Thailand's 2011 election kicks off
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Xinhua, July 3, 2011
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Yingluck Shinnawatra, prime minister candidate from the Phue Thai party and the youngest sister of Thaksin, casts her ballot during the general election in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, on July 3, 2011. The first election in Thailand after political crisis started Sunday when 47.3 million eligible voters will cast their votes at 90,860 polls across the nation to pick up 500 members of the House of Representatives. [Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai] |
Polling started Sunday morning in Thailand's first election after political crisis as voters are casting their votes to pick up 500 members of the House of Representatives.
As the polling began at 8:00 a.m., voters were lining up at polling centers. As groups of voters were moving to polling stations, traffic congestion were caused in Bangkok.
There are 47.3 million eligible voters and 90,860 polling stations across the nation. Some 3 million voters, however, registered to cast their votes for the advance polling on June 26.
The opposition Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate Yingluck Shinawatra cast her ballot at 8:10 a.m. local time on Sunday while the caretaker Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva cast his vote at about 9:30 a.m.
Yingluck, the youngest sister of the fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, urged Thai voters to come for voting before she left for the party to wait for the election results. She could become the first female premier of Thailand if her party wins the election.
Voters across the country will pick up 500 members of the House of Representatives, or the lower house -- 375 members from single- seat constituencies and another 125 from party-list category.
Recent polls showed that more people supported Pheu Thai than the governing Democrats.
The July 3 election is the first election of the country after political unrest in 2009 and 2010 and the second after the military coup in 2006.
Many people hope the vote will end the political crisis that has shaken the country for several years since the latest 2006 coup but some fear it may trigger upheaval if the poll results are not accepted by different political colors.
Pro-Thaksin "Red-Shirt" movement said Sunday morning that they would announce their own version of voting results at about 6 p.m. and vowed to hold a massive rally on July 10 if the results are unfair, local media Nation Channel reported.
According to the Election Commission (EC), some 70 percent of the overall 47.3 million eligible voters are expected to turn out for balloting Sunday.
The Election Commission aid Saturday that unofficial voting results were expected to be available no later than 10 p.m. Sunday, although there was concern that heavy rains Sunday could affect voter turnout.
The Royal Thai Police deployed more than 183,000 officers to ensure peace and order at 90,860 poll stations across the country, while 12,000 personnel from combined security forces have been sent to secure 2,157 poll stations in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
EC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiygarn said police assigned to security duty at polling stations have to report about the overall situation starting with the transport of ballot boxes from district offices to the polling stations. The police also will be required to report results of the vote count to the National Police Bureau, which will forward them to the EC.
Millions of Thai voters go to the polls Sunday to decide which political parties and candidates deserve their trust to represent them and to run the country.
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