Election Commission Chief Defends Candidate Rules as Legal
The Election Commission defended its candidate campaign guidelines as legal, saying they were designed to prevent fraud, while facing criticism from opposition lawmakers over data security breaches and case management procedures.
On September 16, 2025, at Parliament, Saweng Boonmee, Election Commission secretary-general, explained that the agency had introduced campaign guidelines to prevent fraud after concerns about large groups of candidates coordinating to exceed the spirit of electoral law. The guidelines restricted evaluation to three senatorial candidates and prohibited campaign materials. However, after the guidelines were cancelled, candidates from the same profession can legally share vehicles and hotel rooms, Saweng said, adding that the commission retained all documentation and would investigate any actual wrongdoing.
Deputy Secretary-General Chananim Noi Lek, heading Committee 26, outlined the review process: complaints trigger committee formation, followed by secretary-general evaluation, then referral to an adjudication subcommittee to filter cases before reaching the full Election Commission. Committee 36 was established to handle high volumes of complex complaints. He confirmed that leaked documents have triggered a police complaint and acknowledged being investigated repeatedly as the source department.
Opposition legislator Khruavir Parisnanandakul from Ang Thong questioned why the committee chairman failed to prevent the information breach to outsiders and demanded accountability for the negligent work. Chananim responded that the case files had been securely stored for four months without any leaks, and that his written responses addressed all points raised. The debate highlighted tensions between the Election Commission and opposition lawmakers over case management and data security.
