Probe delays announcement of Thai election results<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (AFP): Thai election authorities grilled on Sunday
\ndozens more candidates suspected of cheating in the Jan. 6
\nnational polls, forcing the release of official results to be
\npostponed yet again.<\/p>\n
Unofficial tallies indicate the Thai Rak Thai party led by
\nThaksin Shinawatra scored a runaway victory in the national
\nelections, capturing an unprecedented simple majority in the 500-
\nseat House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
But widespread allegations of vote-buying and ballot box
\ntampering have caused extensive delays in the ballot-counting
\nprocess as officials labor to investigate the charges.<\/p>\n
About 90 candidates have now been summoned for questioning by
\nthe EC, and more than a dozen reportedly face disqualification
\nafter being found guilty of cheating.<\/p>\n
The rest may be given a \"yellow card\" warning that will
\nentitle them to run in re-elections scheduled to be held in
\naffected constituencies on Jan. 29.<\/p>\n
EC commissioner Yuwarut Gamolvej told reporters on Sunday
\nafter a day spent questioning the latest crop of suspect poll
\nwinners that all the \"red card\" disqualifications would be handed
\nout on Monday, and the warnings on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Official results would be released all together on Wednesday,
\ninstead of being unveiled progressively from Sunday as had been
\nplanned earlier, he said.<\/p>\n
Heartened by Interior Ministry figures that indicate Thai Rak
\nThai has won 258 seats in the lower house, Thaksin has gone about
\nthe business of forming a coalition and releasing policies.<\/p>\n
But The Bangkok Post said on Sunday that the fledgling party's
\nmajority could be whittled away by the disqualifications, forcing
\nit to take on an extra coalition partner to ensure stability in
\nparliament.<\/p>\n
Thaksin is aiming for a 320-seat coalition, with the New
\nAspiration Party considered a likely first choice as its partner
\nin government.<\/p>\n
However, both parties have been badly hit by the EC's
\ninvestigations and another smaller party may be brought into the
\nruling alliance as a result, the daily said.<\/p>\n
Thak Rak Thai executive Chamlong Krudkhunthod reportedly
\nconceded that the party's plans might be upset if too many of its
\nwinning candidates were disqualified.<\/p>\n
\"If we can't win the majority, we will lose some negotiating
\npower. The party might lose to its coalition partners some key
\nministries its wants to keep,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
Thak Rai Thai is keen to retain the Finance, Industry,
\nCommerce, Agriculture, Public Health and Interior ministries, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
However, he said he was confident the fledgling party would
\nwin back the seats \"taken away\" by the EC when the re-votes are
\nheld.<\/p>",
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