Protest against election of the new president and board of Lawn Tennis Association



BANGKOK: -- The Sports Authority of Thailand was asked today (Monday) by the acting vice president of Lawn Tennis Association to declare null and void the election of the LTA’s new board on January 23.

In his petition which was received by SAT governor Sakol Wannapong, General Thawatchai Samutsakhon, LTA acting vice president, claimed that the January 23 election was unusual some of the participants who attended the meeting to elect the association’s new president and new board officials of the association and trainers and not representatives of 60 tennis clubs.

Also, the voting was secret instead of open voting which has always been the normal practice of the association, said General Thawatchai, adding that when he asked to check the ballots he was told by officials the room where the ballots were kept was locked as ordered by Mr Sombat Aoemmongkol, one of the election candidates who won the election.

The general said that he later filed a complaint with the police asking for a probe of the election.

Mr Sombat, meanwhile, said he was not worried with the protest against the election result. He insisted that the election process was right and in accordance with procedure.

Sombat dethroned Mr Suwat Lippatapallop, president of LTA for seven terms by 35:19 votes.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/148055


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-26

Now, if a tennis head election draws controversy, I can only imagine what a national election will draw.