Thailand's election commission faces pressure over vote transparency

Thailand's election commission faced pressure on Wednesday over an alleged lack of transparency in vote counting across more than a dozen constituencies following Sunday's general election that was swept by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's party.

Almost immediately after polls closed at 5 p.m. (1000 GMT) on Sunday, members of the public flagged irregularities in the vote count on social media. 

These included videos showing ballots being counted in the dark, valid votes incorrectly marked as spoiled, and discrepancies between figures recorded at polling stations and those entered into the election commission's online system. 

Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the claims.

The People's Party, which led most pre-election polls but came in a distant second behind Anutin's Bhumjaithai Party, said it accepted the results but has sought recounts in 18 constituencies.

The third-placed Pheu Thai Party backed a review in areas where the public has raised doubts, while the pro-military United Thai Nation Party called for a nationwide recount. 

"If the election commission didn't do anything wrong, a recount - no matter how many times - would lead to the same result," Rukchanok Srinork, a winning People's Party candidate, told reporters. "Then, why not do a recount, so that people can see the result clearly?"

'PUBLIC WILL LOSE CONFIDENCE'

With nearly 95% of polling stations reporting, preliminary results showed the Bhumjaithai Party leading with 193 of the 500 parliamentary seats.

The results have yet to be officially certified by the election commission, a process that must be completed within 60 days of the general election.

"If transparency is not shown quickly, the public will lose confidence," former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who leads the Democrat Party, told reporters on Wednesday. "Whenever a process does not have legitimacy, we have seen how it goes in other countries."

The situation has sparked small protests nationwide, with a Thai hashtag #RecountForTheWholeCountry trending on X in Thailand since Monday.

The election commission said as of Wednesday, it had received 113 formal complaints, all of which were being investigated.

"If an incident occurred at any polling station - whatever the shortcoming - you can file a complaint," Phasakorn Siriphakayaporn, deputy secretary-general of the Election Commission, said at a press conference. "We will ensure fairness."

Vote62, an independent election watchdog, has recorded more than 5,000 complaints nationwide, including over 1,000 cases where official vote count tallies at polling stations differed from those of independent observers, according to its website.

BADMINTON COURT PROTEST

At a badminton court used to store ballot boxes in Chonburi province, around 80 km from the capital Bangkok, dozens of people sat in protest on Wednesday, demanding a recount.

Local voters and election commission officials have clashed following allegations that discarded tally sheets found in the area did not match officially reported results and ballot boxes did not have the mandatory cable tying the lids shut.

The commission said on Tuesday that it would take two days to investigate the allegations in Chonburi before deciding whether to recount, while rejecting broader criticism over transparency.

Prime Minister Anutin, who has said that he is awaiting official results before deciding on a coalition, told reporters on Tuesday that government formation could wait if there are reasons for a vote recount.

"If a recount can put people's minds at ease, then the election commission should consider it under the law," he said. "The government can wait, and continue in a caretaker role."