Sawaeng Blasts Political Parties for Blaming Election Commission Despite Following Law; Pushes i-Vote Trial in Local Elections
Election Commission Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee defended the EC against accusations of bias, saying political parties should amend election laws rather than blame commissioners for following existing rules.
On April 29, 2569, at TK Palace and Convention Hotel, Sawaeng Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, addressed participants at a training workshop for quality political party curriculum instructors, stating that Thailand relies heavily on politics in all matters, with winners taking all—a system that has considerable problems.
Sawaeng disclosed that on April 28, he briefed the Senate, explaining that democracy is a fundamental basis of elections and election outcomes are truly a collective effort of the people. Of the 52 million eligible voters, 1.6 million volunteered as poll observers in the last election, with some serving as media observers. However, the EC itself is not part of this collective effort. He stressed that when people work together on something, they share collective responsibility, and the EC merely reports the results of what the people have accomplished together.
"Our electoral system is designed to be very robust," Sawaeng stated. "No one can interfere with it—not the seven EC members, the secretary-general, or any powerful figures. But if vote-buying and selling rights occur, that's a matter outside the framework. It is the people who will change the country. You are the ones doing the work together at election time, not the EC. The EC's job is to report results; if wrongdoing occurs, we take legal action. The EC knows only what the people know on election day—nothing more."
Sawaeng remarked that from his experience working with political parties, they don't seem concerned with party law. If they were, party law would be better. Amendments are the responsibility of Parliament or MPs, yet when they hold power, they don't appear motivated to improve political party law or draft fair competition regulations.
He noted that the EC office has previously proposed amendments to the Political Party Act and Election Act to ensure fair competition between parties, as the system comes under public scrutiny for allegedly unfair rule-making. However, these proposals have not received parliamentary approval. Therefore, he urged MPs and political parties, as law users aware of the law's shortcomings, to amend both laws appropriately and effectively—rather than blaming the EC commissioners for bias each time elections occur.
"I speak specifically about elections, where the people vote. It's something the people do collectively, with 52 million eligible voters, 1.6 million poll observers, and the remaining observers and media checking one another. The EC is merely a reporter of election results to the public," Sawaeng concluded.
