The Democrat Party will ask the Election Commission to look into alleged election campaigning by several ministers in the guise of government-sponsored TV spots.

Democrat deputy spokesman Apichart Sakdiseth said party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva would draft a complaint to be submitted to Apichat Sukhakkanon, the new EC's chairman-designate.

Abhisit will ask the EC to investigate and take action against several caretaker ministers for using the budget of government agencies to launch TV spots praising government policies that have been aired on several channels several times a day.

Apichart said these TV spots were seen as disguised campaign launches for the ruling party after the election decree had been issued, so the advertisements should be deemed as violations of the Members of Parliament and Senators Election Act, BE 2541.

"Several government agencies are airing such TV spots, including spots of the Social Security Office, the Government Lottery Office, the Office of Women's Affairs and Family Development, the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, and the Assets Capitalisation Office," Apichart said.

He said the commercials about the Agriculture Ministry's longan-pledging scheme and the spot about the airport authority announcing the achievements at Suvarnabhumi Airport were also election campaigns in disguise.

"If the EC finds that these spots violate the election law, it should take quick action against the people involved," Apichart said.

The Agriculture Ministry has already removed caretaker minister Sudarat Keyuraphan from an advertisement about its "Q Foods" project after he complained about it, Apichart said.

He said the EC should also set up a committee to monitor television and radio programming because they were being used for campaigning in disguise.

For example, he said, some TV or radio anchormen conducted special interviews that praised the government or that allowed government supporters to call in or send SMS messages praising the administration.

Apichart called for journalists to stop abusing their positions by serving the government.

Thai Rak Thai Party spokesman Sita Divari said he did not see anything wrong with the TV spots by government agencies, but did not mind if the Democrats asked the EC to probe the issue.

"Ministers have to take care of their work even during the run-up to the election. Their work must be seen as being separate from the party's affairs," Sita said.

"Most TV spots were produced by permanent officials and ministers would not be involved in such small details."

Sita said the Democrats' Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin had also been highlighting his achievements, but the Thai Rak Thai did not try to find fault with him.

Meanwhile, Democrat deputy spokesman Sathit Pitudecha said the party would send a copy of last week's Criminal Court verdict against three former EC commissioners to the Constitution Court to consider in the case against the Thai Rak Thai Party.

The Criminal Court ruled on Friday that the former commissioners had delayed action against the Thai Rak Thai over charges of hiring two small parties to run in the April 2 election. The Constitution Court is to hear the case against Thai Rak Thai, which could be dissolved if found guilty.

Bancha Khaengkhan

The Nation