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Election Commission calls revote in 62 districts in Thailand

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January 24, 2001 

BANGKOK-- (AP) - Thailand's Election Commission on Tuesday ordered revotes in 62 districts where candidates were suspected of cheating during the Jan. 6 general elections.

The announcement of the official results throws into doubt the victory claimed by telecoms tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai Party.

According to preliminary results, the party had won 256 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament. It was the first time any party had won a majority in Thai elections.

Election Commissioner Yuwarat Kamolwej told a news conference that 338 candidates were declared winners, but said their names will be disclosed later. Once the names are disclosed, the candidates will be given official documents to endorse their victories.

He said re-elections will be held on Jan. 29 in 62 constituencies in 29 provinces, most of them in northern and northeastern Thailand where Thai Rak Thai won its biggest chunks of seats among the 400 that were contested.

The remaining 100 seats in the house will be filled by nominees of various parties that will be apportioned seats on a proportional representation basis, taking into account the percentage of the national vote they won.

The percentage can be determined only after the voting has been completed in all the 400 constituencies.

The Thai Rak Thai party said the commission's rulings would effect the formation of a new government. Thaksin has said it may mean three, not two parties, will join the coalition. He wants the coalition to control 320 seats in the House of Representatives.

"We will fight to win a simple majority, to strengthen the core party (of the coalition)," party spokesman Suranan Vejjajiva told The Associated Press.

In recent weeks, the commission interrogated 113 winning candidates, including 55 from Thai Rak Thai and 18 from the runner-up party, the ruling Democrats of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai. The rest are from smaller parties vying to join the next government coalition.

Most of the candidates to be punished will be given a "yellow card," meaning their victories will be nullified but they can run in the revote. But the commission is also expected to hand out at least eight `'red cards," disqualifying winners outright.

The candidates receiving the "red cards" are scheduled to be named on Jan. 27 or Jan. 28.

Five Thai Rak Thai winning candidates are expected to get "red cards," and more than 40 could get yellow cards, according to sources at the commission.

"We will definitely lose those five seats if they get red cards but we will do our best ... to win back seats where there is a revote," Suranan, the spokesman, said.

The Jan. 6 general election was the first held under tough new rules to combat votebuying that has been rampant in previous polls in Thailand's developing democracy.

The commission is struggling to validate 500 lawmakers by Feb. 5, by which time the constitution says Parliament must be ready to convene.