Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has alleged that the election on Sunday was plagued with "irregularities".

Mr Thaksin, who was ousted in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile, told the BBC the inconsistencies "worried" him.

The election was Thailand's first since a military coup in 2014 removed Mr Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Early results saw the pro-military Palang Pracha Rath Party (PPRP) gain a larger share of the popular vote.

But Pheu Thai - the party linked to Mr Thaksin which has won every election since 2001 - appears to have won the most seats overall.

It remains unclear which party is most likely to be able to form a government.

Official results will be released in May. Weeks of negotiations are expected until then as parties try to arrange coalitions.

But there have been growing complaints about discrepancies in the voter turnout and number of ballots cast. Officials have said there were some cases of "human error" in reporting the data.

Mr Thaksin was removed by a coup in 2006. He now lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a conviction in Thailand for abuse of power, but remains hugely influential in Thai politics.

Source: BBC

BDST: 2038 HRS, MAR 26, 2019
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