Senate referendum’s integrity questioned
PUBLISHED: 5 Jun 2024 at 05: 00
On Tuesday, caretaker senator Somchai Swangkarn reiterated calls for the Election Commission (EC ) to check the backgrounds of Senate election candidates to make sure they are qualified to participate in the election that is scheduled to begin on Sunday.
In response to complaints that numerous individuals were unable to work, but instead made application to rig the election results, Mr. Somchai received calls.
The Senate vote program, which allows candidates to vote among themselves in three stages: region, municipal, and national, allows for the manipulation. Because people may be recruited to join the competition merely by casting ballots for the chosen candidates, the program is seen as a loophole.
Mr. Somchai claimed that district election officials at the district level had carefully evaluate the congressional candidates and remove them from the race if necessary. The regions where anomalies are reported were Samut Sakhon, Phetchaburi, Saraburi, Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket, Satun and Songkhla, he noted.
He claimed that some applicants were allegedly gas station employees who applied to work for the energy party and that others were allegedly public health volunteers who applied to run for the public health team.
On Sunday, he revealed a list of 149 individuals identified only by first and last name initials, the number of their professional groups, and the provinces in which they were competing, were “earmarked” to sail through the final step, even before the city level, as the result of alleged cooperation to control the election.
” The 149′ selected’ applicants are only the tip of the iceberg… I want to understand if the EC takes any motion when these flaws are uncovered”, he said.
Mr Somchai said people who apply to work in the poll, knowing they are not qualified, experience prison terms of between one to 10 years, a good between 20, 000- 200, 000 ringgit, and a 20- year election ban.
A total of 46, 206 applicants are expected to cast the first round of the district-level vote on Sunday, with the majority of those who were determined to possess met the election needs by election officials. The winners will contend for the 200 votes in the national-level battle on June 26 and those who win will thrive in the provincial level election scheduled on June 16.