A group of senators are considering filing a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) against the Election Commission, for attaching summonses to the front doors of the homes of several senators, instructing them to report to the EC office by May 19th, to acknowledge charges of electoral collusion.
Senator Sorachart Wichayasuwanprom, who found a summons attached to his front door, said today that he considers such act to be an attempt to discredit him.
He claimed that serving a summons by attaching it to the front of a house is not a conventional practice. He claimed that the EC would usually send a letter by post first. If there is no response to the letter, then a summons can be served by attaching it to the front of a house.
Sorachart disclosed that he has already explained the votes he received in the national level of the senatorial election to the EC, noting that the overwhelming number of votes he received at this level cannot be compared with the voting at the district and provincial levels, because he is well known and has followers in many provinces.
Sorachart was a candidate representing the scientific and technological group. He received two votes at the district level election, four votes at the provincial level poll and came first in the national election, with 66 votes. In Thailand, only candidates may vote in senatorial elections.
He said that he thinks that the EC is under pressure from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to take legal action against any senators suspected of being involved in electoral collusion.
Summonses have been issued against an initial batch of 53 senators of the more than 100 senators under investigation by the DSI. They are referred to locally as the “Blue” faction, due to their alleged close affiliation with the Bhumjaithai party.
