituency 3 Kamol Jiraphanvanich also complained.