LM NEWS 24

Thailand Election: Polling Ends, Counting Underway

By LokMarg 14th May 2023

Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) is now counting votes after the general election concluded at 5 pm on Sunday with the ‘Move Forward Party’ in the lead in both the constituency and party-list competitions, Bangkok Post reported.

According to Bangkok Post, as of 7: 44 pm (Local Time), the Move Forward Party had taken the lead in both the constituency and party-list competitions, followed by the Pheu Thai Party and the Bhumjaithai Party.
The election results are still being tallied, and the unofficial results are expected to be available around 11 pm, according to Bangkok Post citing the EC.

As per CNN, the election is the first since the youth of the country led the mass pro-democracy protest in 2020 and also the second after the military coup in 2014 ousted an elected government.

Voters are tipped to deliver a resounding defeat to the ex-army chief and coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha after a youth-led mass pro-democracy protest in 2020. This protest was mainly yearning for change and the traditionalist, royalist establishment.

In this election, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted from power by a military coup in 2006, has stood as the prime ministerial candidate alongside property tycoon Srettha Thavisin and former justice minister Chaikasem Nitisiri, reported CNN.

Her father was ousted from power by a military coup in 2006. Her aunt’s government suffered a similar fate eight years later.

The opposition Pheu Thai party, in April, announced Paetongtarn, 36, as one of three prime ministerial candidates for the coming May election, alongside property tycoon Srettha Thavisin and former justice minister Chaikasem Nitisiri.

Thailand’s incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the former army chief 2014 seized power from the Pheu Thai government after Paetongtarn’s aunt Yingluck was removed from power in a controversial court ruling, reported CNN.

It seems that Paetongtarn is coming back to take revenge on Prayut in this election.

Some 50 million Thais are thought to have turned out to elect 500 members to the House of Representatives in Thailand’s bicameral system which was heavily rejigged through a new constitution written by the military that seized power nine years ago, according to CNN. (ANI)