By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE ELECTION COMMISSION was today (July 5) urged to declare last month’s senatorial election “null and void” primarily due to alleged preplanned electoral riggings which had seen as many as 14 Buriram-based contestants elected.
Defeated senatorial contender Patrapong Supaksa filed a formal complaint to the Election Commission today, calling for the polling agency to immediately declare the complicated, triple-tiered election “null and void” and hold a new one in due course largely due to alleged electoral rigging scams.
Patrapong alleged that most of the 14 natives of Buriram, the largest stronghold of the second coalition partner Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, who had contested and been elected senators had been evidently involved in the bloc-vote riggings with many having deliberately falsified claims of professions which they have not truthfully pursued to earn regular incomes.
Given a total of 20 categories of professions to which all senatorial contestants were legally bound to belong to either one, many had purposely falsified claims for careers which they have not allegedly truthfully pursued and yet been elected.
According to the petitioner, several of those winning candidates, all of whom being natives of the lower northeastern province had allegedly falsely claimed to be attached to the categories of professions without truthfully being so.
The Election Commission has indefinitely put off an official ratification of all 200 senators-designate and 100 others in reserve from Wednesday, pending the polling agency’s investigations into petition-based allegations of bloc-vote riggings and other electoral irregularities.
The allegations had mostly involved unnamed political wheeler-dealers who had been covertly associated with the Bhumjaithai and had manipulated for many “puppet” candidates to act as directed with a list of certain candidates to vote having been clandestinely handed out to them at hotels prior to June 26’s national or final stage of the senatorial election.
Nevertheless, the polling agency might probably officially ratify all 200 senators-designate and 100 others in reserve anytime soon whilst some could possibly be suspended by court from doing their legislative duties later if evidently found to have breached the election law and relevant rules.
CAPTION:
Representative images of senatorial election. Above: Naewna, Front Page: Thai Rath
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