BANGKOK, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Election Commission announced on Monday a crackdown on Senate election fraud, voting to launch criminal proceedings and file disqualification petitions with the Supreme Court against 77 individuals, including 26 sitting senators.
In a statement, the commission said the resolution follows a massive investigation into the 2024 upper house elections, uncovering evidence of organized networks, candidate voting pools, and cash payouts.
The commission reviewed an extensive investigation document totaling 75,722 pages involving 427 accused individuals and 67 petitioners.
The charges span seven distinct violations, including unauthorized election assistance by political officials, unlawful introduction methods, asset or financial bribery, and the solicitation or acceptance of bribes to influence voting outcomes.
Initial findings from the Department of Special Investigation revealed structured networks that managed candidate groups, provided tiered compensation, organized travel, and distributed voting charts that directly dictated election outcomes.
The commission said it is mandated to finalize its formal rulings and submit the petitions to the Supreme Court within 60 days. Under Thai law, once the Supreme Court accepts the petitions, the accused sitting senators must immediately suspend their official duties pending a final verdict.
If found guilty, their senate status will be permanently terminated. Vacated senate seats will be filled by elevating candidates from the official reserve lists.
In the event that reserve lists are exhausted, fallback mechanisms, including cross-group lotteries or organizing new localized elections, will be triggered to maintain parliamentary functions. ■