Panel set up to investigate leaked document withholding results of 71 constituency MPs-elect
The Election Commission (EC) is expected to endorse MPs-elect on June 21 and has set up a fact-finding panel to investigate a leaked document showing 71 constituency MPs-elect had their poll results withheld.
The EC will meet on June 19 to consider endorsing MPs-elect in both the party-list and constituency systems, as it has completed the examination of all 400 constituencies to determine which ones had complaints filed against candidates, a source at the poll agency said on Thursday.
Once certified, the MPs will receive official documents at the EC office, the source added.
Following the May 14 election, the House of Representatives will consist of 500 elected members, with 400 from constituencies and the remaining from party lists.
The EC has 60 days after an election to certify at least 95% or 475 of all 500 winning election candidates.
On Wednesday, EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boomnee ordered the formation of a fact-finding panel in response to a leaked document circulating on social media.
The three-page document, reportedly genuine, indicated that 71 constituency MPs-elect from eight parties across 37 provinces were being withheld, while 329 MPs-elect had no complaints. The affected MPs-elect were 21 from the Bhumjaithai Party, 20 from the Pheu Thai Party, 14 from the Palang Pracharath Party, seven from the Move Forward Party (MFP), three each from the Democrat and the United Thai Nation (UTN) parties, two from the Thai Sang Thai Party and one from the Pheu Thai Ruam Palang Party.
After the document was leaked, no commissioners came out to explain what happened.
On Friday, EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracon will chair the commission’s annual general assembly and an academic seminar on the direction of Thai politics after the general election.