Court Voids Thailand’s February Election, Adding to Political Turmoil
Source: New York Times
By POYPITI AMATATHAM MARCH 21, 2014
BANGKOK — Thailand’s Constitutional Court annulled the country’s February general election on Friday, throwing an already murky political situation into further doubt.
The election was called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in response to months of demonstrations in Bangkok. Protesters have been calling for Ms. Yingluck’s ouster, and for Thai politics to be rid of the influence of her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire ex-prime minister who wields considerable power from abroad.
Protesters disrupted the election on Feb. 2, preventing voters from registering and casting ballots in Bangkok and southern Thailand, the stronghold of the movement against the government. Before the vote, people seeking office in 28 election districts in the south had been prevented from registering as candidates, so there were no names on the ballots there.
Because of the disruptions and the absence of candidates in the southern districts, voting could not be held everywhere across the country on the same day, as required by Thailand’s Constitution. Therefore, the election was unconstitutional, the court found Friday in a 6-to-3 ruling.
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Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/22/world/asia/court-voids-thailands-february-election-adding-to-political-turmoil.html?_r=0
