Bangkok: The Election Commission (EC) has refuted claims that senator candidates were permitted to bring unauthorized ballot papers, referred to as 'cheat sheets,' into the senator election venue. The EC clarified that the allegations are unfounded and emphasized compliance with the Administrative Court's ruling that permits Senator 3 documents to be brought in.
According to Thai News Agency, the EC office addressed concerns raised by Mr. Akkrawat Pongthanachalitakul, a representative of the reserve senators group 10. Mr. Pongthanachalitakul accused Mr. Sa-wang Boonmee, the EC secretary-general, of allowing the alleged misconduct. However, the EC asserted that Mr. Sa-wang, in his capacity as the national election director, is bound by Section 30 (3) of the Organic Act on the Acquisition of Senators B.E. 2561. This section mandates that documents or information necessary for candidate introduction, prepared by provincial election directors, must be utilized during the election process.
The EC further explained that under Section 145 of the EC Regulations on the Selection of Senators B.E. 2567, documents or introductory information (Senator 3) are to be prepared and distributed by provincial election directors at least three days before the national election. These documents are meant to assist candidates on election day.
The Central Administrative Court's decision in multiple cases, including Black Case No. 753/2567 and Red Case No. 971/2567 dated May 24, 2567, annulled Section 7 of the EC Regulations on Introducing Oneself in the Election of Senators B.E. 2567 (No. 2) B.E. 2567. This section previously prohibited the distribution or introduction of candidate-related documents within the election venue.
In light of the court ruling and Section 145 of the EC's regulations, the EC confirms that bringing documents or introductory information (Senator 3) into the election area is permissible. This practice is consistent with procedures followed during district, provincial, and national-level senator elections.
The EC Office has communicated with provincial and Bangkok Election Commission offices, emphasizing the importance of training guidelines and duty performance for election venue committees. On May 15, 2024, a directive was issued to ensure that voters are informed they may only bring official documents or introductory information provided by the election director into the voting booth.