Violence disrupts Thai count

Police cars and property were burnt in the violence

By Simon Ingram in Bangkok

Vote counting following Saturday's parliamentary elections in Thailand has been marred by violence, amid protests over the results in several constituencies.

In some instances, anger was provoked by allegations that officials conducting the count had shown favouritism towards a particular candidate.

[The bookmakers] do not want to lose millions of baht in bets, so they instigate protests to force a recount and a revote

Vinai Seniem, election official in Songkhla province

In one southern province, police vehicles were set on fire by supporters of the losing candidate.

The trouble is said to have been partly instigated by bookmakers and gamblers who stood to lose large sums of money from bets placed on the election outcome.

It came as Thaksin Shinawatra, the leader of the victorious Thai Rak Thai party, held further talks with potential coalition partners over the shape of his new administration.

Police reinforcements

The trouble is focussed mainly in southern provinces, where supporters of several defeated candidates managed to bring the vote counting process to a halt.

Some ballot boxes were being kept under army guard after protesters tried to destroy them

Police have drafted in reinforcements to 10 provinces where demonstrators had blocked roads and laid siege to vote-counting centres.

One of the worst incidents took place in Songkhla, close to the Malaysian border, where a midnight curfew was ordered after some 500 people clashed with riot police.

Fifteen protestors were reported injured.

Delay in results

The troubles in the south may well add to the delay in finalising the election results, but they have failed to distract Mr Thaksin from the task of constructing a workable governing coalition.

Thaksin is deep in negotiations to form a coalition government

The billionaire tycoon is negotiating with two potential coalition partners - the New Aspiration Party and the Chart Thai or Thai Nation Party.

Given the scale of his election success, Mr Thaksin is in a strong position to dictate the shape of the new cabinet.

But he faces personal difficulties stemming from his recent indictment on charges of failing to disclose his financial assets, which could see him barred from taking any post himself.