Thai court case risks election rerun and renewed political turmoil

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s government faces its biggest survival test yet when one of Thailand’s top courts rules Monday on a case that could invalidate the election that brought it to power. The Constitutional Court will decide whether unique barcodes used on ballots in the Feb. 8 election made votes traceable, violating constitutional guarantees of ballot secrecy. The court accepted the case in March after several complaints by civil rights groups.

The stakes extend far beyond ballot design. An adverse ruling could force Thailand back to the polls within months, ending a period of unusual political stability and delivering another shock to an already fragile economy.