Thailand in limbo after court annuls poll

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Constitutional Court yesterday annulled last month’s general election, leaving the country in further political limbo without a full government as arrangements for a new vote remain unclear.

The judges voted 6-3 to declare the Feb 2 election unconstitutional because voting was not held that day in 28 constituencies where anti-government protesters had prevented candidates from registering. The constitution says the election must be held on the same day nationwide, although it also allows advance voting.

“The process (now) is to have a new general election,’’ Mr Pimol Thampitakpong, the court’s Secretary-General, said while announcing the decision.

It is unclear when a new election will take place. Election Commission Chairman Supachai Somcharoen told reporters it would take at least three months to organise a new election, and this would depend on the political situation.

Mr Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, an Election Commission member, offered two options: “The commission could discuss with the government about issuing a new royal decree for a new date or we could ask the heads of all political parties to decide together when best to set the new election date,” he told reporters.

In 2006, there was an eight-month gap before rescheduled polls were to be held after an election was nullified, but before it could take place, the army carried out a coup.

Mr Prompong Nopparit, a spokesman for the ruling Pheu Thai Party, said the party feels it has been treated unfairly by the courts.

“The reason this election is nullified is because the polls were blocked by the protesters, weren’t they? We’ve played by the rules all along, but what about the other side?” he said.

Thailand has suffered from bouts of severe political conflict since 2006, when then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra — brother of current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra — was ousted by a military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power.

Since November, anti-government protestors seeking to overthrow Ms Yingluck have mounted demonstrations in the capital. They want her administration replaced by an unelected “people’s council” to implement reforms it says are needed to end corruption and money politics.

The protestors have clashed with police and rivals, and been the target of gun and grenade attacks by unknown parties. The violence has left at least 23 people dead and hundreds hurt.

Ms Yingluck refused to resign and called early elections in a bid to ensure a fresh mandate. But the protesters prevented the election from completing on Feb 2, by physically blocking and intimidating both potential candidates and voters.

A Democrat Party spokesman has been quoted as saying it would boycott any new election, as it did last month, but yesterday he said it might be prepared to take part.

“We’re ready to join a new election but it depends on the government and whether the political situation is stable enough to hold a new vote,” Mr Chavanond Intarakomalyasut told Reuters.

Prior to the court ruling, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who was a Deputy Prime Minister under the previous Democrat-led government, said on Thursday there would be no compromise.

“If the court rules the election void, don’t even dream that there will be another election. If a new election date is declared, then we’ll take care of every province and the election won’t be successful again,” he said.

But even if new polls did proceed smoothly, Ms Yingluck faces several legal challenges that could force her from office.

She could be impeached over a rice scheme that has gone badly wrong, with hundreds of thousands of farmers not getting paid for grain sold to the state since October.

As the crisis deepens, there is a growing risk that the Red Shirt supporters of the Shinawatras could confront their opponents in the streets, plunging Thailand into a fresh round of political violence.

Police Col Kamthorn Auicharoen said yesterday that two grenades fired overnight from an M79 launcher landed on houses near a Constitutional Court judge’s residence in Bangkok, injuring one man. AGENCIES