KHON KAEN: The provincial election commission has launched three probes into suspected irregularities in Sunday's Constituency 7 by-election, which was won by the Palang Pracharath Party candidate.
Somsak Khun-ngern received 40,252 votes to claim the Northeast seat by a narrow margin ahead of Pheu Thai's Thanik Maseepitak (38,010), with a 61.38% turnout.
However, the Khon Kaen election commission is investigating a complaint made to police by an elderly voter, who said the kamnan of tambon Ban Meng walked into a voting cubicle, snatched her ballot paper and marked it for the candidate of his choice.
After Than Phonsane, 86, lodged her complaint the kamnan, Chakkrathon Ngo-botda, rushed to the same police station to deny the accusation and offer his own version of events.
Pol Col Phopkon Kawinyothin, superintendent of Nong Rua police station, said yesterday investigators questioned the voter and the kamnan on Sunday and would next question 11 witnesses to seek the truth. The witnesses comprise nine officials at the polling station and two observers representing political parties during Sunday's voting, said Pol Col Phopkon.
Mr Chakkrathon said yesterday he had visited the police station to file a formal complaint against Ms Than and other parties, including certain journalists, for allegedly defaming him.
He wasn't going to bother contacting police on Sunday, he said, because he thought Ms Than was simply influenced by the party canvasser who took her to the police station. But he changed his mind after she spoke to the media, damaging his reputation.
Aphinan Chan-uppala, head of the Khon Kaen election commission, said his office was working with the police in its investigation.
In a second apparent irregularity, a polling station official was photographed sticking his head into a voting booth. However, an initial investigation showed the official was only assisting an elderly voter to cast their ballot.
Suspicions of a third irregularity proved to be unfounded, he added. A small Palang Pracharath flag had been placed on a police station work table on Sunday, prompting allegations of police bias. But since the police station wasn't considered part of a polling station, the flag's presence wasn't a violation of election law, he said.