A group of reserve senators has launched a confrontation against the Election Commission (EC), accusing it of deliberately delaying the Senate election fraud case for two years despite clear evidence, suggesting attempts to whitewash the matter.
On 8 June 2026, Mr. Akarawat Pongthanachalitkul, a reserve senator, along with other reserve senators, held a press conference regarding the conduct of Mr. Thitikhet Nuchnat, an Election Commissioner, and Mr. Saweang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the EC. They stated that both individuals appear to have neglected their duties and facilitated benefits in the Senate election rigging case, which may constitute a conflict of interest and misconduct under Section 157 of the Criminal Code. On the national Senate election day at Impact Muang Thong Thani, Mr. Thitikhet seized ballot evidence related to the rigging but failed to use this evidence in the case. This caused no progress in the case for two years, although under the Organic Act on the Election of Senators, Section 77, the EC has authority to suspend or prosecute immediately when clear evidence is found. Instead, the process was allowed to drag on, suggesting intentional delay or case dismissal to benefit the non-transparent Senate election.
Mr. Akarawat further stated that Mr. Thitikhet is also accused of bribing officials from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to clear issues. If proven true, this would be a severe breach of ethical qualifications. He urged Mr. Thitikhet to suspend his duties as an Election Commissioner, especially in evaluating Mr. Saweang's performance. Recently, Mr. Saweang was rated as outstanding, contrary to public opinion that views his efforts to combat Senate election fraud as a failure. This discrepancy has raised suspicions that the evaluation was a form of mutual protection to maintain power within the EC. Based on evaluations of other commissioners, Mr. Saweang should not have passed the 2025 performance review and should be dismissed from his position as Secretary-General due to his failure in organizing the election process.
Regarding Mr. Saweang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the EC and national director of the Senate election, Mr. Akarawat noted that he appeared to support the election fraud. Before the election day, some EC officials overseeing the Senate election had warned that individuals planned to submit pre-marked ballots as agreed upon. However, Mr. Saweang ignored these warnings and reportedly said to allow the ballots to be submitted. This was a deliberate neglect of duty under Section 157, indicating potential conflicts of interest and favoritism, which has damaged the EC's credibility for integrity.
The collective behavior is substantial enough to allege that the EC colluded to facilitate Senate election fraud. Therefore, for transparency, they demand Mr. Thitikhet withdraw from all case deliberations concerning Senate election rigging. Currently, Mr. Akarawat has filed charges against both men at the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct, citing Section 157, and submitted a complaint to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for serious ethical violations. If the NACC finds them guilty, both will lose their positions and be disqualified from political rights immediately.
Mr. Akarawat sent a request to the 26th EC Investigation and Inquiry Committee to expedite the investigation and finalize the Senate election fraud case for submission to the Supreme Court. He warned against interference after rumors emerged of an outsider wearing shorts influencing decisions and reports that the EC might vote 5:2 to dismiss the Senate election rigging complaint. Although Mr. Thitikhet's term has ended, he continues to serve under special arrangements since the Senate has not approved a successor. In reality, he should have ceased duties already. Mr. Akarawat and the reserve senators will submit all evidence, including new evidence on ongoing House of Representatives election rigging, to the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Organizations for formal investigation on 9 June.