A Chiang Mai court ordered the Election Commission (EC) this morning (Thursday) to pay about 70 million baht in compensation including interest to former Pheu Thai MP Surapol Kiatchaiyakorn, after it damaged his reputation by ruling to discount his election result on the grounds of alleged vote buying.

 

The lawsuit to demand compensation was filed against the EC and 14 election officials in Chiang Mai, after the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Officer Holders overruled the EC’s decision, which was that Surapol’s spending of about 2,000 baht for a religious ritual to celebrate his birthday during the campaign prior to the general election in 2019 amounted to vote buying.

 

Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe

 

The provincial court’s ruling is, however, not yet final and the EC has the right to appeal within a month.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/ec-ordered-to-pay-฿70m-compensation-to-ex-pheu-thai-mp-over-vote-buying-ruling/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-04-21

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Perhaps the EC should now all resign

12 hours ago, Excel said:

Perhaps the EC should now all resign

Members of the EC are nor elected but rather appointed. So all those involved in the process of their selection and appointment should resign if still members of the government or otherwise be separately fined and banned from further government involvement.

 

Note that the current five numbers were appointed in August 2018. Also note that the Prayut military junta had absolute control of the government and Thai people until after the 2019 election. Interestingly, when the junta overthrow the elected government in 2014 and refused to hold elections until 2019, the existing EC members in place prior to 2018 continued (presumably by the permission of the junta) in office and did not resign, ie., in protest to the unelected Prayut government. 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The lawsuit to demand compensation was filed against the EC and 14 election officials in Chiang Mai, after the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Officer Holders overruled the EC’s decision, which was that Surapol’s spending of about 2,000 baht for a religious ritual to celebrate his birthday during the campaign prior to the general election in 2019 amounted to vote buying.

Excellent news... EC is rigged.