Election registration starts in Thailand

BANGKOK -- Thai political parties started Monday to register their party-list candidates for the upcoming February2 general election amid disruption from anti-government protesters who have besieged the registration venue.

Starting from 3 a.m., a number of political parties successively arrived at the Thai-Japanese Stadium, six gates of which have been blocked by thousands of protesters since Sunday night.

The Election Commission (EC) has announced that 35 political parties are eligible for lot drawing to distribute party-list numbers. The number draw has been temporarily postponed, and the EC has yet to disclose a rescheduled date.

Of the 35 parties, only nine were able to enter the stadium, and the rest registered their intention to contest the party-list election in a nearby police station.

The party-list candidate registration is expected to last till December 27.

Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been registered by the Pheu Thai Party as its No.1 party-list candidate, local TV reported. ?

The major opposition Democrat Party, headed by former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, has resolved to boycott the election.