The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) on Sunday dethroned its arch-rival Pheu Thai to win a seat in the by-election in Khon Kaen province.
The unofficial results showed that Somsak Khoon-ngern of PPRP received 40,151 votes, while Thanik Maseepitak of Pheu Thai received 37,965 votes in Constituency 7 comprising Nong Rua and Mancha Khiri districts.
Thanik Maseepitak, the losing candidate for the Pheu Thai Party, casts his ballot at a station in Mancha Khiri district of Khon Kaen province on Sunday. (Photo by Chakkrapan Natanri)
The two parties campaigned for their candidates to win A by-election billed as a popularity test for the government led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Another candidate running in the by-election was Suthas Pholboon of the Pattanachart Party. Pol Col Kittikoon Kanchanasakul of the Seri Ruamthai Party was disqualified from the election.
PPRP election director of Khon Kaen Ekkarat Changlao declared victory and thanked the party's team and chief strategist Prawit Wongsuwon. Mr Somsak thanked the people and vowed to do his best as an MP.
Pheu Thai secretary-general Anudith Nakornthap accepted defeat and said his party hoped to win the next elections.
Chief opposition whip Sutin Klungsang of Pheu Thai said earlier: “If we lose, it’s not a surprise because of many factors. The government has all the mechanisms as its disposal and vows it cannot lose this election. It holds all the personnel resources after all."
The constituency has 132,000 eligible voters and the Election Commission (EC) expected 71% of them to exercise their right to vote on Sunday.
Khon Kaen is a political base of Pheu Thai, a party with strong popularity throughout the northeastern region.
Stithorn Thananithichote, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy under the King Prajadhipok’s Institute, who observed the by-election in Khon Kaen, said the result see-sawed between both main candidates. “If Pheu Thai loses, with the Northeast being its support base, it means Pheu Thai’s stronghold is broken,” he said.
“It will be a signal the government has managed to get through to this constituency. Besides, the rifts within Pheu Thai shows that some key members in the Northeast are not satisfied with the role of chief strategist Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan even though she has worked hard in the run up to the by-election," he added.
The by-election was tainted by an allegation by Tan Polsaneh, 86, that her vote was stolen by Chakrathorn Ngobodda, a kamnan of tambon Ban Meng in Nong Rua. She filed a complaint that he snatched her ballot and marked it in favour of the PPRP candidate, while she wanted to vote for Pheu Thai.
The official denied the accusation and later filed suit against her with Nong Rua police for defamation.
EC chairman Itthiporn Boonprakong said an initial investigation found no grounds to support the allegation against Mr Chakrathorn but said the poll organising agency is making further enquiries in the case.
"An initial investigation by the Election Commission Office of Khon Kaen has found no evidence that an official marked a voter's ballot," Mr Itthiporn said, adding that the EC will probe witnesses before drawing a conclusion.
The EC received complaints about vote-buying in some areas and will also look into matter, he added.
The by-election was held after the provincial court in September sentenced to death the imcumbent Pheu Thai MP Nawat Tohcharoensuk after finding him guilty of masterminding the murder of an assistant chief of the Khon Kaen provincial administration organisation six years ago.