The ruling Palang Pracharat Party looks set to win Sunday’s by-election in Samutprakarn Province after the two main opposition parties split the vote.
Early exit polls show the ruling party leading by a healthy margin over both the Pheu Thai and Move Forward Parties. In a re-hash of last year’s general election, it seems the opposition parties split the anti-government vote allowing the ruling party to claim victory.
The contest was seen as a key indicator of the ruling party’s ability to weather recent anti-government protests, a troubled economy and recently reshuffled cabinet.
Student groups and opposition MPs had called on people within the district to vote but with both main opposition parties running a candidate as well as a smaller anti-government party, the lack of unity cost the opposition side resulting in a ruling party victory.
Voting irregularities
There were reports of voting irregularities throughout the day of voting with some on social media claiming that an election official had absconded with a ballot box in one district.
10.36 “ชัยธวัช” เลขาฯพรรค #ก้าวไกล เผย ผู้สังเกตการณ์เลือกตั้งซ่อมสมุทรปราการ พบพฤติการณ์ กกต.ประจำหน่วยเข้าข่ายทุจริต ยกหีบให้หย่อนบัตรถึงคูหา เรียกร้องกกต.กลางตรวจสอบด่วน #เลือกตั้งซ่อม #เลือกตั้งซ่อมสมุทรปราการ pic.twitter.com/YXNpyqjWIN
— Chatlada (@chatlada_ch8) August 9, 2020
According to parliament-affiliated watchdog PVT Thailand, of 37 monitoring units that have reported back, only 3 returned with reports of no irregularity.
“The irregularities could be anything from starting the election late to more serious allegations of vote-buying,” said PVT Thailand member Parit Wacharasindhu. “But so far only three of our 37 units have reported clean results.”
Parit told Thai Enquirer that the full report would be compiled and released in the coming days.
Student protests
The by-election comes one day after a student protest took place in downtown Bangkok to demand the release of a prominent human rights lawyer and a student protest leader.
The students accuse the government of using security laws and state mechanism to silence and intimidate the opposition.
Student protests have rocked the nation for the past two months with rallies held throughout the country demanding that the government amend or rewrite the military-drafted constitution and hold fresh elections.
