Senator Calls for Major Election Overhaul After 28 Years of EC Failures
A Thai senator has called for sweeping reforms to the Election Commission after 28 years of declining public trust, proposing to split election management from judicial oversight and shift EC member selection from the Senate to the House of
On September 21, the Senate considered a report from the Political Development Committee on improving Thailand's electoral processes. Senator Nantana Nantaviropass argued that the Election Commission has failed to deliver fair, transparent, and impartial elections as promised since its establishment under the 1997 Constitution. She noted that in 28 years, public trust has collapsed to below 5 percent, with 95 percent of Thais now distrusting the body—especially after the chaotic February 8, 2025 election.
Nantana called for a major structural overhaul, recommending that election management and oversight be separated into two branches. The EC should handle administration only, she said, while courts should judge candidate qualifications and issue penalties. She criticized the current setup as a conflict of interest, since current EC members were nominated by the Senate—the very body whose members face investigation. She noted the EC rarely issues yellow, orange, red, or black cards but routinely allows blue cards to pass through loopholes.
She also advocated for the House of Representatives, as the true voice of the people, to select independent agencies rather than the unelected Senate. Nantana further suggested lowering EC member age requirements from 40 to 35, diversifying recruitment beyond civil servants, and making the selection process transparent rather than secretive. She emphasized that transparency and openness should guide all electoral reforms going forward.
