Sawang affirms that the Election Commission listens to all opinions on the senator election rigging case without affecting the facts in the dossier. He stresses that the commission acts according to the law, not according to the desires of any group, and does not base decisions on individual or group preferences but on facts and evidence.
25 Jul 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Sawang Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, gave an interview after attending a briefing on preparations for the Roi Et Provincial Administrative Organization election. He explained the progress of the EC's full commission in reviewing the senator election rigging case and whether it will file charges with the court, stating the commission had previously announced completion by August, with about four meetings remaining.
This case is the subject of daily news coverage, but regardless of who holds events or what opinions are expressed, these do not change the facts that have already occurred. Nor do they alter the EC's review procedures, which are legally mandated steps: to decide whether there is wrongdoing based on preliminary opinions before submitting the case to the court.
Sawang emphasized that generally, witnesses may give one version in the dossier but say something different outside. Ultimately, the case will be decided based on evidence. All explanations in the final ruling have full context. The commission does not judge based on feelings or anyone's desires but on facts gathered, not on anyone's or any group's opinions.
"We must abide by the law and not by anyone's wishes. Freedom of expression is allowed as long as it does not violate others’ rights, especially political parties. Transparency allows for scrutiny. If you feel your rights have been infringed, you can exercise your rights. However, this does not change the facts, which did not just occur recently but have already happened. Nor does it change the EC’s procedures, as we must work according to the law."
Regarding the accused suing the whistleblower for revealing information, Sawang said that is a matter of protecting personal rights and is unrelated to the EC’s case review process.