EC chairman Vasana Puemlarp and his two colleagues, Prinya Nakchudtree and Virachai Naewboonnien, will fight charges relating to their decision to allow additional candidates to contest the repeat vote on April 23.

The repeat balloting was organised after lone candidates from the Thai Rak Thai Party failed to muster the 20-per-cent support from eligible voters in the first round of voting on April 2. The additional candidate helped to overcome the 20-per-cent rule.

As plaintiff, Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Thaworn Senniam contends the EC members committed malfeasance for making the arbitrary decision to favour the ruling party.

He also accused them of violating election law by permitting defeated candidates in the April 2 vote to switch constituencies for the repeat votes.

On Monday, the three EC members are expected to be tried in the case and attend a bail hearing for a separate criminal litigation filed by Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thuagsuban.

Suthep has opposed bail for the three facing charges relating to the alleged negligence to promptly investigate the funding of small parties to contest the April 2 vote.

In another criminal case against the three EC members, the court is scheduled to rule today whether to launch a judicial review on charges relating to the EC's failure to ensure fair balloting.

A group of nine senators and activists initiated litigation seeking criminal culpability for the botched April 2 vote.

Kesinee Taengkhieo

The Nation

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Petition received

The Constitution Court yesterday received a petition from 35 senators asking it to disqualify the three remaining Election Commission members on grounds they lacked qualifications.

The high-court judges, however, would consider article 137 of the Constitution Law to establish if it allows the senators to ask for impeachment, and also article 142 as to whether they could consider the case or not.