ID :
192506
Sun, 07/03/2011 - 09:13
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/192506
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Thai voters go to polls
BANGKOK, July 3 (TNA) - Thai eligible voters go to the polls on Sunday (3 July) to elect members of the House of Representatives. This election will show how democratic Thailand is and many parties hope it will relieve political tension that has prevailed in the country for 4-5 years.
The polling started at 8am and will end at 3pm. The Election Commission (EC) expects its unofficial result within 9pm Sunday.
EC chair Apichart Sukhagganond told a press conference that the EC was 100% ready to organise the election and he believed that Thai people would exercise their voting right freely. He expects the result of the polling will indicate how democratic Thailand is.
He said staffs at all polling units should start the vote count at 3.30pm and the unofficial result to be reported by police officers at polling units would start to be known within two hours afterward. The EC did not receive any report on violation to the electoral law on the eve of the polling. He thinks the police effectively prevented wrongdoing.
The EC chair said everyone waited for today and the general election was important because it would determine the national future.
Thai Prime Minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, his wife Pimpen and their daughters cast their votes in Wattana district of Bangkok at 10.10am.
Mr Abhisit urged eligible voters to exercise their right and said that the election would determine the national future. He added that there was not a report on vote-buying last night and the election was proceeding smoothly in general.
His polling unit was full of commotion as he was followed by an army of Thai and foreign journalists and was heavily protected by security guards.
Mr Abhsiit’s major challenger, Ms Yingluck Shinawatra, who is the top list candidate of the Pheu Thai Party arrived at her polling unit in a purple dress at 8.05am. She waited in a queue for about 10 minutes before casting her vote as many other voters had arrived there earlier.
Ms Yingluck said she neither waited for any auspicious moment nor wore any auspicious dress to cast her vote and that she would wait for the polling result at the headquarters of her party.
There are 47.3 million eligible voters among the Thai population of 67 million. The EC expects a turnout of at least 70% nationwide. (TNA)
The polling started at 8am and will end at 3pm. The Election Commission (EC) expects its unofficial result within 9pm Sunday.
EC chair Apichart Sukhagganond told a press conference that the EC was 100% ready to organise the election and he believed that Thai people would exercise their voting right freely. He expects the result of the polling will indicate how democratic Thailand is.
He said staffs at all polling units should start the vote count at 3.30pm and the unofficial result to be reported by police officers at polling units would start to be known within two hours afterward. The EC did not receive any report on violation to the electoral law on the eve of the polling. He thinks the police effectively prevented wrongdoing.
The EC chair said everyone waited for today and the general election was important because it would determine the national future.
Thai Prime Minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, his wife Pimpen and their daughters cast their votes in Wattana district of Bangkok at 10.10am.
Mr Abhisit urged eligible voters to exercise their right and said that the election would determine the national future. He added that there was not a report on vote-buying last night and the election was proceeding smoothly in general.
His polling unit was full of commotion as he was followed by an army of Thai and foreign journalists and was heavily protected by security guards.
Mr Abhsiit’s major challenger, Ms Yingluck Shinawatra, who is the top list candidate of the Pheu Thai Party arrived at her polling unit in a purple dress at 8.05am. She waited in a queue for about 10 minutes before casting her vote as many other voters had arrived there earlier.
Ms Yingluck said she neither waited for any auspicious moment nor wore any auspicious dress to cast her vote and that she would wait for the polling result at the headquarters of her party.
There are 47.3 million eligible voters among the Thai population of 67 million. The EC expects a turnout of at least 70% nationwide. (TNA)
