Poll shows public's confusion over senators' role
More than 200 people travel in a convoy of Vespa scooters in Yala yesterday as part of a campaign to encourage voters to participate in Wednesday’s Senate election.
|
|
As many as 43.8 per cent of people confuse the role of senators with that of members of Parliament, a survey of 4,682 people in various parts of Thailand by Dusit Poll revealed.
Dusit Poll questioned 1,213 Bangkokians and 3,469 residents of various other provinces and found that 52.8 per cent of respondents believed that there would be vote buying for the senatorial election on Wednesday. The same 52.8 per cent of respondents said the money paid to voters to back a particular candidate ranged from Bt100 to Bt500. Only 12.8 per cent thought there would not be vote buying in the election.
As many as 31.2 per cent of respondents confessed that they had no clue as to the Senate's function, while 59.9 per cent said they already had a candidate in mind for the election.
Meanwhile, Election Commission (EC) member Prinya Nakchudtree said the allegations that as many as 140 senatorial candidates have close ties to the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party might be an underestimation. The EC is looking into the allegation but will need substantial evidence to penalise any such candidate, he said.
He said preparations for the senatorial election have been going well.
Regarding the election for the House of Representatives, Prinya said the EC would hold yet another round of voting if some of the candidates standing uncontested in 38 constituencies do not get the required minimum of 20 per cent of the vote in the second round of voting this Sunday.
Opposition parties, which are boycotting the election, have predicted that some of these candidates may fail again to get the required number of votes. Under electoral law, the EC has until May 1 to hold a third round of voting.
Prinya said he was not certain what exactly the EC would decide, but it would wait until the results of Sunday's voting are out.
|
