Thailand’s Election Commission expected to release unofficial results
Thailand’s Election Commission is today expected to release partial, unofficial results of last week’s election.
Although no party has a decisive lead in the results that have been announced thus far, both the anti-military junta Pheu Thai and the pro-military Palang Pracharat insist they have the requisite seats to form a coalition, based on exit polls. Only 350 seats of the House of Representatives have been declared, while 150 seats in the House and 250 seats in the Senate have yet to be announced. It takes 376 seats to select a premier.
The Commission will likely withhold the results of the 150 undecided seats in the 500-seat lower chamber until at least May 9, a legal move that could still prompt criticism. Meanwhile, accusations that the Election Commission tampered with the ballots in favour of pro-military political forces emerged over the past week.
Today’s unofficial results may further the Palang Pracharat’s claim to government and raise new suspicions of election fraud on the part of the Election Commission. A continued delay in issuing official results is likely to generate political and social volatility, potentially sparking protests.
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