The Election Commission (EC) has failed the public once more by refusing to make its handling of the 2024 Senate election transparent and open to scrutiny.
The EC has again issued a press release offering only a cursory response to allegations involving money transfers to an EC official linked to the investigation into alleged Senate election fraud.
People's Party list MP Parit Wacharasindhu has presented evidence of money transfers totalling 860,000 baht to an EC official from a local politician in Amnat Charoen between April and July 2024, coinciding with the controversial Senate election.
Mr Parit has questioned the timing of the transfers and identified the politician, Yanee Sifa, an Amnat Charoen Provincial Administrative Organisation member, as being linked to the "Bhumjaithai-Amnat" group.
Mr Parit said the evidence -- including the timing of the transfers, the money trail and the individuals involved -- formed pieces of a larger puzzle supporting his allegation that the 2024 Senate election was manipulated. The EC has so far launched investigations into 229 suspects, including 138 senators and several politicians from the Bhumjaithai Party.
Given the scale of the allegations and the importance of the investigation to the country's democracy, the EC's response has been perfunctory.
In its Aug 12 statement, the EC said only that the official in question had been assigned to investigate a general election. It also said the official had already been dismissed, with compensation, for other reasons that were unrelated to the alleged money transfers.
But the agency stopped short of explaining why the official was dismissed. Nor did it address questions about the timing of the transfers or the identity of the local politician who allegedly made them.
By failing to provide a fuller explanation, the EC is doing little to dispel doubts about the case or demonstrate that it is handling the investigation in a transparent manner.
Instead of addressing the allegations directly, the EC has relied on one-way communication through press releases to explain its position and defend itself against criticism. That evasive approach cannot continue indefinitely.
The EC's ambiguity and reluctance to act are unacceptable. Failure to act could further damage public confidence in the agency and the electoral system. The commissioners are already vulnerable to criticism and accusations of partiality because they were appointed by the Senate.
The agency has also remained tight-lipped about public calls for it to refer all relevant complaints to the court, as provided for under Section 62 of the election law. The provision allows the EC to refer cases to the court when there is credible evidence of electoral irregularities.
The EC does not need to make a final finding against anyone at this stage. It simply needs to follow due process and fulfil its duty to ensure that the electoral process is transparent and accountable.
Stonewalling will only make the EC appear to be shirking those responsibilities.
