The Constitutional Court yesterday (1 July) rejected a petition filed against the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), the Bhumjaithai Party, and 138 senators over alleged collusion in the 2024 Senate election.
Filed by lawyer Nattaporn Toprayoon, the complaint alleged that the Bhumjaithai Party’s executive board and the ECT rigged the Senate election, resulting in the election of 138 senators and 2 reserve candidates.
It named the ECT, the ECT Secretary-General, the Bhumjaithai Party, the Bhumjaithai executive board, 138 senators, and several politicians aligned with Bhumjaithai, including its patriarch Newin Chidchob and his wife Karuna Chidchob.
Nattaporn initially filed a petition with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). Since the OAG did not act on the complaint within 15 days, he went directly to the Constitutional Court. He also requested that the Court suspend the ECT, its Secretary-General, and Bhumjaithai’s MPs and ministers while the case is under investigation.
The Constitutional Court ruled to reject the petition on the grounds that other government agencies are responsible for examining allegations of voting collusion.
A serial petitioner, Nattaporn is a former advisor to the Chief Ombudsman and has previously acted as a lawyer for the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the Thai Patriots Network, and other right-wing groups.
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