By-election ready to go
•Published: 25/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
•Newspaper section: News
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has stressed the need for election officials to be impartial and carefully monitor today's by-election in Bangkok's Constituency 6.
Deputy City Clerk Thaweesak Dejdecho said yesterday that election officials must carry out their duties in compliance with the law to ensure justice and transparency.
He was speaking during an inspection of polling stations at Kannayao and Bung Kum districts.
Election officials confirmed preparations for today's by-election are now complete.
Pol Col Harn Lertthaweewit, Kannayao district police chief, said a full contingent of his officers has been deployed at polling stations in the lead-up to the by-election and will be out in force today as well.
Constituency 6 covers about 430 square kilometres - about a third of the total area of Bangkok - in the outer eastern suburbs of Bung Kum, Kannayao, Nong Chok and Klong Sam Wa.
The seat being contested today was left vacant after the death on June 11 of Democrat MP Thiwa Ngernyuang.
The constituency has almost 390,000 eligible voters, 16,097 of whom cast their ballots during two days of advance voting last weekend.
Six candidates are vying for a seat in the constituency, including Panich Vikitsreth, former vice-minister for foreign affairs who is representing the Democrat Party, and Korkaew Pikulthong, a United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship leader representing the Puea Thai Party.
