Thai top court turns down opposition request to annul Feb 2 polls

Eurasia News

BANGKOK: The Thai Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down a petition filed by the country’s main opposition party, seeking to declare the February 2 elections null and void.

Last week, a Democrat Party lawyer submitted a request in the top court to nullify the elections. Moreover, the petitioner asked the court to dissolve Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai Party and ban its executives from politics for five years.

During the countrywide election which was marred by an opposition boycott, bloody clashes and massive demonstrations, more than 10,000 polling stations at 69 constituencies in 18 provinces were forced to cancel voting due to protests and shortage of election officials and ballots.

The Thai Election Commission said that only 46.79 percent of voters nationwide cast their ballots.

On Tuesday, the commission set a date of April 27 for election re-runs in constituencies where voting was disrupted by protesters.