A group of nine Surat Thani residents accused the EC of malfeasance, saying it failed to review a petition filed by the Democrat Party opposing the registration of additional candidates.

The petition argued it was unlawful to allow candidates defeated in the first round of balloting on April 2 to switch constituencies and contest the repeat vote.

The court ruled that the organic election law empowered the EC to set its own pace in reviewing the petition. Unlike alleged campaign violations, the EC was not obliged to launch an immediate review in a candidacy dispute, it said.

Therefore, there is no cause to suspect wrongdoing before the EC has a chance to rule on the petition in question, it said.

Last month, the court ruled the EC should stand trial for malfeasance relating to the registration of additional candidates.

The case was filed by Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Thaworn Senniam, who directly questioned the procedures leading to the additional candidacy registrations.

On another charge, the Criminal Court will rule on Friday whether to put the Election Commission on trial for malfeasance stemming from the Constitution Court's verdict to invalidate the April 2 election on grounds that the body botched the management of the polls. The court completed its hearing yesterday.

A group of nine senators and activists jointly initiated the litigation claiming the EC was criminally culpability for the botched vote.

In yesterday's hearing, caretaker Senator Nirand Pitakwatchara outlined the charges against the EC.

The court put out a gagging order on the release of Nirand's statement to stop the public from being influenced ahead of Friday's ruling.

Kesinee Taengkhieo

The Nation