Skinny, recyclable posters get Chadchart into trouble
The Election Commission (EC) decided not to endorse Bangkok governor-elect Chadchart Sittipunt’s victory on Monday as expected, saying it has to look into more complaints against him.
The EC was expected to endorse Chadchart’s win on Monday, especially since the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was ready to welcome him on Tuesday. The new governor’s name has also been put on the door of his office.
Chadchart was elected with a record-breaking 1.386 million votes on May 22.
A source from the EC Office said the commission has been urged to check and see if Chadchart broke any laws when he came up with special election posters. The EC is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday afternoon, the source said.
Meanwhile, the source added that the EC has also decided to only endorse some winners of the 50 Bangkok Council seats and the EC Office is in the process of drafting an announcement of the winners.
Election commissioner Santhad Siriananpaibool said the commission was not really scheduled to announce Chadchart’s victory on Monday.
According to the Bangkok election committee, Chadchart is facing several complaints, including two from social activist Srisuwan Janya.
The activist is accusing the governor-elect of breaking the election law by offering gifts to voters by designing election posters in such a way that they can be recycled into bags and aprons. Srisuwan is also accusing Chadchart of breaking the election law by attacking the bureaucracy in his campaign speeches.
Sources say the 1444 EC hotline received a lot of calls from Bangkokians wanting to know if Chadchart’s victory will be endorsed on Monday.