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Published on November 28, 2007

Pongsapat denied Special Branch police conducted a survey but admitted they had appraised possible election results for security reasons. The information was regarded as confidential, he said.

Special Branch officers had estimated the People Power Party would win 219 seats, followed by the Democrat Party with 121 seats and Chart Thai with 57 seats.

National Police Commission General Seripisut Temiyavej had instructed Special Branch commissioner General Rapipat Palawong to launch a probe into how the "state secret" was leaked.

PM's Office Minister Theerapat Serirangsan also wanted to ask Police chief General Seripisut Temiyavej why the Special Branch conducted an election opinion poll.

Reports suggest that Special Branch officers released results of the survey, which speculated that People Power would win the most seats, with 219.

Theerapat said if the bureau had in fact conducted the survey, he was strongly against it.

It was not the duty of the agency to carry out such a poll, he said. 

"Research has found that poll results influence voters' decisions. That is why polls are used as tools in election campaigns," he said.

The Nation