2021-22 Kaonese presidential election

Kaonese presidential election, 2021-22

30 December 2021 (first round) 14 January 2022 (second round)

Candidate Kongsampong Khumpai Kowit Thammarojphinij Party CPP PDP Popular vote 17,579,986 16,624,806 Percentage 50.57% 47.83%

President before election Lursakdi Sonakul PDP Elected President Kongsampong Khumpai CPP

The 12^th presidential election in Kaona was be held on the 30^th December 2021 to elect both the president with a second round being held on the 14^th January. Under the Kaonese constitution, the president is restricted to two four-year terms in office meaning the incumbent president Lursakdi Sonakul was ineligible to run for a third term. Opposition candidate and former premier Kongsampong Khumpai of the centre-right Chart Pattana Party won the presidential elections beating the candidate from the incumbent People's Democrat Party Kowit Thammarojphinij.

Due to the unpopularity of Sonakul's administration Khumpai was the frontrunner going into the election being unanimously nominated by his party. The PDP in contrast saw an unusually divisive primary after the Governor of Phuko Thammarojphinij entered the race. Thammarojphinij was widely seen as an outsider with the finance minister Prid Songprawati being seen to be promoted by the party establishment with Thammarojphinij winning his party's nomination after gaining widespread grassroots support. Outside the two main parties the Socialist Masses Party nominated Chavarat Saikwan whilst businessman Panyarachun Thanasukolwit was nominated by the People's Power Party.

Initially Khumpai had a wide lead in polling as the PDP saw its support bleed to both Saikwan and Tanasukolwit; however Thammarojphinij soon was seen to run a successful left-wing campaign rising in the polls. In the first round Thammarojphinij narrowly beat Khumpai, but suffered a drop in support after floods in Phuko province saw his response widely criticised. Khumpai would narrowly win the election being the second time that the CPP won the presidency without Chakthip Khaopa being on the ballot.

Electoral process

Since the 1981 presidential election presidents in Kaona are elected in a two-round system in which if a candidate does not achieve 50%+ of the vote in the first round the candidates with the two highest percentage of the vote will enter a second round. President's can serve a maximum of two four year terms, meaning incumbent president Lursakdi Sonakul is not eligible for re-election.

To registrar to become a candidate one has to be a Kaonese citizen, have had permanent residency in Kaona in the past ten years, be over the age of 35 and either has collected 50,000 voters' signatures or be the official candidate of a political party with 5% representation in the National Assembly. People with dual citizenship are banned from running for public office.

Candidates

Presidential

Candidate name and age political party			Political office(s)	Details
	Kowit Thammarojphinij (59) People's Democrat Party		Governor of Phuko Province (2018-present)	tba.
	Kongsampong Khumpai (63) Chart Pattana Party		Prime Minister (2010-2014) Minister of Finance (1996-2004; 2006-2010)	tba.
	Chavarat Saikwan (43) Socialist Masses Party		Member of the National Assembly (2014-present)	tba.
	Panyarachun Thanasukolwit (56) People's Power Party		Member of the National Assembly (2012-present)	tba.

Results

Presidential

Candidate		Party	First round		Second round
			Votes	%	Votes	%
	Kongsampong Khumpai	Chart Pattana Party	11,899,824	36.30%	17,579,986	50.57%
	Kowit Thammarojphinij	People's Democrat Party	12,653,052	38.60%	16,624,806	47.83%
	Chavarat Saikwan	Socialist Masses Party	3,999,267	12.2%
	Panyarachun Thanasukolwit	People's Power Party	3,081,402	9.4%
Blank votes			1,147,330	3.5%	556,175	1.6%
Total			32,780,878	-	34,760,969	-
Registered voters/turnout			56,093,221	58.44%	56,093,221	61.97%