Thailand-election to-be transparent, free and fair

Election Commission invited observers from ten countries to observe Sunday’s general election, EC secretary-general Suthipol Thaveechaikarn said on Thursday.Mr Suthipol said the invitation to show the international community that the election complies with international standards.The ten countries are: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Switzerland and Japan, the EC secretary-general said.

Election commissioner Prapan Naikowit said the international observers were invited because all five members of the EC wanted to show that the Sunday’s election is transparent, free and fair.EC members also wanted to share points of view on the election's management with the international observers, Mr Prapan added.

The Royal Thai Police Office information technology centre today announced that preparations were now in place to report vote tally results from all constituencies nationwide to the EC, so that unofficial results could be known as soon as possible and prevent confusion and silence unfounded rumours.A police officer stands guard at a polling station in Samut Prakan on June 16, 2011 as voters cast their advance ballots. The police information technology centre was assigned by the cabinet to report results from tally rooms nationwide to the EC as quickly as possible.

The job was given to police because on July 3 more than 100,000 police will be deployed at 91,559 polling units throughout the nation, and because 1,459 police stations nationwide are well equipped with Internet and other communication systems.

Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said the tally reporting system was tested by police stations nationwide on Thursday and it worked well.Unofficial results from all constituencies were expected to be known by 10pm on July 3, Pol Maj-Gen Prawut said.Boxes containing the ballots would, after being counted, be kept at 305 police stations spread all over the country for one year.Senior police adviser Pongsapat Pongcharoen said police will step up its crackdown on crime nationwide from tomorrow to July 7 to ensure law and order before and after the July 3 election.Pol Gen Pongsapat said that before election day more checkpoints would be set up to block the movement of weapons and gunmen for hire.After the election, emphasis would be given to providing security for candidates and canvassers.

The police election monitoring centre had received a large number of complaints via hotline 1599, mostly about vote buying, particularly in the Northeast. Information from the complaints had been passed to local police and the EC.Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said there are now 10,000 CCTV cameras operating in Bangkok to make the capital safer.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) installed the 10,000 surveillance cameras near junctions and in areas where there was a high crime risk, and near schools, hospitals, community areas and important places around the capital, he said.The city's CCTV cameras had so far recorded 652 crimes and other incidents - robberies, physical assault and other crimes, and accidents, in both risk areas and community areas, said MR Sukhumbhand.Media-agenies