Election Commission to recommend vote recounts amid integrity concerns

In a new development on the Thai election, the Election Commission (EC) of Thailand is taking necessary measures to ensure the fairness of the recent general election. The EC plans to recommend vote recounts in certain party list constituencies after finding unused distributed voting cards. Furthermore, the EC is working to resolve over 280 disputes that question the validity of the election results. It is important to note that these disputes are not all related, and some could have significant consequences.

After a thorough review, the EC found that some complaints lacked substance and were dismissed accordingly. However, those with merit are currently under investigation. The investigation encompasses about 20 to 30 elected officials from all political parties, with allegations ranging from vote-buying and misleading campaign tactics to smear campaigns aimed at damaging reputations. The severity of these cases will be determined based on the evidence presented, The Pattaya News reported.

According to the law, the EC can only announce election results for constituency-based MPs if they are confident that the election was conducted fairly and justly. Additionally, they must have reviewed at least 95% of all electoral districts. The EC has stated that the process of officially recognising and endorsing MPs will continue without unnecessary delay, aiming to conclude the process within a 60-day timeframe.

In a separate development, the EC is expected to propose a vote recount for some proportional representation MPs this week. This decision comes after discovering discrepancies between the number of votes counted and the number of people who actually voted in these units. These discrepancies may have resulted from double-counting or missed markings during the counting process.

In other news surrounding Thailand’s election, it was reported last week that the uncertainty around the election had raised concerns about Thailand‘s political future and its economic prospects. Read more about this HERE.