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Thai election process 'deeply flawed', say independent observers
Source: The Guardian
Thai election process 'deeply flawed', say independent observers
Asian Network for Free Elections says international standards were not met in recent vote
Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Bangkok
Tue 26 Mar 2019 10.12 GMT
International independent observers have declared that the process of counting the votes in Thailand’s election lacked transparency and was “deeply flawed”, adding to a climate of mistrust and uncertainty in the country.
Thailand held its first election in eight years on Sunday, marking the country’s return to democracy after the military took over in a coup in 2014, but has since been plunged into political turmoil amid confusion about who can claim victory and inconsistencies in the announced results.
Rohana Hettiarachchi, the head of mission for the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), said “international standards” for free and fair elections had not been met in Thailand, both in the buildup to the poll and on election day itself, as well as in the continuing fallout from the ballot count.
In an interim report on their observations of the election, ANFREL highlighted the opaque system of counting the ballots at a national level, saying it called into question the “trustworthiness of the process”.
The election commission delayed declaring the official election results three times without a full explanation, and they are now not expected until 9 May. The 45-day delay, the first time this has happened after a Thai election, has led to allegations of foul play, cheating and ineptitude on the part of the military and the election commission.
-snip-
Asian Network for Free Elections says international standards were not met in recent vote
Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Bangkok
Tue 26 Mar 2019 10.12 GMT
International independent observers have declared that the process of counting the votes in Thailand’s election lacked transparency and was “deeply flawed”, adding to a climate of mistrust and uncertainty in the country.
Thailand held its first election in eight years on Sunday, marking the country’s return to democracy after the military took over in a coup in 2014, but has since been plunged into political turmoil amid confusion about who can claim victory and inconsistencies in the announced results.
Rohana Hettiarachchi, the head of mission for the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), said “international standards” for free and fair elections had not been met in Thailand, both in the buildup to the poll and on election day itself, as well as in the continuing fallout from the ballot count.
In an interim report on their observations of the election, ANFREL highlighted the opaque system of counting the ballots at a national level, saying it called into question the “trustworthiness of the process”.
The election commission delayed declaring the official election results three times without a full explanation, and they are now not expected until 9 May. The 45-day delay, the first time this has happened after a Thai election, has led to allegations of foul play, cheating and ineptitude on the part of the military and the election commission.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/26/thai-election-process-deeply-flawed-independent-observers