Supachai Defends Election Commission Over Lawsuit Filing Dispute
Supachai Jaisamut defended the Election Commission's discretionary power to dismiss complaints without filing them in court, rejecting Democrat leader Abhisit's demand for automatic referrals in a dissolved parliament case.
At 14:55 on September 12, 2569 (2026), Supachai Jaisamut, list-system MP and legal adviser for Palang Pracharath Party, addressed Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva's call for the Election Commission to forward the dissolved parliament matter to court on September 14 without exercising discretion. Supachai stated he disagreed with Abhisit's personal view that the Commission must automatically refer all cases to court whenever credible grounds for wrongdoing appear.
Supachai clarified that under Constitution Article 226, while the Election Commission must refer cases if credible evidence of wrongdoing exists, the Commission also has the authority to dismiss complaints if it finds no credible evidence. He accused Abhisit of stating only half the truth and reminded the public that the Election Commission is not a mail carrier with an automatic duty to file every case. The Commission has always exercised this discretionary power across all cases, whether parliamentary or local.
Supachai further argued that those pressuring the Commission to file are attempting to undermine an independent body with constitutionally defined powers. He stated that political parties must present complete and accurate arguments, not distort facts to suit their interests. Regarding the specific cases, Supachai maintained that each of the 229 alleged offenders must have clearly distinct criminal conduct proven for each charge, and that simply saying people were together or called each other is insufficient.
He reaffirmed that the Election Commission will file cases where credible wrongdoing is evident and dismiss where it is not, and that Palang Pracharath does not shield any party members involved. He noted that the nine party members he previously identified had no knowledge of the alleged wrongdoing, and the party is forced to correct public misunderstandings caused by distorted narratives. When asked what shock case would emerge on September 14, Supachai said the outcome would depend on who found it shocking, and advised people to remain calm.
