Former leader of the Thai Sang Thai party, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, is to file a case with the Criminal Court’s Corruption and Misconduct Case Division, accusing the 7-member Election Commission of malfeasance in office over the use of QR or bar codes on the ballot sheets used in the February 8th general election and referendum.
She has also threatened to take the same case to the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court’s Election Case Division, seeking invalidation of the election and the holding of a fresh, fair and transparent election.
Public outcry over the use of these codes on ballot sheets by the EC, the first time in an election in Thailand, has intensified, with several parties, lawyers and protesters demanding recounts in all 400 constituencies or a fresh election.
Khunying Sudarat refuted the EC’s claim that the codes on the ballot sheets could not be tracked back to individual voters because the ballot sheets and the stubs are kept separately to maintain confidentiality.
“The claim is unacceptable,” she said, adding that the EC can no longer be trusted.
The former Thai Sang Thai party leader said that the submission of the case to the Criminal Court is intended to hold the election commissioners accountable for their negligence in the performance of their duties, which is subject to imprisonment if convicted by the court.
She also said that the EC’s use of QR or bar codes on ballot sheets is a violation of the Constitution and the Election Act, which protect the rights of the voters and the confidentiality of their voting decisions.
She urged members of the public, political groups and civil society who may have evidence, be it pictures, video clips or information related to election irregularities, to submit them to her for use in the legal proceedings.
