Bangkok: Thailand’s newly elected parliament opened on Saturday as questions continue over the ballot system used in last month’s general election.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the opening ceremony, marking the start of the new parliamentary term after the February 8 national election.
The election was won by the Bhumjaithai Party led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The party secured about 191 seats in the 500 member House of Representatives and is now working to form a coalition government.
Bhumjaithai is expected to join hands with the Pheu Thai Party and several smaller parties. Together they could control more than 290 seats, giving the coalition a comfortable majority in parliament.
However, the election has come under legal scrutiny after concerns were raised about the design of the ballot papers. Critics say the ballots used in the election included barcodes and QR codes that might allow authorities to trace individual votes, which could violate the principle of secret voting.
Thailand’s Office of the Ombudsman said it received 21 complaints from citizens and has asked the Constitutional Court to examine whether the ballot system broke election rules.
The Election Commission has defended the ballot design, saying the codes were used only to prevent fraud and improve security. Officials said identifying how a person voted would require access to a separate part of the ballot that is stored securely and kept apart from the voting section.
The court review has raised memories of Thailand’s 2006 election, which was later annulled by the Constitutional Court over issues related to voting secrecy.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are expected to begin choosing key parliamentary positions. The new parliament will first elect a House speaker and deputy speakers before holding a vote to confirm the prime minister.
Officials say the vote to confirm the prime minister could take place next week as coalition negotiations continue.
The opening of parliament marks an important step in forming Thailand’s next government, even as legal questions about the ballot system remain under review.