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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Thai court rejects opposition bid to annul election | Thai court rejects opposition bid to annul election |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Thailand's constitutional court has rejected an opposition request to annul the 2 February election, citing insufficient grounds. | Thailand's constitutional court has rejected an opposition request to annul the 2 February election, citing insufficient grounds. |
| The Democrat Party had argued that the poll violated the constitution for several reasons, including that it was not completed in one day. | The Democrat Party had argued that the poll violated the constitution for several reasons, including that it was not completed in one day. |
| The government blamed the delay on the opposition blocking polling stations. | The government blamed the delay on the opposition blocking polling stations. |
| Thailand has been in a political crisis since mass anti-government protests kicked off in November. | Thailand has been in a political crisis since mass anti-government protests kicked off in November. |
| They were sparked by a controversial amnesty bill which critics said would allow former leader Thaksin Shinawatra to return to Thailand without serving time in jail for his corruption conviction. | They were sparked by a controversial amnesty bill which critics said would allow former leader Thaksin Shinawatra to return to Thailand without serving time in jail for his corruption conviction. |
| The demonstrators have since called for the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister, to make way for an interim replacement that will bring in anti-corruption reforms. | |
| Ms Shinawatra had called the election in the hope of defusing the crisis. | Ms Shinawatra had called the election in the hope of defusing the crisis. |
| But the Democrats refused to contest the election - which they were almost certain to lose - arguing that reform of Thailand's political system must come first. | But the Democrats refused to contest the election - which they were almost certain to lose - arguing that reform of Thailand's political system must come first. |
| Corruption investigation | Corruption investigation |
| The government was understandably nervous about this ruling, the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head reports from Bangkok. | The government was understandably nervous about this ruling, the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head reports from Bangkok. |
| The constitutional court annulled a previous election seven years ago for seemingly trifling irregularities, he says. | The constitutional court annulled a previous election seven years ago for seemingly trifling irregularities, he says. |
| It has also twice dissolved previous incarnations of the ruling Pheu Thai party and twice forced prime ministers from office. | It has also twice dissolved previous incarnations of the ruling Pheu Thai party and twice forced prime ministers from office. |
| This time though, the court dismissed the petition saying there was no credible evidence that the election had violated the constitution. | This time though, the court dismissed the petition saying there was no credible evidence that the election had violated the constitution. |
| It also rejected a request by the Pheu Thai party to find the Democrat Party's behaviour toward the election unconstitutional. | |
| The opposition movement has not exhausted legal avenues for blocking the government, our correspondent says. | The opposition movement has not exhausted legal avenues for blocking the government, our correspondent says. |
| They are still hoping an official corruption investigation into Ms Yingluck and other ministers will prevent her from forming a new government. | They are still hoping an official corruption investigation into Ms Yingluck and other ministers will prevent her from forming a new government. |
| Election re-run | Election re-run |
| Wiratana Kalayasiri, a former opposition lawmaker and head of the Democrat Party's legal team, who brought the opposition petition to court, said: "This case is over". | Wiratana Kalayasiri, a former opposition lawmaker and head of the Democrat Party's legal team, who brought the opposition petition to court, said: "This case is over". |
| "But if the government does anything wrong again, we will make another complaint," he told the AFP news agency. | "But if the government does anything wrong again, we will make another complaint," he told the AFP news agency. |
| Millions were prevented from voting because anti-government protesters forced the closure of hundreds of polling stations in Bangkok and in the south on election day. | Millions were prevented from voting because anti-government protesters forced the closure of hundreds of polling stations in Bangkok and in the south on election day. |
| It means the results of the election cannot be announced until special polls have been held in the constituencies that missed out on the 2 February vote. | It means the results of the election cannot be announced until special polls have been held in the constituencies that missed out on the 2 February vote. |
| The Election Commission said on Tuesday that those elections will be held on 27 April. | The Election Commission said on Tuesday that those elections will be held on 27 April. |
| However, no decision has yet been made on the 28 constituencies where no candidates stood in the election. | However, no decision has yet been made on the 28 constituencies where no candidates stood in the election. |