Tankhun's endorsement delayed

Tankhun's endorsement delayed

The Election Commission is unlikely to be able to endorse the victory of the Democrat Party's Tankhun Jitt-issara within the normal seven days because it has received three complaints contesting the Don Muang by-election result, EC member Sodsri Sattayatham said on Tuesday.

Mr Tankhun  beat Yuranunt Pamornmontri of the ruling Pheu Thai Party by about 2,000 votes in the June 16 by-election in Bangkok's Constituency 12.

The EC would have endorsed Mr Tankhun's win in seven days, or by June 23, if no complaints had been made.

Mrs Sodsri said the EC would now examine the three complaints to decide whether they met legal requirements.

If the EC decided to accept them for consideration, it would have to conduct an investigation and complete it within 30 days of the election. If it could not do so, the EC would have to endorse Mr Tankhun while the investigation continued. Any such investigation would have to be completed within one year, she said.

Veera Yeephrae, the Bangkok Election Committee chairman, said one complaint had been filed by a representative of a candidate and two by eligible voters.

All of the three complaints accused Mr Tankhun of breaking election law by putting up campaign posters claiming to have been appointed as the coordinator of a project to build an asphalt road in Don Muang area. They alleged this could have misled voters.

The Bangkok Election Committee was expected to take one or two days to decide whether to accept the complaints for consideration, Mr Veera said.

Mr Veera added that he could not reveal the identities of the complainants or the parties they represented.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (5)