Suchart Chomklin, the Bhumjaithai Party candidate in Constituency 1 of Chon Buri, has responded to calls for a vote recount, saying he is willing to have the ballots re-examined to dispel doubts over alleged irregularities.
Mr Suchart, also acting deputy prime minister, said on Wednesday that he had prepared a letter to the Election Commission (EC) to clarify his position regarding concerns raised over the management of the Feb 8 election and the vote-counting process.
He said the allegations had caused confusion and doubt over the conduct of the polls, particularly in Constituency 1, where unofficial results show he defeated his People’s Party rival by more than 3,700 votes.
As the candidate who received the highest number of votes in the constituency, covering eight tambons in Muang district, Mr Suchart said wished to clearly express his readiness to fully and willingly cooperate at every stage in accordance with election laws.
He then signed the letter in front of the media before instructing his legal team to submit it to the EC chairman.
Badminton court standoff
People calling for a recount in Constituency continued to gather around ballot boxes at a badminton court in Muang district of Chon Buri for a third day on Wednesday.
A representative of the group, said the residents were waiting for the Election Commission to complete what it said would be a two-day fact-finding inquiry later in the day.
She said EC staff had questioned witnesses from the public the previous night.
She reiterated the group’s demand for a recount, citing several irregularities, including ballot boxes not being sealed, and marked ballots being found in trash bins.
If the poll body declined to order a recount, she said, the public would at least need to hear the reasoning, as there was little more they could do beyond that.
Mr Suchart was shown to have won Sunday’s poll with 43,703 votes, followed by People’s Party candidate Warot Sirirak with 39,920 — a margin of 3,783 votes.
The veteran politician, who has been closely linked to the influential Kunplome family in Chon Buri, led a group of 16 defectors from the United Thai Nation party to join Bhumjaithai late last year.
He had boasted before the election that Bhumjaithai would sweep all 10 seats in the eastern province, after being shut out in the 2023 vote. In the end, Bhumjaithai and the People’s Party won 5 seats each. (Story continues below)
Suchart Chomklin addresses the media at the Bhumjaithai Party office in Chon Buri on Feb 9. (Photo: Suchart Chomklin Facebook)
Outsiders suspected
On Wednesday he repeated his allegations that outside agitators had descended on Chon Buri to sow confusion and doubt among the public.
Under election law, he said, only candidates, voters in the constituency or directly affected parties are entitled to file objections or requests.
“I want to know whether those who came out to protest are actually residents of this constituency, and in what capacity they are acting,” he said.
“The recount does not worry me at all. I am confident in the support I received.”
He also called on the media to report responsibly and fairly, saying inaccurate reporting had contributed to public misunderstanding. He cited an incident in which a power outage in Nonthaburi was incorrectly reported by some outlets as occurring in Chon Buri.
“I am transparent and ready to be scrutinised under the law, but fairness is important too,” he said. “Every vote I received came from hard work on the ground. None of them came easily.”
