The Election Commission chairman, Ittiporn Boonpracong, addressed the media in Nonthaburi on June 26, coinciding with the final stage of the Senate election process. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
The Election Commission (EC) has put off indefinitely the official announcement of the certified results from the Senate election, citing pending issues that still need resolution. Ittiporn Boonpracong, the EC’s chairman, clarified that this action should not be regarded as a postponement. He emphasized that the originally planned date of July 3 was merely a tentative one for announcing the results.
The organic law governing Senate composition doesn’t specify an exact timeline for declaring the vote results. It mandates only that the EC reserves five days post-final round of the election to handle any complaints.
“The EC will announce the certified results once it is assured the election was clean, fair, and lawful,” assured Mr. Ittiporn. When pressed about the specific issues delaying the announcement, he briefly noted, “The announcement will come only after we complete the necessary tasks. This isn’t a postponement. The pending work needs to be done before we can make an announcement.”
Mr. Ittiporn continued, “The EC is still conducting preliminary investigations into complaints received, which will precede the announcement of the election results. So, don’t call it a postponement.”
On Wednesday, Caretaker Senator Somchai Swangkarn mentioned that the EC had requested the Secretariat of the Senate to set up a place for the 200 new senators, who will start reporting to the office from Sunday. This, he argued, indicates that the EC’s decision to delay the result certification was a strategic move to sidestep criticism.
Remarking on the situation, Mr. Somchai stated, “The EC does not wish to be accused of shirking its duty to ensure the election was free and fair by rushing into certifying the results.”
A source revealed on Tuesday that the EC has already reviewed over a thousand complaints related to the suspected ineligibility of several senators-elect and alleged breaches of election law. Some who have closely monitored the process noted several anomalies. For example, many candidates did not vote for themselves, even though they had the right to do so, which suggested their sole purpose in registering was to vote for specific individuals as directed by interest groups or political parties.
Furthermore, many senators-elect are facing criticism for official profiles that are either incomplete, inaccurate, exaggerated, or outright misleading. Allegations have surfaced about their connections with political parties or other vested interest groups, even though the Senate is supposed to remain non-political.
Mr. Somchai himself has submitted evidence of alleged poll fraud during the multi-level Senate election, which wrapped up last week. His complaint includes four suspected cases in Si Sa Ket, Amnat Charoen, Buri Ram, and Trang provinces.
Addressing the Election Commission, Mr. Somchai stated, “Don’t ever say you did not have the evidence to prove these alleged misconduct cases because it was already submitted to you along with the complaints.”
The three-stage election process wrapped up on June 26, narrowing down 2,989 candidates—culled from over 45,000 in the initial round—to partake in the national-level poll, where they voted among themselves for preferred candidates at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi.
The new Senate will consist of 200 members chosen from 20 professional groups, succeeding the 250 military-appointed senators whose terms ended on May 10. Unlike their predecessors, these new senators will not have the power to participate in the parliament’s election of a prime minister. However, they will continue to review legislation passed by the House, appoint members of independent agencies, and monitor the performance of the executive government.
For more related information: Court urged to suspend result
I think it’s a good thing that they’re taking the time to ensure everything is fair and legal. We need transparency in our elections.
But how long is too long? Indefinite delay just gives more room for corruption!
I agree, there needs to be a balance. They can’t take forever but rushing isn’t the solution either.
Remember, this ‘indefinite’ term is standard procedure due to the law. It’s not something new.
This is just absurd. Politicians will find a way to game the system no matter what the delay. Just announce the results already.
But without addressing the complaints, how can we trust the results? The public deserves clean elections.
Sure, but dragging it out like this only sows more distrust. They should have planned for these complaints better.
Planning doesn’t always prevent problems though. There’s a lot at stake here. Patience is key.
It’s pretty clear that these delays are politically motivated. They want to control who gets in.
The fact that so many complaints have been filed just shows how messy the system is. Major overhaul needed!
Overhaul won’t happen overnight. It’s a delicate process, given the bureaucratic tangles.
True, but that’s no excuse for ongoing inefficiency. We need quicker reforms.
Why are people complaining about ‘indefinite delays’? The investigators have to be meticulous if we want fair results.
Meticulous or not, they’re taking too long! It shouldn’t be this hard to certify an election.
Better they take longer and get it right than rush it and mess up.
It’s amusing how both sides are accusing each other of foul play, maybe neither are trustworthy.
Somchai Swangkarn’s involvement and his comments are just adding more fuel to the fire.
I wonder if all these complaints and the delay tactic are just a smokescreen for something else.
Let’s not forget that the Senate isn’t supposed to be political. Yet here we are, amidst political drama.
It’s weird how candidates didn’t vote for themselves. Quite fishy indeed.
Maybe some candidates felt they were outclassed and voted for someone more capable. Not really fishy.
Or maybe they were directed to do so by political parties or interest groups, as suggested.
The fact that the profiles are misleading or inaccurate is a huge red flag. More transparency is needed.
The EC is trying to do its job amidst all these complaints. They should be commended, not criticized.
Yeah right, commended for delaying results? They’re probably hiding something.
Don’t people get it? Delay or no delay, if there’s fraud, it’s fraud. Better to catch it now.
It’s troubling that we still can’t get clean elections in 2023. More evidence we need an independent oversight committee.
Independent oversight sounds ideal, but who oversees the oversight? We need a better system overall.
True! But anything is better than this current mess of allegations and delays.
Absolutely. It’s like a never-ending cycle of blame and inefficiency.
Just imagine if they had certified the results without addressing these complaints? People would be up in arms!
Why is it 2023 and we’re still dealing with this? High time to automate and verify through better tech.
Tech isn’t the fix-all. Human oversight is crucial. Machines can’t handle complex disputes.
The EC should release detailed logs of their investigations. Transparency would quiet a lot of critics.
That’s a great idea. But would they even do that in the interest of keeping some matters confidential?
True, but even a summary report would be better than nothing. Just something to keep the public informed.
Senators connected with political parties should be disqualified right off the bat. The rules are clear.
But who decides what constitutes ‘connection’? It’s a slippery slope.
At this point, even if the results come out next week, the EC’s credibility is shot.
If they are going to delay, at least give us a new timeline. The uncertainty is frustrating.
The allegations from Mr. Somchai should be thoroughly reviewed. There’s no smoke without fire.
No matter when the results are announced, there will always be accusations of fraud. Unfortunate reality.