Special report: Snap general election in Thailand

    BANGKOK, April 4 (Xinhua) -- A complaint on controversial positioning of voting cubicles in the April 2 election submitted to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights by a Thai election watchdog group won't tarnish Thailand's image, Thai caretaker Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said Tuesday.

    A committee for investigating human rights law violations Tuesday filed a complaint to the United Nations (UN) office in Bangkok asking the UN agency to inspect Thailand's voting procedures.

    Some voters complained that polling booths in this election were changed to a new position allowing election officials or bystanders to see voters marked on ballots.

    The issue is related to the work of the Election Commission (EC). The government has to wait and see the UN's response to the complaint, he said.

    "Like other people I wondered why the voting booths were arranged like that but it was the EC's decision," Kantathi said. "We need to wait for the UN decision. I believed that the election was transparent.

    "If the UN asks for assistance from the government, we will help them," he said, adding that Thailand is ready to provide a helpful response. "The EC has its own reasons about the new positioning of the poll booths."

    Asked about responses from other countries regarding the reported 10 million abstention ballots, Kantathi said no country had officially inquired but all countries hoped to see a reconciliation among Thais. Enditem