Thailand's pro-military party takes lead; Final results to be released soon

Thailand's<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thai-junta-party-takes-shock-lead-in-first-general-election-since-2014-coup-205380"> first general election since a military coup</a> five years ago was thrown into disarray on Monday as two opposition parties alleged cheating and the election commission said it could be weeks until the make-up of parliament becomes clear.

Confusion over the outcome of Sunday's election raised the spectre of a protracted struggle to form a government, spoiling hopes of a clear cut result that could have ended 15 years of political turmoil in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.

Both the pro-army party seeking to keep coup leader Prayuth Chan-o-cha on as prime minister and the opposition party linked to self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra claimed they would command enough parliamentary seats to form a coalition government.

The pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai party said it was considering a legal challenge over what it said were poll irregularities after partial results showed Prayuth's Palang Pracharat party with an unexpected lead in the popular vote.

The strong early showing for Palang Pracharat increased the likelihood that Prayuth, who was army chief when he overthrew a Pheu Thai government in 2014, would stay in power, although that outcome was not certain.

"There are irregularities in this election that we're not comfortable with. These affect the nation's credibility and people's trust," said Sudarat Keyuraphan, candidate for prime minister of the Pheu Thai Party.

"We've voiced our concerns before for vote-buying, abuse of power, and cheating. All three have manifested. We will fight back through legal means," she told a news conference.

Thailand has been racked since 2004 by street protests of both opponents and supporters of Thaksin. Parties linked to Thaksin have won every previous election since 2001, but the populist telecoms billionaire was thrown out by the army in 2006 and a government led by his sister was ousted in 2014.

Deck stacked for military

The lower house and the upper house Senate, whose 250 members are appointed by the junta, will together select the next prime minister based on the support of a simple majority of 376 lawmakers.

That means Prayuth's party and allies have to win only 126 seats in the lower house to vote him in as prime minister, while Pheu Thai and its potential "democratic front" partners would need 376 all from the lower house to choose the next premier.

The House of Representatives, the lower house, has a total 500 seats, and on Monday the Election Commission posted the winners of the 350 seats that were contested on a first-past-the-post basis.

The, as yet, unofficial results showed Pheu Thai leading with 137 seats to 96 seats for junta leader Prayuth's party.

However, official results for the lower house's remaining 150 "party seats", which will be allocated by a complex formula involving voter turnout, will not be announced until May 9.

It might, however, be possible to roughly calculate the shares of the 150 "party seats" on Friday, when the Election Commission is due to give a breakdown of votes cast.

'Cheating'&nbsp;trends on Twitter

The strong popular vote showing by the pro-junta Palang Pracharat Party stunned voters who had hoped the poll would loosen the grip that traditional elites and the military hold on power in a country that has one of the highest measures of inequality in the world.

Many Thais took to social media to voice their suspicions about the results of an election that critics had said was systematically skewed in favour of the military from the outset because of the junta-appointed Senate's role in selecting the prime minister.

Thai-language hashtags that translated as "Election Commission screw-up" and "cheating the election" were trending on Twitter in Thailand.

Many tweets referred to inconsistencies between the numbers for voter turnout and ballots cast in some parliamentary constituencies. Some questioned the overall turnout of less than 70 per cent, which was much lower than expected.

Future Forward, a new party that appears to have made a spectacular election debut, winning 30 of the 350 constituency seats thanks to its appeal to young voters, also questioned the poll numbers.

"There are obviously some irregularities with the numbers because they don't add up. This is making people sceptical of the election results," said Future Forward spokeswoman Pannika Wanich.

"The Election Commission should address this issue because if the people feel they cannot trust the results, there will be more problems to come," she said.

A change.org petition launched a week ago to impeach the Election Commission had garnered almost 600,000 signatures by Monday evening, up from around 200,000 at the start of the day.

Thailand's first general election since a military coup five years ago was thrown into disarray on Monday as two opposition parties alleged cheating and the election commission said it could be weeks until the make-up of parliament becomes clear.

Thailand's first general election since a military coup five years ago was thrown into disarray on Monday as two opposition parties alleged cheating and the election commission said it could be weeks until the make-up of parliament becomes clear. Confusion over the outcome of Sunday's election raised the spectre of a protracted struggle to form a government, spoiling hopes of a clear cut result that could have ended 15 years of political turmoil in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Both the pro-army party seeking to keep coup leader Prayuth Chan-o-cha on as prime minister and the opposition party linked to self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra claimed they would command enough parliamentary seats to form a coalition government. The pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai party said it was considering a legal challenge over what it said were poll irregularities after partial results showed Prayuth's Palang Pracharat party with an unexpected lead in the popular vote. The strong early showing for Palang Pracharat increased the likelihood that Prayuth, who was army chief when he overthrew a Pheu Thai government in 2014, would stay in power, although that outcome was not certain. "There are irregularities in this election that we're not comfortable with. These affect the nation's credibility and people's trust," said Sudarat Keyuraphan, candidate for prime minister of the Pheu Thai Party. "We've voiced our concerns before for vote-buying, abuse of power, and cheating. All three have manifested. We will fight back through legal means," she told a news conference. Thailand has been racked since 2004 by street protests of both opponents and supporters of Thaksin. Parties linked to Thaksin have won every previous election since 2001, but the populist telecoms billionaire was thrown out by the army in 2006 and a government led by his sister was ousted in 2014. Deck stacked for military The lower house and the upper house Senate, whose 250 members are appointed by the junta, will together select the next prime minister based on the support of a simple majority of 376 lawmakers. That means Prayuth's party and allies have to win only 126 seats in the lower house to vote him in as prime minister, while Pheu Thai and its potential "democratic front" partners would need 376 all from the lower house to choose the next premier. The House of Representatives, the lower house, has a total 500 seats, and on Monday the Election Commission posted the winners of the 350 seats that were contested on a first-past-the-post basis. The, as yet, unofficial results showed Pheu Thai leading with 137 seats to 96 seats for junta leader Prayuth's party. However, official results for the lower house's remaining 150 "party seats", which will be allocated by a complex formula involving voter turnout, will not be announced until May 9. It might, however, be possible to roughly calculate the shares of the 150 "party seats" on Friday, when the Election Commission is due to give a breakdown of votes cast. 'Cheating' trends on Twitter The strong popular vote showing by the pro-junta Palang Pracharat Party stunned voters who had hoped the poll would loosen the grip that traditional elites and the military hold on power in a country that has one of the highest measures of inequality in the world. Many Thais took to social media to voice their suspicions about the results of an election that critics had said was systematically skewed in favour of the military from the outset because of the junta-appointed Senate's role in selecting the prime minister. Thai-language hashtags that translated as "Election Commission screw-up" and "cheating the election" were trending on Twitter in Thailand. Many tweets referred to inconsistencies between the numbers for voter turnout and ballots cast in some parliamentary constituencies. Some questioned the overall turnout of less than 70 per cent, which was much lower than expected. Future Forward, a new party that appears to have made a spectacular election debut, winning 30 of the 350 constituency seats thanks to its appeal to young voters, also questioned the poll numbers. "There are obviously some irregularities with the numbers because they don't add up. This is making people sceptical of the election results," said Future Forward spokeswoman Pannika Wanich. "The Election Commission should address this issue because if the people feel they cannot trust the results, there will be more problems to come," she said. A change.org petition launched a week ago to impeach the Election Commission had garnered almost 600,000 signatures by Monday evening, up from around 200,000 at the start of the day.

Charges of cheating amid confusion over Thailand's election result

Polls in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/election-observers-say-face-limitations-in-thailand-poll-205134">Thai election</a> opened on Sunday. This is the first time the country is going to general elections since the 2014 coup.&nbsp;Polls opened "at 92,320 polling stations across the country," Election Commission secretary-general Jarungvich Phumma told AFP.

Just hours before the opening of polls, Thailand's king Maha Vajiralongkorn issued a statement late Saturday, quoting his late father, and urging the people of Thailand to support "good" leaders to prevent "chaos", news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

Vajiralongkorn urged the public to "remember and be aware" of the remarks of his father, who died in 2016.

"His majesty is concerned about the stability of the nation, the feelings and happiness of the people," the statement added.

Just a few months ago, Thailand's political scenario heated after another royal command torpedoed the candidacy of his elder sister Princess Ubolratana for prime minister of a party linked to billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The move was described by the King as "highly inappropriate".&nbsp;

The party was later dissolved by a court, a fresh chapter of intrigue in the politically combustible country.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. But the palace holds unassailable powers and is shielded from criticism by a harsh royal defamation law.

The turbulent kingdom remains bitterly divided despite the junta's pledge to rescue the country from a decade-long treadmill of political instability, protests and coups.

Sunday's election pits a royalist junta and its allies against the Shinawatras' polished electoral machine and an unpredictable wave of millennial voters, whose political loyalties are unknown.

Numbers game

The junta-party, which is proposing army chief turned premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha for civilian prime minister after the polls, is under intense pressure to avoid humiliation on Sunday in what is effectively a referendum on its popularity.

Prayut toppled the civilian government of Thaksin's younger sister Yingluck in 2014.

The army and its allies in the Bangkok elite loathe the Shinawatras, accusing the clan of toxifying Thai politics and society with money, nepotism and graft.

The Shinawatras say they have simply recognised the economic and democratic aspirations of the majority of Thais, reflected in their landslide election wins.

This time the ruling junta has written new election rules aimed at curbing the number of seats big parties -- specifically the Shinawatras' main election vehicle Pheu Thai -- can win.

Pheu Thai is expected to again sweep up the north and northeastern heartlands as it seeks to head an anti-junta coalition.

A 250-member junta-appointed senate and a new proportional system were meant to have manoeuvered Prayut and the junta party -- Phalang Pracharat -- into pole position.

With senate votes in hand, the party needs just 126 lower house seats to secure a parliamentary majority. It can cross that line comfortably with alliances with smaller parties.

Pheu Thai, however, needs 376 lower house seats to command an overall majority -- near impossible without complex tie-ups across pro-democracy factions.

"A deadlock is very likely," political scientist Napisa Waitoolkiat of Naresuan University told AFP.&nbsp;

New demographic forces have complicated the normal split between pro-and anti-Shinawatra factions.

Seven million millennials are eligible to vote for the first time.

Voter turnout is expected to be high among a public weary of junta rule.

Polls in Thai election opened on Sunday. This is the first time the country is going to general elections since the 2014 coup. Polls opened "at 92,320 polling stations across the country," Election Commission secretary-general Jarungvich Phumma told AFP.

Polls in Thai election opened on Sunday. This is the first time the country is going to general elections since the 2014 coup. Polls opened "at 92,320 polling stations across the country," Election Commission secretary-general Jarungvich Phumma told AFP. Just hours before the opening of polls, Thailand's king Maha Vajiralongkorn issued a statement late Saturday, quoting his late father, and urging the people of Thailand to support "good" leaders to prevent "chaos", news agency AFP reported. Vajiralongkorn urged the public to "remember and be aware" of the remarks of his father, who died in 2016. "His majesty is concerned about the stability of the nation, the feelings and happiness of the people," the statement added. Just a few months ago, Thailand's political scenario heated after another royal command torpedoed the candidacy of his elder sister Princess Ubolratana for prime minister of a party linked to billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The move was described by the King as "highly inappropriate". The party was later dissolved by a court, a fresh chapter of intrigue in the politically combustible country. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. But the palace holds unassailable powers and is shielded from criticism by a harsh royal defamation law. The turbulent kingdom remains bitterly divided despite the junta's pledge to rescue the country from a decade-long treadmill of political instability, protests and coups. Sunday's election pits a royalist junta and its allies against the Shinawatras' polished electoral machine and an unpredictable wave of millennial voters, whose political loyalties are unknown. Numbers game The junta-party, which is proposing army chief turned premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha for civilian prime minister after the polls, is under intense pressure to avoid humiliation on Sunday in what is effectively a referendum on its popularity. Prayut toppled the civilian government of Thaksin's younger sister Yingluck in 2014. The army and its allies in the Bangkok elite loathe the Shinawatras, accusing the clan of toxifying Thai politics and society with money, nepotism and graft. The Shinawatras say they have simply recognised the economic and democratic aspirations of the majority of Thais, reflected in their landslide election wins. This time the ruling junta has written new election rules aimed at curbing the number of seats big parties -- specifically the Shinawatras' main election vehicle Pheu Thai -- can win. Pheu Thai is expected to again sweep up the north and northeastern heartlands as it seeks to head an anti-junta coalition. A 250-member junta-appointed senate and a new proportional system were meant to have manoeuvered Prayut and the junta party -- Phalang Pracharat -- into pole position. With senate votes in hand, the party needs just 126 lower house seats to secure a parliamentary majority. It can cross that line comfortably with alliances with smaller parties. Pheu Thai, however, needs 376 lower house seats to command an overall majority -- near impossible without complex tie-ups across pro-democracy factions. "A deadlock is very likely," political scientist Napisa Waitoolkiat of Naresuan University told AFP. New demographic forces have complicated the normal split between pro-and anti-Shinawatra factions. Seven million millennials are eligible to vote for the first time. Voter turnout is expected to be high among a public weary of junta rule.

Thailand election: Polls open, Thai King urges people to support 'good' to prevent 'chaos' 

Voting ends in Thailand's first polls since 2014 military coup

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Thailand's pro-military party takes lead; Final results to be released soon

Charges of cheating amid confusion over Thailand's election result

Thailand election: Polls open, Thai King urges people to support 'good' to prevent 'chaos'

Voting ends in Thailand's first polls since 2014 military coup