Unofficial results have showed the three People Power Party (PPP) candidates whose victories in the Dec. 23 general election were nullified by authorities, won again in a by-election on Sunday in a constituency in Thailand's northeastern province Nakhon Ratchasima.
After declaring winners of the Dec. 23 general election, PPP candidates contesting in Constituency 3 in Nakhon Patchasima -- Prasert Chanruangthong, Boonlert Khrutkhunthot and Linda Cherchai -- had been given yellow cards by the Election Commission (EC) on charges of vote-buying.
"Yellow cards" and "red cards" are indicators certifying disqualification of elected candidates accused of involvement in electoral cheating and misconduct.
According to EC regulations, elected candidates given yellow cards could re-run in a by-election to get the seat, while those who receives a red card will lose the seat, meanwhile be banned from contesting in an election, or by-election for a year.
The EC has by far issued seven red cards and 18 yellow cards to party candidates. Four red cards were for PPP elected MPs.
Exit polls by the leading survey center ABAC on Sunday showed Prasert winning 23.82 percent of the vote, Boonlert 21.27 percent and Linda 18.67 percent, in the by-election according to Thai News Agency.
The provincial election chief said the voter turnout in the by-election was expected at around 40 percent, much lower than that of the general election, which was as high as 72 percent.
The low number was attributed to the fact some factories in the constituencies did not close and many eligible voters employed in Bangkok were not able to travel home to vote, the report said.
Official poll results were yet to be announced.
Source:Xinhua
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