Re-elections Ordered in Thailand Because of Corrupt Electoral Process by Phairath Khampha 31 January 2002 The Electoral Commission in Thailand ordered re-elections in 14 parliamentary constituencies after disqualifying the MPs for election mal-practice during the general election in January 2001. Two of the MPs were barred from running again. Eight of the affected seats were held by the ruling Thai Rak Thai party of the Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. However, the government's big parliamentary majority was not threatened by the election re-runs, which would take place in March 2002. Constant accusations of vote-buying and ballot-box tampering in a number of seats provoked nation-wide protests after the January 2001 national election. Cheats get off, says civic group - Watchdog under fire for censuring too few Thailand's Democracy Confederation demanded the Election Commission be sacked for disqualifying only 14 MPs from 100 election cheats. The number of MPs disqualified for campaign fraud was much lower than it should be, the group said, demanding that the Senate intervene. It was widely known that fraud was rampant in campaigning for the January 2001 election and that no fewer than 100 MPs should be thrown out. "In the beginning, the commission's colour was grey. Now it is black," the group said. The Senate should right the wrong by dismissing the five commissioners for abuse of power, the group said. In the middle of January, the commission this week red-carded two MPs, and on January 18 issued yellow cards against another 12. Red cards were issued against Mongkol Bupasiri, a New Aspiration MP for Nakhon Phanom, and Narongkorn Chawalsantati, a Thai Rak Thai MP for Phetchabun. They lost their seats and the right to contest elections for one year, including the March 2 by-elections called to fill the vacancies. The 12 MPs issued with yellow cards also lost their seats, but unlike the red-carded MPs could still contest by-elections. Of the 12, seven were from Thai Rak Thai - Chaiwat Tinnarat (Maha Sarakham), Danairit Watcharaporn (Si Sa Ket), Payap Pankate (Sing Buri), Pimpa Chanprasong (Nonthaburi), Lawan Tantikulpong (Mukdahan), Wicharn Meenchainan (Bangkok) and Kannika Thammakesorn (Bangkok). Three were from Chart Thai - Kamol Jirapanwanich (Lop Buri), Theerapan Weerayutwattana (Uthai Thani) and Oradee Suthasri (Kalasin). The other two were Chart Pattana's Thawatchai Anampong (Chanthaburi) and New Aspiration's Boonchong Weesommai (Si Sa Ket). The poll agency received fraud complaints against winners in 308 constituencies. Its inquiry panel found 34 could be red-carded and 56 yellow-carded. Critics asked why Pichet Panvichartkul, a Democrat MP for Krabi who framed his rivals, could escape censure, and why Mrs Kannika did not lose her election rights despite the fact that she had promised to donate her salary to the state if elected. Critics said the commission's ruling that Theerachote Kongthong, a Chart Thai MP for Surin, did not violate campaign rules was also doubtful. Mr Theerachote was caught with 300,000 baht in cash and leaflets which falsely said a rival had been disqualified from the race. He was charged with producing documents containing false accusations against an election rival. The obfuscations were plenty as various culprits started to fork over ill-gotten wealth they accumulated while in office. Commission chairman Sirin Thoop-klam said the panel had looked into the complaints carefully. However, allegations which did not stack up could not be considered. Gen Sirin said Mr Pichet could prove that his statement against his rival was taken from a published article. Mrs Kannika, meanwhile, was only yellow-carded because the complaint against her was based on remarks she made in a published interview. "That is like another person helped break the law for her," Gen Sirin said. Commissioner Charan Buranapansri refused to give details about the inquiries, saying how the commission reached its decision in each case must be kept confidential. "The law requires us to make our ruling in secrecy. If anything is revealed, it is no longer a secret," he said. Furthermore, the details of backroom engotations that allowed cheats to get off would be revealed. The commission set February 4 to 8 for candidate registration and Feburary 23 to 24 for advanced voting. Results of opinion surveys on the March 2 by-elections could not be disclosed until after the polls.