'Ice Cream' Parit used the parliamentary platform to continuously criticize the Election Commission, fiercely denouncing the majority decision not to prosecute Bhumjaithai Party leaders in the Senate vote-rigging case as misconduct. He mocked 'Prime Minister Nu' for incompetence, accusing him of allowing coalition party members to collude in the Senate election, which sparked chaotic protests.
On 16 Sep 2026 at 10:30 AM GMT+7, at the parliament, a House of Representatives session was chaired by Sopon Sarum, Speaker of the House, to consider the Election Commission’s performance reports for 2024 and 2025, with five hours allocated for debate. Parit Watcharasindhu, party-list MP of the Prachachon Party, argued that the Election Commission’s majority decision to prosecute 77 people in the Senate vote-rigging case was legally flawed.77 peopleThe decision violated legal principles and constituted misconduct, deliberately ignoring three critical issues.These three were:1. The Senate vote-rigging operation was wrongly framed as separate acts of cheating.Each case was treated independently, which contradicted evidence showing it was an organized operation.Evidence included order sheets, nationwide voting statistics, and a vote-ordering center where Senate candidates were seen at hotels.Various examplesshowed the same instructor repeatedly conducting duties, including orientation for senators on 21 July 2024 after over 200 senatorswere certifiedby the Election Commission. Several senators attended an orientation at the Pullman Hotel to decide who would become Senate president and vice president.
Parit said 2. There were links to leaders, ministers, and MPs of the Bhumjaithai Party. Although the Election Commission dismissed the testimony of witness Ekarat Changlao, evidence connecting the Bhumjaithai party executive committee was not limited to his statements but included other proofs.Other evidenceincluded phone records, especially of Ratana Botam, an aide to Charat Ratchakipakarn, Bhumjaithai party-list MP and party official. If Bhumjaithai was not involved in Senate vote-rigging, why did Ratana call 19 senators 62 times over 80 days during the Senate election period? This prompted Supachai Jaisamut, party-list MP of Bhumjaithai, to protest Parit for revealing confidential government investigation files in parliament and to ask the chair to prevent the use of illicit materials in debate.
However, Sopon ruled Parit could continue speaking. Parit stated that although Bhumjaithai once issued a declaration forbidding its members from interfering in the Senate election, the Election Commission’s prosecution of Bhumjaithai individuals suggests two possibilities:2 possibilities:1. Anutin Charnvirakul, Bhumjaithai leader, failed to control party members from meddling in the Senate election. 2. Anutin and Bhumjaithai jointly participated in rigging the Senate election.
Reporters noted that the session’s atmosphere quickly grew tense as Bhumjaithai MPs protested en masse, demanding Parit withdraw his remarks. Sopon, acting as chair, asked Parit to retract his accusations against the prime minister because the Election Commission had ruled Anutin was uninvolved and thus did not prosecute him. Parit was told not to repeat such statements or he would lose the right to debate but was allowed to continue.3. The Election Commission’s standards were inconsistent: last year it prosecuted a Senate vote-rigging case with only chat messages exchanged between two people voting for each other.This year, it did not prosecute over 100 senators involved in systematic vote exchanges documented in order sheets.Over 100 peoplewere listed in vote orders exchanging votes systematically, contradicting previous standards.
Parit said the Election Commission must do four things: 1. Reveal each member’s individual vote on the prosecution decision, 2. Submit investigation files and subcommittee opinions,specifically from the 26th subcommittee,to the Supreme Court, 3. Continue investigating Senate vote-rigging cases not included in this file, and 4. If the Supreme Court finds additional links beyond the 77 people,the 77 people,the Election Commission must reopen the case and prosecute further. The fact that Bhumjaithai leaders and Anutin were not prosecuted is due to the discretion of four commissioners appointed by the blue Senate, who exercised discretion favoring the accused. If the Election Commission abuses its power rather than performing its duties straightforwardly, it raises concerns about its credibility with the public when reporting its work to parliament next year.