Democrat concerned over advance voting

BANGKOK, January 25 (TNA) - As advance voting for Thailand's new general election will be held nationwide on Sunday amid continued political protests, Ong-art Klampaiboon, deputy leader of the Democrat Party has expressed his concerns over possible violence. Ong-art admitted on Saturday there was “no guarantee that the violence would not occur during Sunday's advance voting across the country, urging the caretaker government's security officers to refrain from using force against anti-government protesters of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) who have demanded for a domestic political reform before the new general election. Ong-art stressed that election directors throughout Thailand must also take the safety and property of officials manning election booths into consideration, as they have devoted themselves to work for the nation. Ong-art pointed out Bangkok's Constitution Court has already ruled that the new general election could be postponed and Sunday’s advance voting may, therefore, become meaningless but violence must not be permitted to occur. The senior Democrat also urged the caretaker government to waive the emergency decree, enforced for 60 days in all areas in the capital and some areas in its surrounding provinces as of January 22, 2014, as it might violate the Constitution, claiming that the emergency decree should not be used against anti-government protesters who have neither created any problem nor threatened national security so far. Meanwhile, Sek Wannamethee, Director-General of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Information, told reporters that advance voting for Thais staying overseas will be carried on, acknowledging that Thai embassies abroad will send back advance voting ballots, which should reach Thailand by next Thursday, and that advance voting ballots in certain countries have already arrived in the Kingdom. Sek revealed that total state budget spent on advance voting for Thais overseas stands at about 50 million baht. (TNA)