EC disqualifies another 11 ex-MP candidates

The Election Commission has disqualified 11 former MP candidates of eight parties, effectively excluding another 12,000 votes from party-list MP calculation.

Since these candidates were not winners in their constituencies, the disqualification did not affect the constituency seats of their respective parties. However, their parties would have fewer votes for party-list calculation.  

Of the 11 former candidates disqualified on Thursday, eight were banned because they belonged to more than one political party. They were from Palang Thai Rak Thai (4), Palang Puang Chon Thai (1), Pracha Tham Thai (1), Palang Chart Thai (1) and Ruamjai Thai (1).

A candidate from Palang Chart Thai was disqualified for being a party member less than 90 days before the election. Another from Seri Ruam Thai was found to have been removed from public office for corruption or malfeasance. The other from Chart Pattana was a state official or employee.

The 11 candidates won a total of 12,292 votes.

The EC's move followed a round of disqualification on Wednesday, when six former MP candidates of the Prachachat Party were banned for being members of more than one political party. The six won a total of 3,520 votes.

Since they did not win in their constituencies and Prachachat will unlikely be allocated any party-list seat -- they won constituency seats up to their quota of six -- the disqualification does not affect the party.

The EC will likely announce the list of endorsed MPs on Tuesday.