Thailand's pro-military party takes stunning election lead as opposition claims 'irregularities'
Updated
Key points:A pro-military party has taken the lead in Thailand's election ahead of the populist party leading a "democratic front", an unexpected and — for many — stunning outcome from the country's first poll since a 2014 army coup.
- Some 51 million people were eligible to vote in the first poll since a military coup
- But turnout was down by nearly 10 per cent on the last election in 2011
- The announcement of results has been delayed until Monday afternoon
With 93 per cent of votes counted, the country's Election Commission said the pro-military party Palang Pracharat, which is seeking to keep junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in power, was leading with 7.59 million votes.
Trailing on 7.12 million votes was Pheu Thai, a party linked to exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose loyalists have won every election since 2001.
The party received 15.7 million votes at the last election in 2011.
The popular vote does not, however, reflect the number of parliamentary seats that would ultimately be won.
Pheu Thai could still win the lion's share of the 500 House of Representatives seats up for grabs because of its popularity in the north and north-east of the country.
Nevertheless, there was dismay among many voters who had hoped the poll would loosen the grip on power that elites and the military hold in a country that has one of the highest measures of inequality in the world.
At Pheu Thai's headquarters in Bangkok, the mood fluctuated from cheerful to quiet disbelief.
A #PrayforThailand hashtag started trending on Twitter as the results trickled out, and some people tweeted they would leave the country if General Prayuth was returned to the prime ministership.
The Election Commission chairman said the announcement of unofficial results would be delayed until Monday afternoon.
Turnout was nearly 66 per cent — compared to 75 per cent in 2011 — based on 90 per cent of the vote counted, according to the Election Commission.
Nearly six per cent of ballots, or 2.8 million votes, were disqualified.
Pheu Thai's secretary-general, Phumtham Wechayachai, said the party was waiting for official results but believes there were irregularities and wants to inspect disqualified and spoiled ballots.
"Even the reported numbers from the Election Commission and each media outlet are different. We have our own number too," he said.
"It will be clearer once the official result is announced."
Thailand has been under direct military rule for nearly five years since General Prayuth overthrew an elected government linked to Mr Thaksin, a populist who was thrown out by the army in 2006.
The House of Representatives and the upper house, the Senate — which is appointed entirely by the ruling junta — will together select the next prime minister.
Critics have said a new, junta-devised electoral system gives a built-in advantage to pro-military parties and appears designed to prevent Pheu Thai from returning to power.
The provision means the military-backed Palang Pracharat Party and allies have to win only 126 seats in the House, while Pheu Thai and its potential "democratic front" partners would need 376.
A new party, Future Forward, which was anti-junta and became popular with young voters, had scooped up nearly 5.2 million votes.
But voters deserted the Democrat Party, the country's oldest political party, which many had thought could hold the balance of power between pro-military and "democratic front" factions.
Its leader, former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, resigned within five hours of the polls closing.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-25/thailand-election-results/10934484
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