BANGKOK, Thailand: Thailand’s Election Commission on Wednesday confirmed the victory of caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party, ratifying most of the results from the February 8 general election.
The commission certified results for 396 newly elected MPs in the 500-seat lower house, according to an official statement.
Bhumjaithai won 170 constituencies, the highest number secured by any party.
The reformist People’s Party came second with 88 constituencies.
The populist Pheu Thai Party, linked to jailed former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, finished third with 58 seats, the commission said.
No party secured an outright majority in the 500-member House of Representatives.
Coalition govt in Thailand
With no clear majority, Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai have agreed to form a coalition government.
Bhumjaithai has said several smaller parties would also join the alliance.
Preliminary projections from the commission showed Bhumjaithai leading in the overall seat tally with more than 190 seats once party-list allocations are included.
The People’s Party was projected to win nearly 120 seats in total, while Pheu Thai was expected to secure fewer than 80.
The commission has yet to certify the winners of 100 party-list seats, which are allocated under Thailand’s proportional representation system.
Under Thai law, at least 95 percent of lawmakers must be officially endorsed before parliament can convene.
The new House will then elect a speaker and vote for a prime minister.
Nationalism and political fallout
Bhumjaithai recorded its strongest electoral performance to date.
The party campaigned amid heightened nationalist sentiment following two rounds of deadly border clashes with Cambodia last year.
In contrast, Pheu Thai — widely regarded as Thailand’s most electorally successful party of the 21st century — suffered its worst election result.
Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai were previously coalition partners.
However, Anutin withdrew from the alliance in June after a leaked phone conversation involving Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra sparked public outrage.
In the call, she referred to former Cambodian leader Hun Sen as “uncle” and described a Thai military commander as her “opponent”.
The remarks triggered criticism during a period of heightened tension over a disputed border between the two countries.
Recounts and fresh voting
The Election Commission said votes in three of the country’s 400 constituencies are being recounted following concerns about the transparency of the tallying process.
At one polling station in northern Thailand, voters will cast their ballots again on March 1.
The decision was taken after the number of voters who registered at the station on election day did not match the number of ballots received.
