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Published on August 21, 2007

EC secretary-general Suthipol Thaweechaikarn said Pattani had the most invalid ballots at 6 per cent, followed by Yala (5.4 per cent) and Narathiwat (4.4 per cent).

He said these southern provinces reported the most invalid ballots because of the language problem, as many do not know Thai. Though election officials used Yawi language in its campaign to get locals to vote, the violence in the South hampered efforts to show them how to vote.

However, the percentage of invalid ballots was less than in the previous general election, which had more than 10 per cent of votes ruled invalid. Voters in the deep South either crossed both boxes or did not make any cross at all.

Bangkok saw the least number of invalid ballots with 1.1 per cent. Chumphon, meanwhile, had the most "yes" votes, at 93.2 per cent and Nakhon Phanom had the least at 22.4 per cent.

Some 178 electoral complaints were reported - 131 of them considered fraud - including vote-buying, distribution of goods, free parties and tours, and illegal rallies.

Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Election Office director Sonsak Chanrukka said the result in the Northeast was not unexpected because most people there were attached to former Thai Rak Thai members.

He denied the results in Nakhon Ratchasima and Buri Ram were due to the use of state power, saying some areas of Buri Ram were strongholds of the Matchima group and former senator Karun Sai-ngam.

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan

The Nation