Heavy Police Presence For Advance Voting By 2.6 Million Today

[Lite Beer]

Heavy police presence for advance voting by 2.6 million today

By The Nation on Sunday

A total of 35,000 policemen will be deployed at 557 poll stations nationwide for advance voting today, national police adviser Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen said yesterday

More than 2.6 million people have registered for advance voting at 154 off-constituency polling stations and 403 on-constituency poll stations, according to Pongsapat, chief of the centre in charge of security in the run-up to the July 3 election.

Police will be at the polling stations to ensure law and order from 5am on.

He also said advance poll boxes would be tightly guarded so that it would not be possible to change a box or add ballots to benefit anyone.

Pongsapat also reported that a police team led by Pol Lt-General Assawin Kwanmuang had arrested one suspect in the attempt killing of Pheu Thai MP candidate for Samut Prakan Pracha Prasopdee. The investigation has been extended to link with the June 16 murder of Suban Jiraphanwanich, the chief of the Lop Buri Provincial Administrative Organisation. He said there would be good news about the progress of the probe soon.

National police chief General Wichean Potephosree, who presided over a video conference from Nakhon Ratchasima, urged police to be neutral in the election and to crack down on crime, influential figures, professional killers and war weapons before and after the elections.

After the meeting he told reporters that the next week was the last curve in the road before the election, so police were beefing up security and updating the situation on a daily basis. He said police and election officials must remain neutral and that three officers - one from the Metropolitan Police and one each from Regions 4 and 5 who failed to be neutral - faced disciplinary punishment.

While inspecting a polling station in front of the Nakhon Ratchasima City Hall, Wichien said he expected 100 per cent of the people registered for advance voting would turn up nationwide. He also commented that the red-shirt people's poll watch was a good idea to ensure the election would be transparent and just, and urged them to follow the law and not to violate others' rights.

Maj-General Akara Thiprote, deputy chief of the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, said that about 20,000 people would cast ballots in advance at the three southernmost provinces and Songkhla's four districts. Some 11,000 officers would provide security for the polling today. As it was the day for people to exercise their right to vote, he said there should be no violent incidents, from politics or from the southern insurgency.

In related news, police presented a 32-year-old suspect linked to a recent political killing at a press conference yesterday evening, along with a pistol, 30 rounds of ammunition, Bt41,377 in cash, three cell phones and a Honda Wave motorcycle and a Chevrolet car as evidence.

Ekkachai Pompadet is accused of assisting the murder of Lop Buri official Suban Jiraphanwanich. They said Ekkachai used the motorcycle as a getaway vehicle for the hitman, whom police identified as Sirapong Artdech.

Ekkachai was arrested at a hotel in Nonthaburi on Friday evening, after police found he was among a "hit team" captured by security cameras. He is alleged to have confessed that the payment for killing Suban was over Bt1 million and the team got the job through Akkharawat Petchchandra. They were also involved in the shooting of Pracha Prasopdee. Ekkachai confessed to watching the area while the hitman shot Pracha. Police will take him to re-enact the Suban killing near Khao San Road this morning.

-- The Nation 2011-06-26

[sirchai]

He is alleged to have confessed that the payment for killing Suban was over Bt1 million and the team got the job through Akkharawat Petchchandra.

Get what you deserve then................:jap:

[thaiorchidsource]

Does anyone know who Akkharawat Petchchandra. is and his political motivation for this murder?

[Lite Beer]

Advance voting starts amid tight security

BANGKOK, June 26 - Advance voting starts on Sunday at more than 500 polling stations across the country with more than 30,000 police officers providing security nationwide in the run-up to the July 3 general election.

Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda was the first person to cast his vote at an off-constituency polling station at Sukhothai school in the capital Bangkok, while chairman of the Election Commission Apichart Sukhagganond, also cast his ballot in advance at Bang-sue district office.

More than 15,284 voters have registered for advance voting at off-constituency polling stations, while 776 advance voters registered for on-constituency polling stations.

National police adviser Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen said after the advance voting, ballot boxes will be guarded around the clock by the police until they are opened for vote counting on July 3.

Meanwhile, Prapan Naiyakowit, one of the five EC members, said about 300 complaints have been lodged so far, mostly concerning vote buying.

He also ruled out the possibility of repeated voting, saying that ballot will be stamped and recorded with the polling date to prevent any irregularities.

Two police officers manning each polling station to ensure no wrongdoing.

In the insurgency-torn southern border region, security has been tightened as advance voting is under way in the three provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat where 8-10 police officers guarding each polling booth as well as mobile rapid-response unit operations along many routes.

Meanwhile, along the Thai-Cambodian border, Thai soldiers at Si Sa Ket province came at times to cast their ballots.

The provincial governor Somsak Suwansucharit said the situation along the border remains calm.

"No cause for concern as (security) measures have been well-prepared for (the advance voting) as well as the upcoming general election on July 3," he said.

-- TNA 2011-06-26

[unanimosity]

Does anyone know who Akkharawat Petchchandra. is and his political motivation for this murder?

One might expect this to be an alias and what makes you think his motivation was political? There is baht one motivation in this neck of the jungle.

[thaiorchidsource]

Does anyone know who Akkharawat Petchchandra. is and his political motivation for this murder?

One might expect this to be an alias and what makes you think his motivation was political? There is baht one motivation in this neck of the jungle.

From the reports about his murder, he was out on a political motivational agenda the day he was murdered, and being so close to the elections, it would only be logical this was a political assination. But ofcourse its possible it was not, and that is why I asked if anyone knows this person Petchchandra and a possible line to a political party.

[cup-O-coffee]

So... who is in control of the officer's integrity?

Doh!

Thailand is not very adept or convincing at organizing responsible and objective bodies of people to watch the ones who are supposed to watch us!

[hanuman1]

Meanwhile, Prapan Naiyakowit, one of the five EC members, said about 300 complaints have been lodged so far, mostly concerning vote buying.

Come on EC, surely it is in the nation's interest to deal with these matters sooner rather than later. Get the red/yellow cards out!!!

He also ruled out the possibility of repeated voting, saying that ballot will be stamped and recorded with the polling date to prevent any irregularities.

Has this measure been in place in past elections or does it represent the cutting-edge of election anti-scamming technology? And there I was thinking it would be hard to play the system...

[FOODLOVER]

They do look quite portly but the weight of the officer should not be the reason behind making them work and do their respective jobs. True, its quite obvious they have three, even four scoops of rice but really, to chastise these men who squeeze in the uniform daily to protect our interests i say, 5 scoops of rice for them! Good job men,kudos!