By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE ELECTION COMMISSION was today (March 19) appealed to indefinitely suspend the polling agency’s secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee from work, pending probe into duty-negligence charges filed against him.
A group of reserve senators today petitioned Election Commission Chair Itthiporn Boonprakhong to indefinitely suspend Sawaeng from performing his official duties, pending the sought-after investigation into allegations that the polling agency’s secretary-general had illegally allowed a number of senatorial candidates to literally carry paper scripts earlier prepared by yet-unnamed, politically-associated persons to vote for certain fellow contestants at the national level of last year’s complicated, triple-tiered elections.
“Though we knew it, nothing could be done about it. That’s the way they had planned to do it. Just let them carry the Sor Wor 3 (polling form) in the polling units,” Sawaeng was purportedly quoted as saying upon being informed of the alleged irregularity.
It remains to be seen whether Itthiporn will agree to the petitioners’ appeal to have Sawaeng suspended from work and to cooperate with the Department of Special Investigation, the Office of the Attorney-General and the Anti-Money Laundering Office in regard to the historic probe into the alleged senatorial vote-buying, bloc-voting, money-laundering elections which reportedly involved as many as 138 out of a total 200 senators.
Most of the suspected senators are known as pro-Bhumjaithai senior lawmakers who could be discreetly influenced and steered by the second largest coalition partner under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Reserve senators handing over their petition to Election Commission Chair Itthiporn Boonprakhong. Photos: MNG Online
Insert: Election Commission Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee. Photo: Thai Rath
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