BURI RAM: Local election officials have been asked to investigate why it took four-and-a-half hours to transport ballot boxes in one tightly-fought constituency about 20 kilometres on the night of May 14 after voting ended in the general election.
Ten complainants from Non Suwan and Nong Ki districts filed their request at the Election Commission’s Buri Ram office in Muang district on Wednesday.
Group leader Sawat Jampasasawangwong said it took election officials from 9.30pm on May 14 to about 2am on May 15 to transport constituency 7 ballot boxes from the Non Suwan district office to the Nong Ki district office.
The distance was only 20 kilometres, and they wondered why it took about four-and-a-half hours. The ballot boxes were finally stored at Nong Ki police station in Nong Ki district.
The complainants also said the transported ballot boxes appeared poorly sealed when they arrived in Nong Ki and the number of used ballots from some polling stations in constituency 7 exceeded the number of people who showed up to vote there on May 14.
Representatives of the provincial election office accepted the complaint and said they would investigate.
Buri Ram’s constituency 7 covers Nong Ki, Non Suwan and parts of Pa Kham and Nong Hong districts, and borders Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Bhumjaithai Party candidate Pornchai Srisuriyanyothin won the seat with 28,685 votes. Second place was Panthanu Wankangsai of the Pheu Thai Party with 28,470.
Bhumjaithai won all 10 constituencies in the northeastern province.