Early voting disrupted, one dies in Bangkok

The Election Commission (EC) announced that 440,000 or 22 per cent of the registered voters nationwide could not cast their advance votes on Sunday after the polling centres were closed earlier than scheduled in 89 constituencies out of the 375.

EC commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said those voters were in 33 constituencies in Bangkok and 56 in the south.

However, earlier Surapong Tovichakchaikul, the caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in charge of the Center for Maintaining Peace and Order, maintained the view that the election would not be postponed despite the interruption by the protesters at the polling stations.

His reason was that 90 per cent of advance voting could be carried out.

Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to meet the Election Commission chairman, Supachai Somcharoen at 2pm, Jan 28 to together find a solution after the Charter Court's ruling that the general election could be rescheduled.

Already, the violence related to early voting in Bangkok today for the Feb 2 general election, resultd in one fatality and nine others injured.

Suriyasai Katasila, the leader of the People's Democratic Reform Committee, posted on his personal Twitter page that Suthin Tharathin, a coordinator of the People's Army Against the Thaksin Regime, was shot in the head while he was at the Sri-Iam Temple's early voting polling station for the Bang Na constituency.

Suthin died at hospital at 2.20pm.

The nine people injured were sent to three nearby hospitals, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Erawan Emergency Medical Services Centre.

Meanwhile, some voters expressed disappointment about not being able to vote, Sunday.

Anurak Karnkoew, 32, from Uttaradit province in northern Thailand, said he was disappointed as he would like to vote at the Dusit constituency's polling station but it was closed due to disruption by the protesters since early morning.

"I come here to vote because I have the right to do so under the law. I vote early in every election because I work in Bangkok, but my address is in the north. However, today I could not vote, so I am really disappointed," he said.

Anurak said he would go out to vote if the Feb 2 election would go ahead.

He owns a restaurant and guesthouse, near the Pranakorn constituency's office which was blocked, forcing him to cancel his plan to vote, Sunday.

Prai Mungn Ngarm, 49, said his business had been affected by the protest since November last year as his restaurant is located near the protest site, Democracy Monument at Ratchadumnoen Avenue.

He said tourists had cancelled room bookings for his guesthouse until February.

"They (government and protesters) need to talk first, on where the country will go, reform or election first. Everything has to be developed and improved step by step," he said, adding that he would vote on Feb 2 if the election went ahead.