"Phisit" has not seen any Senate documents on the petition to remove Election Commissioner; "Thewarit" fears it aims to silence "Sitthichot".
On 1 Oct 2026 GMT+7, Senator Phisit Apivatpong spoke about rumors that senators are gathering signatures to remove Election Commissioner Sitthichot Intarawisit, the minority vote in the Senate vote rigging case. He said he did not know where the rumors came from and urged calm, stating he was investigating their source. If he found evidence of such action, he would inform the public. When asked if the petition to remove Sitthichot was real, Phisit said he had not seen any documents and had none in his possession. If such a petition were submitted, he would notify the media immediately. Asked about the legal basis for such a petition, he said he could provide no information without seeing the documents. When asked if the petition targets only Sitthichot or other commissioners as well, he said he really did not know.
"Thewarit" confirms minority senators are not gathering signatures.
Senator Thewarit Maneechai commented on the rumors of a petition to remove Sitthichot, saying he had heard the rumors but had not seen any petition documents. Asked if the rumors might be a tactic to pressure Sitthichot, the minority Election Commissioner in the Senate vote rigging case, Thewarit said those involved should act openly and straightforwardly. Accusations should be made openly, not spread as rumors aimed at creating pressure. He emphasized that he and the minority senators are definitely not involved in gathering signatures.
Fear it aims to silence "Sitthichot".
Thewarit said that while those who want to gather signatures have the right to do so, there are ethical and jurisdictional issues that could make this an attempt to silence Sitthichot. Sitthichot has been cautious; recently at the Royal Institute event, he expressed concern about possible complaints for dereliction of duty, quickly returning to his work afterward. The minority voice is already under pressure from many sides, and this situation adds to it. Compared to the power to grant penalties, Sitthichot's minority vote carries little weight as the majority decides Election Commission resolutions. Actions like these could further obscure information that ultimately benefits the public, especially when Sitthichot speaks out.