IN THE first day of registration yesterday, 58 political parties submitted 5,831 candidates to contest for seats in all 350 constituencies, the Election Commission (EC)’s secretary-general Jarungwit Phumma said.

Two parties also submitted their party-list candidates, he added.

According to the latest figures, Democrat Party has registered the largest number of candidates at 341, followed by Phalang Pracharat |with 335.

Seri Ruam Thai Party with 333, Future Forward Party with 330 and Bhumjaithai 325 candidates.

Jarungwit has called on political parties to not wait until the last day to submit their list of candidates, as every applicant will have to be checked and verified.

Meanwhile, the EC and the non-governmental election observers said they were pleased with how smoothly the registration of candidates had proceeded.

Jarungwit reiterated that everything went smoothly with the exception of minor problems, such as a power outage in Nong Bua Lumpu registration venue.

‘Celebration allowed’

The election commissioner also said that the EC was not prohibiting election candidates from holding processions to celebrate their registration, however, he warned them not to violate the law banning campaigners from holding entertainment activities to woo voters.

Jarungwit said the EC will announce the list of qualified election candidates a week after the candidacy registration wraps up on Friday.

Bangkok became a highlight yesterday as 446 candidates applied to run in 30 constituencies.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s city clerk Sialpasuay Raweesaengsoon said the registration at Thai-Japanese Stadium in Din Daeng went smoothly as most candidates showed up before 8.30am. She added that the drawing for candidacy numbers also went smoothly.

Witchuda Mekhanuwong, director of the Bangkok election office, said 448 candidates had shown up but |two were disqualified, adding that constituencies 1, 10 and 17 had the highest number of candidates at 17 each.

Sak Korsaengruang, chairman of the Open Forum for Democracy Foundation (P-NET), which is observing the lead-up to the national elections, said it was pleased with the candidacy registrations and had found no irregularities.

He said the foundation hoped no candidates will violate the election law as that can affect election results and prevent the EC from announcing up to 95 per cent of the poll results within the deadline.

Sak also called on the EC to launch awareness campaigns, especially for first-time voters, to ensure a high voter turnout and that good politicians are elected.

AS THE registration of candidates for the long-awaited election kicked off yesterday, most parties appeared confident of winning seats in the House of Representatives despite the challenges brought by the new laws.

According to those laws, each voter will only get one ballot for three choices – constituency MP, party-list MP and potential prime minister candidate.

In addition to this one-for-three approach, the Constitution also prescribes a unique number for each candidate – unlike the previous practice of having candidates from the same party running under the same number. This meant candidates had to rely on their party’s popularity, so parties with a strong branding won the most seats regardless the quality of their candidates.

Charter writers justified the decision of having candidates run under unique numbers as a move to strengthen the House of Representatives. They said that when candidates run semi-independently, voters actually have to recognise them and their abilities in order to vote for them.

Electoral numbers are being given to candidates on a first-come-first-serve basis. Those arriving at the registration station at the same time will have their numbers drawn from a lot. Previously, party leaders drew lots and all party candidates used the same number.

Pheu Thai Party’s de facto leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan said at the Bangkok registration station yesterday that contesting under different numbers would only cause confusion among voters. Sudarat, who was at the station with her party members, said Pheu Thai has set up a public relations team to help voters understand the concept of different numbers.

However, her key message to voters was, “remember Pheu Thai’s logo and mark it in your ballot”. She said if her party wins, it will help lead the country toward a peaceful future.

She also sounded confident about the competition. “No matter what numbers candidates are given and how unfair the redrawing of constituencies is, I believe we will still win in Bangkok,” she said.

Separately, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he hoped Democrat supporters will check each number closely to ensure they choose a Democrat candidate when they cast their ballots on March 24.

He too was confident that Bangkok remained a Democrat stronghold, adding that his party had always supported the people and that will help it win votes.

New player Uttama Savanayana, leader of the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party, meanwhile, said candidates from the same party running under different numbers should not pose a problem.

Former Election Commission (EC) member Sodsri Satayathum admitted yesterday that giving each candidate their own unique number in this competition had created controversy, with many believing that this was another measure to stop popular parties from winning a majority of votes.

“Remembering the number of parties is tough enough, now voters will have to memorise the number given to candidates from their favourite party,” she said. However, she admitted that voters should not have that much of a problem because the ballot will also display the party’s name and symbol alongside the candidate’s name.

She also warned the candidates to be aware of all the new rules and ensure they don’t break any laws, or they could face severe punishment.

For instance, all forms of entertainment are banned during the electoral campaign, and violators can face a 20-year ban from politics, she warned.

After the MP candidates got their numbers yesterday, Bangkok and other provinces saw campaign posters being erected in the streets.

New technology has also been widely adopted, with many posters displaying QR codes, which will not only provide voters additional information but can also be used to communicate with the contestants.

No fewer than six candidates named Thaksin registered under the Pheu Chart banner on Monday morning in Nakhon Ratchasima, and another two in Phayao.

Pheu Chart was established as a strategic stopgap in the event the Pheu Thai Party’s ambitions are tripped up by complicated new electoral regulations.

One rule prevents a party that wins many constituency seats to win more party-list seats, so Pheu Chart is there to share votes cast for party-list seats without seeking victories for constituency MPs.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, where 14 House seats are up for grabs, Pheu Chart registered six Thaksins and a woman candidate who changed her name to Yingluck, after Thaksin’s sister and fellow ousted ex-PM.

Sod Foksanthia, who’s contesting the election as Thaksin Khuankhoksunng, said the former premier brought prosperity to Thailand and was well known globally.

“I changed my name because Thaksin remains in the hearts of both the grassroots and middle-class people,” Sod-Thaksin said. “Everybody in our country knows Thaksin and Yingluck.”

The new “Yingluck” was heretofore known as Kanokwan Phetraksa and has kept that surname, but fancied a new first name that would be easier for voters to recognise.

“This is our party’s tactic,” she said. “Yingluck has done a lot of good things for the society. We don’t want people to forget her – we would like them to remember her forever.”

In Phayao, where 12 parties registered candidates on Monday morning, Pheu Chart unveiled two more Thaksins.

The former Jiraroj Kiratisakworakul and Praphan Sinchai will contest Constituency 1 and 2, respectively. They too kept their surnames.

Pheu Chart’s other man in the race stuck with his original moniker – Pichet Chaiyanetr.