People's Party Leader Denies Involvement in Senate Election Collusion
Natthapong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People's Party, denied any involvement in the alleged Senate election collusion and said his party has not been charged, even as the Election Commission pushes forward with three additional cases. He argued that any petition to the Constitutional Court over the 2024 Senate selection must go through the Ombudsman and can only be filed by those whose rights were directly violated. He urged all parties to act fully to fix the election process and restore the country's checks and balances.
Teing said the avenue to lodge a petition with the Constitutional Court regarding the Senate election collusion case must go through the Ombudsman and can only be used by those whose rights have been directly violated. He reiterated that the People's Party has never been involved in the Senate selection process and has not yet been charged, after the Election Commission moved to fast-track three additional collusion cases.
Speaking at Parliament on 1 October 2026 at 1:30 pm, Natthapong Ruengpanyawut, the party's list-MP and leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives, responded to former Constitutional Court judge Charan Phakdeethanakul's proposal to ask the Constitutional Court to rule that the 2024 Senate selection was null and void. He noted that the Ombudsman route had been used in cases such as the barcode-on-ballot dispute for MPs, where the secrecy of the vote — guaranteed by the constitution — was compromised. Whether that route could be used for the Senate case depends on who suffers a direct rights violation; in his view, neither he nor his party qualifies because they were not candidates or reserve senators.
He added that, whatever legal channels are open, all parties should act fully, as the alleged fraud in the Senate election has warped the country's checks and balances, undermining the rule of law. Any solution — whether amending the constitution or strengthening oversight mechanisms — must start with correcting the Senate election process, and those whose rights have been infringed should pursue their remedies to the fullest.
When asked whether the Election Commission's plan to fast-track three more Senate collusion files might implicate the People's Party, he said no details have been received yet, but he affirmed his and the party's innocence, stressing they had no part in the Senate selection process and are ready to clarify any facts.
