Eligible voters in Thailand are
scheduled to go to the poll this Sunday, 2 February 2014, to elect members of
the new House of Representatives.
There are 48 million eligible
voters, out of the population of about 65 million. The Democrat Party, the
major opposition party, decided to boycott the contest in the election.
The anti-government protesters
plan to hold mass rallies in Bangkok on the election day. They cited the
rallies as an expression of opposition to the election, as they have been
calling for reform before a general election. They also said that the rallies
were not meant to obstruct the election.
According to the Election
Commission of Thailand, within seven days before and after the election day,
voters who fail to exercise their right to vote and who have a reasonable cause
should notify the person appointed by the Election Commission to each
constituency.
An eligible voter who fails to
vote at the national election without notifying the commission of the
reasonable cause will lose his or her right to file any objection to an
election of members of the House of Representatives and senators. He or she
will also lose the right to be a candidate in an election of members of the
House of Representatives, senators, local administrators, or members of the
local assemblies. At the same time, he or she will not be allowed to apply for
candidacy for an election of a Chief of a subdistrict and a village headman.
These rights will be given back
to a voter when he or she votes in the next election, at whatever level.
The duty of holding elections is
performed by the Election Commission of Thailand, an independent body
established in accordance with the Constitution. The commission comprises five
members, with another five in each province as supporters.
The top priority mandate of the
Election Commission is to ensure that the election proceeds in an honest and
fair manner. It is empowered to declare election results. If the election is
found to be dishonest and unfair, declaration of the results has to be
withheld, meaning that the Election Commission has the power to declare the
election null and void, and order a new round of voting.
But if a re-election or a
by-election is still not honest or fair, another round of balloting has to be
conducted until an honest and fair result is achieved.
In national elections, voters
who are residing outside their constituencies and cannot go to vote on the
election day have the right to take part in advance voting at the central
polling station of each province, or the central polling station of each
constituency.
Voters who are residing outside
the Kingdom of Thailand also have the right of advance voting at Thai embassies
and consulates overseas, or other central polling stations as prescribed by the
ambassadors.
(thailand.prd.go.th)