Thailand's Election Commission has officially endorsed the results from the country's March 24 general election, declaring that the Pheu Thai Party associated with fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra topped the field by winning 136 constituencies.

The commission said Tuesday the rival military-backed Palang Pracharath Party trailed it with 97 seats. The top two competitors are seeking partners to form a parliamentary majority.

There are 500 seats in the House of Representatives, and the 350 allocated Tuesday were won by direct vote. The remaining 150 so-called party list seats will be awarded based on a proportion of the overall nationwide vote, and the commission must allocate them by Thursday.

Deputy Election Commission Secretary-General Sawang Boonmee cautioned that endorsements could be withdrawn after investigations into more than 400 complaints are resolved.