US deeply troubled by 'efforts to block polls' in Thailand

Washington: Expressing concern at the ongoing political unrest in Thailand, the United States has said it is deeply troubled by efforts to block polls and otherwise prevent voting and urged all sides to refrain from violence. [caption id=“attachment_1360371” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Associated Press[/caption] “The United States is deeply troubled by efforts to block polls and otherwise prevent voting in Thailand, and by the most recent acts of political violence,” the State Department Spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said on Saturday. Psaki maintained that US is not biased when it is a political disputes and supports the expression of fundamental rights. “While we do not take sides in the political dispute and strongly support freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest, preventing citizens from voting violates their universal rights and is inconsistent with democratic values,” she said. “We reiterate our call for all sides to refrain from violence, exercise restraint, and commit to sincere dialogue to resolve political differences peacefully and democratically,” Psaki added. Advance polling was held yesterday in Thailand for those who cannot participate in General elections scheduled on February 2. However, most polling stations were blocked by the opposition-backed protesters who wants the polls scrapped, the caretaker Yingluck Shinawatra government to quit and an un-elected People’s Council to be set up. About 2.16 million of the total 49 million eligible voters have applied for advanced voting before the February 2 election, which called Yingluck to try to defuse rising political tensions after weeks of mass anti-government protests. PTI