The Secretary-General of the Election Commission (EC) disclosed progress on the petition to dissolve the People's Party, which arose after the party leader posted and gave interviews regarding drought relief that referenced the Privy Council. He noted the case is currently in the administrative process, with efforts underway to verify whether there is merit. The Senate election fraud case is expected to be brought to the Commission's meeting early next month.
On 26 May at 09:50 at TK Palace Hotel, Chaeng Watthana, Mr. Sa-wang Bunmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, spoke about a petition filed to the EC requesting the dissolution of the People's Party. This followed the party leader, Mr. Natthaphong Ruangpanyawut, posting messages and giving interviews that referenced the Privy Council and government regarding drought relief efforts. The petitioner believes this may violate political party laws and could be hostile to democratic governance. Mr. Sa-wang said the matter is currently in the administrative stage, assessing whether the expression constitutes a legal violation. The dissolution petition process begins with the political party registrar gathering facts. The time needed to review the case cannot yet be specified as it was recently received and requires careful consideration.
Regarding whether a new subcommittee will be formed specifically to consider this case, Mr. Sa-wang said that currently there are about ten pending party dissolution reviews. When a new case arrives, an initial fact-check is conducted to determine if it is ready for consideration. If there is merit, it is then forwarded to the already appointed fact-finding committee.
When asked if Mr. Natthaphong's actions constitute erosion or undermining, and whether the EC would apply Constitutional Court standards in the initial review, Mr. Sa-wang said that the Commission has not yet seen detailed facts and is only aware of the petition filing. The EC applies the same procedures uniformly to all political parties, without special treatment. This case may also be unrelated to past cases.
When pressed on whether the People's Party leader's call for the Prime Minister to reconsider and revoke the authority and role of the Privy Council—which overlaps with the monarchy—is appropriate, the Secretary-General said he did not want to critique the facts at this stage. Some aspects involve legal issues, so he declined to comment further.
Additionally, Mr. Sa-wang updated on the Senate election fraud (collusion) case, stating the EC commissioners are currently reviewing information sent by the office. It is expected that the matter will be brought to a meeting by early next month. Once it is on the agenda, the Commission will start the 90-day legal timeframe to complete the case.