Thailand’s Election Commission confirms Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party election win, paving way for coalition with Pheu Thai Party
BANGKOK: Thailand’s Election Commission confirmed the victory of caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s conservative party on Wednesday, ratifying most of the results of this month’s vote.
The commission certified the results for 396 newly elected MPs in the 500-seat lower house, with Anutin’s Bhumjaithai party winning 170 constituencies, the most of any party, according to a statement.
The reformist People’s Party — which had been polling first ahead of the February 8 election — came in second, with 88 constituencies, the commission said.
Pheu Thai, the populist party of jailed former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, came in third with 58 seats, according to the ratified results.
With no party winning an outright majority, Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai have agreed to form a coalition.
Several smaller parties would also join, Bhumjaithai has said.
The pro-military and pro-monarchy party had its best electoral performance ever, riding a wave of nationalism following two rounds of deadly border clashes with Cambodia last year.
Pheu Thai, Thailand’s most successful party of the 21st century, meanwhile, had its worst election result ever.
The two parties were previously coalition partners, until Anutin pulled out in June following a leaked phone conversation of his predecessor, Pheu Thai’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
In the call, she referred to former Cambodian leader Hun Sun as “uncle” and called a Thai military commander her “opponent”, triggering outrage during a period of heightened tensions over the two countries’ disputed border.
Votes cast in three of the nation’s 400 constituencies are being recounted following concerns about the transparency of the tallying process.
At a single polling station in northern Thailand, voters will recast their ballots on March 1 after the number of people who registered at the site on election day did not match the number of ballots received.
While the Election Commission has yet to confirm winners of the 100 seats reserved for politicians elected from their party’s ranked candidate list, preliminary results showed Bhumjaithai far ahead in the total projected seat count with more than 190.
People’s Party won nearly 120 total seats and Pheu Thai, less than 80, according to the preliminary results from the commission.
It must certify the election of 95 percent of lawmakers before the new parliament can convene and choose a house speaker and prime minister.
The Sun Malaysia
