Unofficial reports show that around 45.8 percent of the 44.6 million eligible Thai voters cast their ballots in February 2’s general election, Secretary General of the National Election Commission Puchong Nutrawong has said.

The figures did not include voters in nine provinces where voting was cancelled, he added.

More than 10,000 polling stations in 67 constituencies across 18 cities and provinces of Thailand were forced to cancel voting on February 2, due to protests, or insufficient numbers of election officials and ballot papers.

The Democrat Party, which boycotted the general election, is set to petition the Constitutional Court to nullify the election while requesting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to revoke the ongoing state of emergency decree, which has been in place since January 22, citing its negative impact on the country's tourism and economy.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said on February 3 that protesters will continue pushing for the stepping-down of the Government and the implementation of national reform. He stated that more state buildings will be occupied in the time to come.

Several hundred protesters on February 3 besieged the Office of the Permanent Secretary for the Defence Ministry, where PM Yingluck and several cabinet members have being working temporarily.

The same day, a group of demonstrators marched across Bangkok to raise support and funds for their campaign to topple the Government.
Given this situation, the US on February 3 said the country does not want to see a coup or violence in Thailand, expressing its concern over the political tension that is challenging the Southeast Asian country’s democracy.-VNA