Thailand court rejects plea challenging election validity

Thailand's Constitution Court Wednesday rejected a petition filed by an opposition leader seeking the court's ruling on whether the Feb 2 general elections were constitutional.

The petition, filed by Wirat Kanlayasiri, a former Democrat MP from Songkhla, appealed to the court to declare as void the elections citing Section 68 of the constitution, the Bangkok Post reported.

Section 68 of the Thai constitution penalises the exercise of rights and liberties to acquire ruling power through unconstitutional means.

According to Wirat, the elections did not take place across the nation Feb 2 and hence should be declared unconstitutional.

He said the caretaker government's invocation of the emergency decree in Bangkok and nearby areas was an act that enabled Prime Minister Yinluck Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party to use administrative power to take advantage over its political rivals in the election.

But the court said there was no evidence of the elections violating Section 68 and dismissed the petition.