EC in more trouble over new ballot papers, destruction of coded ballots

Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) appears to be in hot water again. This time it is over the use of new ballot papers used in the fresh elections held in constituencies where February 8 results were nullified.

Doubts have been expressed by some political parties and law professors about the authority of the Election Commission to destroy the controversial coded ballots and the printing of new ballots, which still contain a barcode but do not have matching numbers on the ballots and on the stubs.

Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, a law lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Thammasat University, said in his Facebook post yesterday that he wonders whether the EC has the authority to destroy about 20 million of the remaining coded ballots used in the February 8 election, adding that the remaining ballot papers could still be used in the new elections to be held in some constituencies.

Citing election regulations, he pointed out that the remaining ballots can be destroyed only when they meet certain requirements, such as there were no complaints against the vote count in polling stations or there are no cases pending with the criminal, civil or administrative courts related to ballots.

He said that ballots could only be destroyed 30 days after a complaint was lodged and the destruction is ordered by a committee appointed by the EC secretary-general to be responsible for destroying the remaining ballots.

He has demanded an explanation from the EC.

People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, meanwhile, said that the use of new ballots in the fresh elections amounts to the EC’s admission that the coded ballots used on February 8 are problematic.

He said that the party is now in the process of gathering evidence to support charges of malfeasance in office against the EC, in accordance with Section 157 of the Criminal Code.