MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

Six Democrat, Chart Thai and Mahachon candidates who failed to win in the Feb 6 polls have petitioned the Election Commission (EC) to probe alleged ballot counting electoral fraud.

They also asked the EC to recount the ballots or order election re-runs.

Democrat Narapat Kaewthong, who contested Phichit's constituency 2, said poll workers first said there were more than 70,000 valid ballots but later reduced the figure to about 60,000.

Mr Narapat said he suspected vote-counting officials had cheated.

Another Democrat, Yuthapong Charasathien, who lost in Maha Sarakham's constituency 3, said the EC should find out if suspicions that ``extra'' ballots were printed had any grounds.

Mr Yuthapong claimed extra ballots were found outside polling stations in Ang Thong and Chiang Mai while in Samut Sakhon ballot boxes stuffed with ballots were found hidden in rest rooms by members of the public.

Theerawat Siriwannasarn, of Chart Thai, said he suspected ballots cast at a number of polling units in Nakhon Sawan had been altered.

EC chairman Pol Gen Wasana Permlarp said he had already ordered inquiries and results should be known in a week.

Any recounting of votes, however, would require a unanimous decision by all five poll commissioners and nothing less than that, he said.