Opposition Panel Examines Two-Year Senate Election Rigging Case

The opposition parliamentary coordination committee held a forum marking two years since the national senate election, chaired by Priset Watchrasindu and featuring legal experts including Thammasat University law professor Prinyada Thewanarimitkul, former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, and Palang Pracharath party leader and former justice minister Thawi Sodsong. Four key witnesses presented evidence of how vote-rigging guides were created through coordination among political networks, distributed to candidates, and actually used during the nationwide senate election. The Palang Pracharath leader alleged the rigging involved six coordinated groups that studied election commission procedures to manipulate voting in their favor. Participants recommended that the election commission open ballot boxes for inspection by mathematicians and scientists, expecting factual conclusions within two weeks. Thammasat scholars stressed that senate and parliamentary elections must be conducted with integrity, and questioned the election commission's performance. If irregularities are proven, the case should be referred to the Supreme Court for criminal prosecution, with the DSI continuing its investigation. Despite numerous complaints from affected parties involving 229 people now under full commission review, progress has been slow. The election commission chair said careful examination was needed given the complexity, strict legal adherence was required, and a decision was expected within twelve weeks, with court referral as a final option if warranted.