The Election Commision stoked uncertainty yesterday over the poll it staged just over a month ago.
Ostensibly a FAQ explaining its delay in reporting the results, the commission issued an unsigned statement blaming the wait – 37 days and counting – on concerns of Election Day foul play.
“The Election Commision shall announce the results of constituency members only when, after a preliminary examination, they believe that the election was good and fair,” it said.
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Though the commission’s repeated bungling of the poll has been debated and led to calls for impeachment, the nominally independent body is now saying the voting might have been rigged. The statement neither stated nor speculated for whom the fix was in, but the commission has been dragging its feet ever since the poll found wide public support for opposition parties.
“Why does this election commision spending so long ‘training’ for the job,” user Vissanu_2517 wrote on twitter, where #ElectionCommisionExposed continues to trend. “If you don’t think you can wrap this up, maybe you should go back to school first.”
“Even the commission which we should be able to trust is not transparent,” wrote @KyWTF.
#ElectionCommissionExposed: Suspicions of election foul play trend across Thai social media
The commission added that 95 percent of the notes in all constituencies must be accounted for before the results can be announced. Nevertheless, the election commission said official results will be released before the May 9 legal deadline.
The integrity of the commission hasn’t been under the microscope like this since, well, not since the last time Thailand tried to stage general elections in 2014. Those results were later thrown annulled by the courts.
The statement came a day after scandal erupted anew for the commission following its release of incorrect results for a repeat election for a Nakhon Pathom constituency seat. After fessing up to the error, the commission said the initial announcement had been “unofficial,” which is the same tune it’s been singing since March 24.
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