Activist Srisuwan Janya yesterday asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate election commissioners over their 12-million-baht expenditure on overseas trips two weeks before the election.
In his complaint, Mr Srisuwan said the EC commissioners failed to hold meetings to consider important issues since Feb 27 because they are on trips abroad to observe overseas voting preparations.
He said the EC should have been supervising the organising of the polls at home and looking into several complaints about possible violations of electoral and political party laws.
EC secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma said on Thursday the 12 million baht was the budget for Thai consulates to stage overseas voting, not only for the EC members' trips, and they are obliged to check and make sure everything goes well.
Pol Col Jarungvith also said the EC commissioners are able to participate in teleconferences to discuss important issues wherever they are.
Dismissing the explanation from the EC's office, Mr Srisuwan said the commissioners were visiting major tourist destinations like Britain, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States, but had omitted Australia, China and Malaysia.
He said the EC should have let Thai embassies supervise the organisation of the poll in their respective countries as the EC has already given them the authority to do so.
He also questioned whether they had violated the EC law, which requires them to be dedicated to their duties, and the law on the ethics of members of independent organisations, which calls on them to prioritise the public interest.
Overseas voting is from March 4-16. The Foreign Ministry reported earlier some 120,000 Thais have registered to vote. They can cast their ballot at polling stations, mobile units prepared by embassies or by mail.
