The Election Commission has finally decided to set the limits of campaign spending for political parties and individual candidates in the upcoming election at 35 million baht and 1.5 million baht each respectively.
EC secretary-general Pol Col Charoongwit Poomma said today the campaign spending limits and other election-related issues were incorporated in the EC’s regulation approved by the EC board and is now being fine-tuned before it is to be published in the Royal Gazette for enforcement.
Although the Royal Decree on the election of members of the parliament is yet to be promulgated, he said election officials had been keeping a close watch on the activities of parties and individual candidates and had collected evidence of suspected wrongdoings which would be used to deal with the wrongdoers after the election.
He cited such questionable activities as fund raising dinners of the pro-junta Palang Pracharat party, the distribution of welfare cards, the handouts of cash and rice.
Charoongwit said the election officials in the northeastern province of Yasothorn were in the process of probing an allegation of the distribution of welfare cards to woo voters.
Once the investigation was over, he said a report would be sent to the EC head office for consideration, he added.
