Democrats lose lead to NAP in Thai elections
Democrats lose lead to NAP in Thai elections
BANGKOK (Agencies): The New Aspiration Party (NAP) of Defense
Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh edged past the Democrat Party
which had earlier led in unofficial television and radio
projections of the Thai elections yesterday.
Official Radio Thailand and the Channel 7 television station
put the NAP slightly ahead of the Democrat Party of former
premier Chuan Leekpai based on vote counts about 4-1/2 hours
after polls closed.
Three television stations had given the Democrat Party the
edge over the NAP in initial projections about 90 minutes after
the polls closed.
Radio Thailand projected the NAP would win 127 seats in the
393-seat parliament against 124 for the Democrats. Channel 7
television gave the NAP 125 and the Democrats 124 seats but
Channel 9 television said the NAP was set to win 125 seats to the
Democrats 126.
The NAP and the Democrats were seen running neck and neck even
before polling closed for the Thai election, said by analysts to
be the most violent and dirty in two decades.
The election watchdog Pollwatch said seven people had been
killed in election-related violence since the campaign began and
up to 30 billion baht ($1.2 billion) had been spent by
politicians on campaigns and vote-buying.
The leaders of the two front-running parties, one of which is
expected by analysts to be the core of a new coalition
government, were unavailable for immediate comment.
An estimated 60 percent of Thailand's 38-million strong Thai
electorate cast their ballots in the country's second elections
in 16 months against a backdrop of widespread reports of vote-
buying and strong arm tactics by canvassers.
Competition for the 1996 general elections, which followed the
collapse of the previous government of Banharn Silpa-archa, has
been furious, fuelling rampant vote-buying and poll-related
violence.
Top issues in this election have been Thailand's faltering
economy and demands for political reform after Banharn's scandal-
plagued administration.
Voters interviewed by AFP at polling stations in Bangkok
yesterday also assailed vote-buying. "It is not good because it
means the bad guys will get into the cabinet," said Vichai
Jurarat, a 64-year-old merchant.
The Thai Farmers Bank Research Department has estimated that
20 billion baht (US$800 million) would be illegally distributed
to voters.
Central bank figures meanwhile showed cash in circulation to
be some 50 billion baht higher than the same period last year.
More than half a dozen political canvassers have been murdered
and several more shot, while reports yesterday said many members
of independent election monitors PollWatch in the northeast had
resigned following death threats.
In Bangkok yesterday a voter and a policeman were wounded when
two gunmen opened fire at a polling station, a police spokesman
said. The gunmen were later arrested.
Police said there was no immediate explanation of the
incident, but Thai television reports said the two had confessed
they were trying to influence voters in favor of an unnamed
candidate.
A total of 2,310 candidates from 13 parties were contending
for seats in the lower house of parliament.
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