The Election Commission of Thailand (EC) on Saturday warned voters to exercise their duties in Sunday's provincial administrative organisation (PAO) elections, or else see some of their electoral rights revoked for a two-year period.
According to the EC, the two-year ban would affect two main electoral rights -- the right to contest national and local elections as well as rights to serve in administrative offices at local and national levels.
Those who fail to cast votes in the PAO elections on Sunday or who fail to notify their reasons would not be able to run as an MP or senator. Neither will they be able to run for provincial, local or village administration seats. In addition, the EC would also repeal the voters' rights to submit their signatures to remove administrators and councillors of provincial and local administrations from their offices. The ban also extends to their rights to serve in political office.
As a result, those who fail to vote will not be able to serve as political officials in cabinet or parliament. Nor will they be able to serve as high-ranking administrative staff or advisers to provincial and local administration offices. In addition, they cannot serve as president, assistant or even secretary to Tambon Local Administrative Councils.
In a related development, Election Commissioner Professor Santad Siri-anan said the EC could announce the unofficial tally of the PAO vote count by around 9pm on Sunday.
"We hope voters come out to cast ballots. It is the first PAO election in six years and it is crucial to the wellbeing of people as PAO political officials work closely with local people and play a major role in community development," said Prof Santad.
He said electoral staff are expecting to have counted most of the ballots from 96,000 polling stations by 9pm tonight.
"We hope voters and contestants will know the unofficial result by 9pm," he said.
Meanwhile, Pol Lt Gen Ampon Buarabporn, commissioner for the Provincial Police Region 1 on Saturday said a crackdown during the period Dec 10-19 resulted in the seizure of 80 illegal firearms and the arrest of 203 suspects on narcotics charges. He said the crackdown is part of the campaign to restore order and prevent electoral fraud.
In the drug crackdowns, police seized 136,433 grammes of ya ba (amphetamines), 520 grammes of ya ice (methamphetamine), 3.76 grammes of ketamine as well as 927 leaves of kratom -- a medical plant used as a recreational drug and 4,710 millilitres of kratom juice.
Police also arrested 122 suspects from gambling dens.