Observers say Thai polls are ‘deeply flawed’

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA – Thailand’s just concluded elections are “deeply flawed”, an international election observer group said Tuesday.

Thais voted to elect a 500-member parliament Sunday for the first time in eight years.

But the Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), an election observation and advocacy group, said there were serious problems with the tabulation and consolidation of ballots.

“Those issues led to the announcement of some preliminary results that were ‘wildly inaccurate’ which damaged the perceived integrity of the general election,” the group said in a statement on its website.

The Thai Election Commission (ECT) announced Sunday night -- hours after polling closed at 5 p.m. (2200 GMT) -- that 65.96 percent of total votes were cast, which was lower than expected.

Late Monday, the ECT said the unofficial tally of seats won by the anti-junta Pheu Thai party stood at 137 followed by the military-backed Palang Pracharat party, with 97 seats.

The initial results showed a fractured mandate among the top three parties which makes the Senate’s vote more important.

“The blunders did further damage to the perceived integrity of the general election,” ANFREL said.

It urged the Thai election commission to release comprehensive election results as soon as possible “in order to foster trust in the general public’s eye”.

The general elections were delayed four times since 2014 when the powerful Royal Thai Army toppled the last civilian government, and the country was under martial law since then.

However, observers believe the military-appointed 250 senators will decide the fate of the election.

“Since no single party, as results show, could register a massive victory, it makes the role of the senate important,” a journalist told Anadolu Agency after the elections were over Sunday.

Some 250 senators will be appointed by the ruling National Council for Peace and Order – the military junta that has ruled the country since 2014 -- and will for the first time in Thailand’s history take part in choosing the country’s next prime minister together with 500 MPs in the lower house when parliament is convened.

ANFREL released a 12-page report which criticized the Thai Election Commission for its “lack of transparency over the counting process but also for its alleged failure to provide sufficient and accurate information about the election to voters”.

“The lack of transparency and cooperation between the ECT and other electoral stakeholders severely limited the outflow of information, thereby fueling further distrust in the process and the institution itself,” it said.