62 election results thrown out

BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand’s Election Commission today threw out poll results in 62 constituencies where the winning candidates were accused of cheating in the January 6 national elections. Thaksin Shinawatra’s Thai Rak Thai party earned more than half the disqualifications, with five of its candidates being found guilty of corruption and 27 others being handed warnings over graft allegations. The Democrats, the leaders of the outgoing ruling coalition, were handed seven “yellow card” warnings but no “red card” disqualifications. A “red card” effectively bars a candidate from running for election for a year, but a “yellow card” allows a candidate to contest a rerun in his or her constituency. The commission certified vote results in the remaining 338 constituencies, saying Thai Rak Thai secured 175 while the Democrats picked up 90. According to unofficial tallies, Thai Rak Thai scored a runaway victory in the national polls, winning 258 seats in the 500-seat House of Representatives where 100 MPs will be selected from party lists.

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