Thai parties form ‘democratic front’
Former PMThaksin Shinawatra claims elections were rigged as politicians scramble for parliamentary majority
Thailand’s Pheu Thai party formed a “democratic front” with six other antijunta parties on Wednesday, forming a majority in the lower house of parliament. The promilitary Palang Pracharat has also claimed the right to form the next government due to its lead in the popular votes. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra claimed that the election was rigged.
BANGKOK— Thailand’s Pheu Thai party formed a “democratic front” with six other antijunta parties on Wednesday, forming a majority in the lower house of parliament and claiming the right to form a new government.
The promilitary Palang Pracharat party, which has won 97 lower house seats, has also claimed the right to form the next government due to its lead on Pheu Thai in the popular votes.
Heading for a deadlock
But an opposition alliance majority in the lower house, the House of Representatives, could lead to a deadlock.
The outcome of the election remains shrouded in doubt, with unofficial results delayed until at least Friday and allegations of vote-buying and irregularities in ballot counting.
Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidate, Sudarat Keyuraphan, told a news conference that together with the other parties, the opposition alliance would win at least 255 lower house seats, based on calculations drawn from partial results.
United front
“Parties in the democratic front gained the most trust from the people. Although right now numbers are still moving, we’re certain we will have at least 255 seats among ourselves,” Sudarat said.
“We declare that the democratic front [that] opposes military rule commands the majority in the House.”
Pheu Thai’s secretary-general, Phumtham Wechayachai, said the democratic front now includes Future Forward party, Pheu Chart, Prachachart, Seri Ruam Thai, Thai People Power and New Economy.
However, the coalition would likely fall short of electing a prime minister, which requires a combined vote with the upper house of parliament, the Senate, which is entirely appointed by the military junta that in 2014 overthrew an elected Pheu Thai government.
Billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been in Hong Kong since he was ousted in 2008, said in an opinion article for The New York Times that the elec- tion was rigged.
Thaksin’s take
“Election rules were revised to weaken large parties. Double standards were applied when it came to determining who could run for the position of prime minister... Political opponents have been treated as enemies,” he wrote.
“Whether or not the junta’s leaders now allow the prodemocracy parties to form a government, they will find a way to stay in charge,” Thaksin said.
“They have no shame, and they want to be in power no matter what,” he added.
On Tuesday, the Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel), which was belatedly accredited as election observer, said the “tabulation and consolidation of ballots were deeply flawed.”
Anfrel said the announcement of some preliminary results were “wildly inaccurate” and damaged the “perceived integrity of the general election.”
Anfrel, is one of several observer groups that have raised concerns about Sunday’s vote, which in part pitted a party allied with the ruling junta against the party that led the government it ousted.
Thailand’s Election Commission, appointed by the junta’s handpicked legislature, has already defended its count, which is still in its preliminary stages, and blamed the media for failing to keep up with the raw data.
Claims of fraud
After delaying the release of the full vote count on election night and then again on Monday, the commission has now said it would release its final preliminary results on Friday. Official results are not expected until May.
Claims of electoral fraud have been spreading on social media, where trending terms on Twitter the day after the vote included “ECBusted” and “Cheating Election19.”