The Election Commission said late Monday afternoon that it would not take up today whether Chadchart Sittipunt would indeed – as more than a million residents voted for – be Bangkok’s next governor.
Amid rising anxiety that the governor-elect would be torpedoed by the military-backed government in the same way other popular figures have been sidelined from politics, the public was anxiously awaiting for the commission’s routine certification process of the election in which the independent, centrist won in a historic landslide of 1.4 million votes.
Complaints have spread that the commission is once again acting to subvert the will of the very voters’ it is tasked with protecting.
“This shows the Election Commission is very abnormal with principles and practices that show its bad intentions,” one tweet read. “Are they being used as someone’s tool?”
Chadchart strikes humble note after apparent landslide victory in governor’s race
Clouds have gathered around the mostly ceremonial certification ever since gadfly activist and prolific petitioner Srisuwan Janya filed two complaints challenging his ability to take office.
First, Srisuwan likened an appeal by Chadchart’s eco-oriented campaign for people to “recycle” his campaign posters by turning them into tote bags to vote buying.
His second outlandish claim alleges that Chadchart “insulted” the government by saying that the complex, entrenched bureaucracy would be an obstacle to his performance as governor.
At about 4pm, Commissioner Santad Siri-ananpibul told reporters that the commission met without addressing Chadchart’s certification, saying they “wanted time to thoroughly investigate” the matter. It plans to reconvene Tuesday.
While Srisuwan’s complaints and attempt to undermine the decisive results of the first genuine election in nine years may appear farcical, political epitaphs have been scribed for less.
In 2008, a former deputy of status quo bogeyman Thaksin Shinawatra was kicked from office by a court for hosting a few cooking shows. In 2019, widely popular opposition leader and reformer Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was disqualified from taking his seat in parliament because one of his former companies had been contracted to print in-flight travel magazines.
Srisuwan said he doesn’t care if Chadchart garnered over 1.3 million votes, more than all other candidates combined. He said he just wants Chadchart to comply with the laws.
While inspecting a skywalk near BTS Chong Nonsi, Chadchart said earlier today that he was not concerned and would “respect” the commission’s decision.
The 56-year-old former Pheu Thai Party transport minister, who ran for governor unaligned with any party and positioned himself as a centrist, won the May 22 vote by the most votes ever cast for a gubernatorial candidate. The Democrat Party’s Suchatvee Suwansawat (254,000+ votes) and Move Forward’s Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn (253,000+) came in a distant second and third.
The Election Committee is required by law to announce the election result within 30 days from the election date if it finds no evidence of irregularities. This month’s election was deemed fair and credible by observers.
A Thammasat University political science professor noted that, in the prime timeline, the commission would be acting very differently.
“In another country, an Election Commission would appreciate [Chadchart’s campaign ] for helping reduce waste and protecting the environment … and no one would even complain about him,” Prajak Kongkeerati tweeted. “But in Thailand, there was not only such a complaint, but the Election Commission accepted it. Alas.”
The 30-day certification window isn’t new, but doubt over it being little more than ceremonial is new. The last gubernatorial election took place in 2013, when Sukhumbhand Paribatra was elected. He wasn’t officially certified by the committee until 24 days after polls closed.
Celebritecht Duangrit Bunnag chimed in to the Twitterverse to note the Election Commission’s history of undemocratic tendencies.
“The Election Commission has been in position for many years,” he tweeted. “What concrete progress has it contributed to the country, beyond trying to turn the country backward?”
Meanwhile, by Monday afternoon, images of an office window printed with Chadchart’s name and new title in City Hall emerged in reports. A representative of Chadchart’s campaign denied knowledge of it.
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Chadchart strikes humble note after apparent landslide victory in governor’s race
