EC Has Until Thursday to Recommend Election Nullification: Ombudsman

A woman casts her vote at a polling station March 24 in Bangkok, during Thailand's first general election since the military seized power in a 2014 coup. Photo: Wason Wanichakorn / Associated Press
A woman casts her vote at a polling station March 24 in Bangkok, during Thailand's first general election since the military seized power in a 2014 coup. Photo: Wason Wanichakorn / Associated Press

BANGKOK The Office of the Ombudsman said Tuesday the Election Commission has until Thursday to clarify whether there exists grounds to nullify the March 24 election results.

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Rakkaecha Sae-Chai, secretary general of the Office of the Ombudsman, stated that the office received a petition calling for the election to be negated from former Thai Raksa Chart Party MP candidate Ruengkrai Leekitwattana on April 17. Rakkaecha added that the Election Commission has a week, or until Thursday, to make a ruling as the matter is urgent.

Based on the Election Commission’s clarification, the Office of the Ombudsman will then decide whether to forward the matter on to the Constitutional Court for a final ruling.

Ruengkrai argued that the election was neither free nor fair, reasoning the Election Commission revealed inconsistent vote counts as well as failed to count advance votes from New Zealand.

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