Thailand goes to the polls

Kuala Lumpur News.Net
Sunday 11th January, 2009

Thailand has conducted a new election under extremely tight conditions.

Voting began voting at 8:00am Sunday for 29 parliamentary seats in by-elections which will test the country's mood for new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Mr Abhisit's Democrat Party-led coalition hopes to take as many as 20 places in the 480-member parliament from the opposition.

The Democrats lost the elections in December 2007 to the party linked to exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the People Power Party.

The Democrat party is only in power because a court dissolved the PPP due to vote fraud charges linked to the 2007 polls.

That decision brought an end to six months of sometimes-violent protests against the PPP and its patron Thaksin, which caused a long occupation of Bangkok's two airports in late November.

Because Thailand remains divided between those loyal to Thaksin and the current government, alcohol has been banned for the day in areas where voting is being held.

Security has been tightened around polling booths with authorities cautious that political turmoil could once again arise.

Unofficial results are expected early Monday.

Email this story to a friend

Have your say on this story