RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Flood victims 'need help' to cast their votes

The Interior Ministry has sought approval from the Election Commission (EC) to organise special transport for people in flooded areas in the deep South to make sure they can get to polling stations to vote in Sunday's election.

''Unless the water level decreases on election day, it will cause people inconvenience when travelling to cast their ballots, so the ministry needs to prepare various large vehicles to transport people to cast votes,'' said Deputy Interior Minister Pol Lt-Gen Teeravut Butsriphume.

To do so, however, the ministry needs the endorsement of the EC. Election laws bar any non-EC agency or group from organising mass transport facilities for the specific purpose of taking people to polling stations as it could be used to influence people on who to vote for.

''If the flooding situation doesn't improve, large vehicles and boats will have to be used to take voters to polling stations. We are yet to receive a response from the EC,'' Pol Lt Gen Teeravut said during a visit to Phuket and Phangnga.

 

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