UPDATE - Ruling party leads Thailand vote count but coalition government likely

UPDATES WITH RESULTS, CHANGES IN HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Thailand’s ruling Bhumjaithai Party of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was leading Sunday’s general election, unofficial results showed, but still short of the required number to form a government on its own.

With around 85% of the ballots were counted, Bhumjaithai Party was projected to win 177 seats, and likely to form a coalition with Kla Tham Party, which was set to win 62 seats. The Pheu Thai Party, meanwhile, secured 82 seats, according to unofficial results cited by the Thai Inquirer.

For the first time, a national referendum was also held alongside the general elections.

The “yes” camp with 59.4% was leading in the vote on rewriting the 2017 junta-drafted Constitution.

Polling stations that opened at 8 am local time (0100GMT) closed at 5 pm (0800GMT).

More than 50 million eligible voters chose 500 lawmakers from about 5,000 candidates in elections for the House of Representatives. The vote follows the dissolution of the lower house on Dec. 12, a year before the end of its four-year term.

Caretaker Prime Minister Charnvirakul cast his vote in Buri Ram province, the home base of his Bhumjaithai Party.

Of the 500 seats, 400 are being filled through constituency races, while the remaining 100 will be allocated to political parties on a proportional basis according to nationwide party-list votes.

The Election Commission expected a 75% turnout on voting day, with a high number of voters in the morning. EC Chairman Narong Klanwarin told reporters that turnout could be 80% or even 90%.

The election body has to certify the vote count and declare the official results within 60 days, which is by April 9.

The prime minister must secure the support of more than half of all lawmakers, which is 251 votes.

*Aamir Latif contributed to this story