“Kusumalvati” teams up with reserve Senators to demand progress on the Senate election collusion case, accusing the Election Commission (EC) of misconduct, intentional delays awaiting the Constitutional Court's ruling, and stalling the petition to dissolve the Bhumjaithai Party. She asserts this amounts to national theft and declares, “If there are cats, there must be no mice.”
At 10:00 a.m. on 21 Jan 2026 at the Election Commission (EC) office, Ms. Kusumalvati Sirikomut, prime ministerial candidate of the Thai Progressive Party, along with a group of reserve Senators led by Pol. Lt. Gen. Kamrob Panyakao, came to demand updates on the investigation into allegations of corruption in the 2024 Senate election, urging the EC to be transparent in handling the collusion case. Since the 2024 Senate election, the review process has made no progress, even after the entire year of 2025 and now entering 2026. The EC’s delay in investigating the Senate election collusion is excessive. We have repeatedly sought updates from the EC, but they have never given clear answers, only information from other agencies such as the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and other oversight bodies.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Kamrob said that at the end of 2025, the DSI and prosecutors recommended preliminary charges against eight suspects in a special money laundering case No. 24/2025, sending evidence related to the Senate collusion to the EC for consideration under Section 49 of the Organic Act on the Election Commission. However, in the December 2025 EC meeting (with five commissioners), the vote was 3 to 2 in favor of including the evidence, but no action was taken because some opposed delaying until the new seven-member EC was sworn in.
However, in mid-January 2026, with the EC at full seven members, a new meeting resulted in a 4 to 3 vote against including the DSI evidence. It was reported that there was considerable debate, and this decision raised serious concerns about why the EC majority would reject such important evidence in the case. We intend to scrutinize the EC’s conduct further.
“I suspect this delay might be related to awaiting today’s (21 Jan) Constitutional Court ruling in the case where Pol. Col. Tawee Sodsong, former Minister of Justice, and Mr. Poomtham Vejjajai, former Deputy Prime Minister, are accused of interfering with the DSI’s work on the Senate collusion case. The court’s verdict could affect the collusion case. If it finds that Pol. Col. Tawee and Mr. Poomtham were involved in interference, this could impact the DSI’s special investigation process and the EC as well. This is tantamount to robbing the nation, so these individuals must not go unpunished. Whether we become Senators or not is not the main issue,” he said.
Ms. Kusumalvati said she sees the EC as neglecting its duties, citing her petition to dissolve the Bhumjaithai Party which has yet to progress, and that she has not been allowed to provide explanations. The Bhumjaithai Party has filed numerous lawsuits against her and lodged complaints to have her jailed, but she has outsmarted them. Although prosecutors ordered charges and submitted them, the cases were dismissed. Today, the case was sent to the National Police Chief, and she wants to know if there is interference. She views this as a tool used by some groups to destroy election justice.
Regarding the Senate collusion case, she believes financial ties bind some individuals within certain political parties, clearly implicating them. The DSI holds financial and network evidence, but the new EC voted not to consider DSI’s findings, suggesting fear of wrongdoing. She asked what remains for Thailand if this continues. She is unafraid regardless of anyone’s position and stresses that the country belongs to all, urging unity. The reserve Senators do not desire the Senate seats but believe street protests are powerful. She intends to confront Anutin Charnvirakul in parliament. “If there are cats, there must be no mice; if there are cats, there must be no grey ones.”