Poll observers give the thumbs up for conduct of referendum

The Election Commission (EC) allowed a number of foreign observers to monitor the referendum yesterday. A representative from Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (Foundation) and six election officials from Bhutan and East Timor (three each) were among the observers.

The delegation observed the entire voting process in different polling booths of four provinces – Nonthaburi, Prachin Buri, Chachoengsao, and Bangkok.

An observer, who declined to be named, said a referendum should not be conducted in a climate of fear with instances of suppression.

The voters should have been educated more about the gist of the draft, so they could have ideas about what to vote for or against, he said. 

Some of the voters made emotional decisions, following the suggestions of their favourite political figures, he added.

A representative from Bhutan’s Election Commission, who asked not to be named, also expressed concern over rejection of overseas voting in the referendum.

Thais living abroad should have been able to take part in yesterday’s vote on the charter draft to decide their motherland’s fate, he said

According to earlier reports, an authority said that the reason is the draft is to be enacted in the Kingdom and hence Thai citizens living in the country should decide this issue. In previous general elections, since 1999, overseas voting had been approved but not in the referendums in 2007 and yesterday, said a source from the EC.

The Bhutanese observer said overseas voting was important, to respect the voting rights of compatriots.

He pointed out that the relatively complicated voting process for overseas voters might be an impediment, as the voters abroad have to send their ballots by post.

Another Bhutanese representative said the Thai referendum process was well prepared. He said his delegation appreciated two voting initiatives – a pilot polling booth at the Ban Bang Kae home for elderly and disabled people, and the “smart-card reader” used in three pilot polling stations of three separate provinces, including Prachin Buri.

The EC source said that with the smart-card reader, voters do not need to register manually in front of the booths. They only need to insert their ID cards into the machine.

Apart from the two initiatives, the source said in this referendum, the EC also experimented with registration of residence voting for outside provinces.

“Voters could exercise their rights without having to go back to their hometown,” he said.

According to reports, some voters tore up their ballots unintentionally. 

They did so as they thought the dotted line separating the two questions of the referendum were to be separated.

The EC source said the commission would collect information and find out the number of cases in order to research and develop the voting process.

Unofficial watchdogs like Open Forum for Democracy Foundation, Asia Foundation, and the newly created We Watch said technical implementation went smoothly.

They said no major concerns or irregularities have been found and they needed to closely monitor the result.