ID :
139732
Sun, 08/29/2010 - 12:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/139732
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Sluggish start to Bangkok and district councillor elections attributed to scattered showers
BANGKOK, Aug 29 (TNA) -- Eligible voters in the Thai capital Sunday turned up at polling booths to cast their ballots for citywide and district council members as election officials said not many voters have already exercised their rights due to ongoing scattered showers.
The election for city and district councillors of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) opened at 8am and are scheduled to close at 3pm.
Several political parties are fielding candidates in an election in which there are 61 seats on the city council and 256 seats in 36 out of 50 district councils up for grabs. The other 14 districts have already selected their district councilors.
The major political parties that have fielded candidates in the election are the ruling Democrat Party, the major opposition Puea Thai Party and the New Politics Party formed by activists from the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which is contesting an election for the first time.
About four million voters in Bangkok are eligible to cast ballots in Sunday’s votes but few turned up at some polling stations due to scattered rainfall after the stations opened.
Election officials at a booth at a Watthana district school turned up early in the morning to prepare where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was expected to vote before going to a television station for his weekly TV address, which is usually pre-recorded.
In Dusit district, officials prepared a booth also at school for several prominent personages to votes there. They include Deputy Prime Minister Maj Gen Sanan Kajornprasart and retired Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a top leader of the PAD.
The atmosphere at Samphanthawong district was lively as many voters appeared at the polling station, officials said.
BMA officials expect that unofficial results of district council would be known at about 7pm because votes would be counted at the booths soon after they close. Results of the city council contest will be known around midnight. (MCOT online news)
The election for city and district councillors of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) opened at 8am and are scheduled to close at 3pm.
Several political parties are fielding candidates in an election in which there are 61 seats on the city council and 256 seats in 36 out of 50 district councils up for grabs. The other 14 districts have already selected their district councilors.
The major political parties that have fielded candidates in the election are the ruling Democrat Party, the major opposition Puea Thai Party and the New Politics Party formed by activists from the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which is contesting an election for the first time.
About four million voters in Bangkok are eligible to cast ballots in Sunday’s votes but few turned up at some polling stations due to scattered rainfall after the stations opened.
Election officials at a booth at a Watthana district school turned up early in the morning to prepare where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was expected to vote before going to a television station for his weekly TV address, which is usually pre-recorded.
In Dusit district, officials prepared a booth also at school for several prominent personages to votes there. They include Deputy Prime Minister Maj Gen Sanan Kajornprasart and retired Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a top leader of the PAD.
The atmosphere at Samphanthawong district was lively as many voters appeared at the polling station, officials said.
BMA officials expect that unofficial results of district council would be known at about 7pm because votes would be counted at the booths soon after they close. Results of the city council contest will be known around midnight. (MCOT online news)
