Thailand prepares for a tense election day on Sunday
- 10 years ago
Election officials in Thailand have started to prepare ballot boxes ahead of Sunday’s general election.
The government is going ahead with the vote despite protester threats to cause disruption and stop Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s political party from returning to power.
The demonstraters have been camping out at major intersections in Bangkok, which forced almost all advance polling stations to close in the city last weekend.
They are demanding an unelected “people’s council” to reform the political system.
A truck used by protesters to block a road to a local district office housing election material has been shot today. There is a growing fear of violence with a lot more people expected to try and cast their ballot.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister under a previous opposition led-government, has said that polling would not be blocked.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has asked demonstraters to respect Thailand’s democratic principles.
Ten people have been killed and over 500 wounded in politics-related violence in the country since November.
The government is going ahead with the vote despite protester threats to cause disruption and stop Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s political party from returning to power.
The demonstraters have been camping out at major intersections in Bangkok, which forced almost all advance polling stations to close in the city last weekend.
They are demanding an unelected “people’s council” to reform the political system.
A truck used by protesters to block a road to a local district office housing election material has been shot today. There is a growing fear of violence with a lot more people expected to try and cast their ballot.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister under a previous opposition led-government, has said that polling would not be blocked.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has asked demonstraters to respect Thailand’s democratic principles.
Ten people have been killed and over 500 wounded in politics-related violence in the country since November.