Thais vote in by-elections to decide opening of new parliament

Bangkok, Apr 23 (UNI) Voters in 17 of Thailand's 76 provinces are taking part in by-elections today which will decide whether the new parliament chosen in the April 2 snap polls can convene.

The re-poll in 40 of the 400 directly elected constituencies in the 500 member House of Representatives became necessary because the winners, belonging to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai party, did not get the minimum 20 per cent needed votes in the first round.

Political observers noted there was a strong likelihood that the re-poll would fail because the Thai Rak Thai contestants are again the sole candidates in the majority of constituencies going to polls today.

The April 2 election was also boycotted by Thailand's main opposition parties who want political reform to strengthen constitutional checks and balances they allege have been undermined by Mr Thaksin's five years in office.

Today's by-election is mainly taking place in the southern provinces, the traditional stronghold of the main opposition Democrat Party. Anti-government groups there have threatened to tear up the ballot papers.

Under the Thai Constitution, unchallenged contestants must get at least a fifth of the votes in a constituency and the parliament must attain its full strength before it can convene to choose a new government.

The House includes 100 members chosen from party lists according to the proportion of total votes won by each party all over the country. The Cabinet is chosen from among the party list which is headed by the party leader.

The opposition campaign for a public boycott of elections till after constitutional reform, saw nearly 10 million Thais choosing the ''no-vote'' option on the ballot paper on April 2, when Mr Thaksin's party emerged as the winner with some 16 million votes.

Mr Thaksin is the first to head a single party majority government in Thailand having won three successive general elections since January 2001.

UNI XC PR KN1245