The Election Commission (EC) is ready to defend itself against multiple legal challenges over its performance in the recent poll, as well as face an impeachment process, EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said on Sunday.
Mr Ittiporn was referring to a petition for the Office of the Ombudsman to seek a Constitutional Court ruling nullifying the March 24 election, a petition for the National Anti-Corruption Commission to impeach the seven members of the EC and a threat to file a court case against the EC for malfeasance under Section 157 of the Criminal Code.
"We are ready to respond to every question. The decisions rest with the relevant agencies," the EC chairman said.
"I previously said we need to show courage in performing our duties. Now, I am speaking about our courage being put to the test. I insist that we have performed our duties with honesty," he added.
He said the EC had received an update on the investigation into the late arrival of some 1,500 ballot papers from New Zealand, which meant they were disallowed from being included in the count.
"The EC initially learned that there was a mistake, causing the mail pouch containing the ballot papers to arrive late at Air New Zealand. After the ballots arrived in Thailand, the EC wants to know why they were not delivered in time to be counted at a central vote counting station. The EC will wait for the result of the investigation," Mr Ittiporn said.
Mr Ittiporn declined to say what the EC would do if the mistakes were found to have been committed by other agencies.
Meanwhile, Buddhipongse Punnakanta, an executive member of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), said he was confident that after the EC endorses the poll results on May 9, the party would be able to secure the support of the 251, or more, MPs in the House necessary to form a coalition government.
"It will become clear which parties will join the PPRP in forming a government after May 9," he said.
PPRP deputy spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana echoed this view, saying the party will have to wait for the EC's announcement of poll results before it can begin talks with other parties about forming a coalition government.
