Election doubts growing nationwide, Democrats tell EC to act

The Democrat Party called on the Election Commission (EC) today to ensure transparency in the election process as a matter of urgency, amid protests in several constituencies calling for a recount of the February 8 general election results.

Abhisit Vejjajiva, the party’s leader, was speaking after chairing a meeting of its executive committee and MPs-elect. Unofficial election results indicate that the Democrat Party has won 22 parliamentary seats, comprising 10 constituency seats and 12 party-list seats.

Abhisit described the situation as needing to be addressed urgently, as it appears to be an issue in many areas and to be escalating and raising an increasing number of questions.

The party believes that the EC must disclose detailed information, including vote counts at each polling station and the number of ballots under both electoral systems.

“If the information indicates any irregularities, the EC must exercise its authority, whether by ordering a recount or even a new vote where necessary, to ensure a free and fair election,” Abhisit said.

He warned that allowing doubts to persist and delaying clarification could severely undermine public confidence and damage political stability.

Abhisit said he understands the frustration of some groups over the irregularities reported and that all sides should exercise caution to prevent the situation from escalating into unrest.

When asked about the EC taking two days to review a contentious case in Chon Buri’s Constituency 1, Abhisit urged the commission to speed up its work and not treat it as a minor matter.

“The EC should not assume it can proceed as usual. The issue has already spread across many areas and has grown into calls for action at the national level. The EC must urgently respond to these questions,” he said.

“What may appear to be isolated incidents are now occurring in multiple areas, significantly eroding public confidence,” he said.

“It has already been three days since the election. The EC should be ready to present key information, such as polling station results.”

Responding to growing calls from some members of the public for a nationwide recount, Abhisit said it was not yet possible to conclude whether fraud had occurred.

He acknowledged, however, that in today’s information-driven society, images and video clips of alleged irregularities have spread widely, prompting questions.

“For example, where questions have been raised about discrepancies in vote or ballot counts between systems in certain areas, the EC should already have the recorded figures for each constituency and polling station. These can and should be disclosed immediately,” he said.

Such disclosure would be the most effective way to restore public confidence, he added, as any errors or irregularities could then be examined openly.

“If this issue is not addressed promptly, it could escalate and negatively affect the entire political system,” Abhisit warned.

“The process must be made credible and the information must be made available to everyone. The longer the delay, the greater the risk of distrust spreading.”

He cautioned that when an electoral process loses public acceptance — both domestically and internationally — it becomes a highly sensitive matter.