POST REPORTERS

The opposition parties are out in force to bring poll cheats to account with the Democrats opening a centre to pool complaints of electoral fraud amid a chorus of demands for a fresh, clean general election.

The opposition is obviously keen to see Thai Rak Thai MPs-elect red carded or suspended by the Election Commission.

Picking up a few more seats would be a welcome boost for the languishing bloc and could even push it past the crucial 125-MP mark needed for a censure debate.

The opposition _ made up of the Democrats, Mahachon and Chart Thai parties _ is several MP seats shy of 125, according to the latest unofficial results.

Yutthapong Charasathien, a Democrat candidate for Maha Sarakham, said poll fraud was rife in many constituencies, so he decided to open the ``whistle-blowing'' complaints centre. He appealed to other parties and the general public for input.

There were quite clearly irregularities as way too many promising candidates were defeated, he said. There were also instances where the number of ballots cast and the voter turnout did not match.

Mr Yutthapong said the entire Feb 6 general election should be invalidated and a new ``clean'' poll called.

Two agencies should be held to account for any ballot-related malpractice. The Government Lottery Office (GLO) printed the ballot papers and the Election Commission (EC) distributed them.

The election commissioners were unlikely to let ballots go missing on their watch, so the ball was now in the GLO chief's court who must prove no surplus ballot papers were printed on purpose.

Media attention was centred on partially burned ballots discovered in Ang Thong last week. The EC declared them to be genuine and the police were hunting for the culprits who tried to dispose of them.

Mr Yutthapong said foul play was not limited to Ang Thong. He wondered why the EC hired the GLO, which had once been accused of printing fraudulent petrol coupons in a 60-million-baht scam to swindle the Petroleum Authority of Thailand. He demanded an immediate investigation by the EC into the ballot fiacso.

The centre had received few complaints about vote buying, he said. But there were reports of pre-marked ballots being switched for those legally cast, and of dubious ballot counting practices.

Democrat spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon said the party would go all the way in exposing electoral fraud in ``all its shapes and forms''.

He insisted the Democrats were not just trouble-making losers rejecting a fair result. The party knew there was no way it could gain enough seats to catch up with Thai Rak Thai through the red and yellow cards. Many candidates from other parties were also cheated of victory and they had every reason to demand justice.

Mahachon deputy leader Pan Puengsujarit was convinced dirty tricks were rampant in the poll, that the outcome may also have been manipulated and that ballot switching had occurred.

GLO director Surasit Sangkhapong said the ballot printing process was strictly monitored by GLO senior staff and the EC. No ballot papers ended up in the wrong hands and there was no leakage.

The GLO was contracted by the EC to print only the party-list ballot papers. The commission hired another printing house to handle the constituency ballots.

PollWatch Foundation chairman Varin Thiemchara said poll scams had become more brazen and varied. There were doubts about the ability of provincial election offices to remain impartial. A number of Pollwatch volunteers had been threatened.

Paiboon Makavilarn, chairman of the Nakhon Ratchasima election office, said one voter bought a five-baht bottle of water outside a polling station and was given 500-baht change.

Political activist Somkid Singhsong said a new poll was in order and he vowed to round up 50,000 signatures to impeach the election commissioners for failure to ensure a free and fair election.

Thai Rak Thai secretary-general Suriya Jungrungreangkit said he was confident none of the party's MPs-elect would be disqualified or suspended.