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Published on September 28, 2007

P-Net secretary-general Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said EC member Sodsri Satayatham had wrongfully blamed his organisation for unaudited spending worth Bt80 million financed by the EC to monitor past elections.

"Sodsri's groundless remarks have undermined the credibility of P-Net and the EC has failed to take action to rectify the situation, despite its promise to do so," he said.

If the EC refuses to issue an apology, P-Net will proceed to sue Sodsri for defamation and demand Bt80 million in damages, he added.

EC member Sumeth Upanisa-korn said he had publicly conceded that Sodsri's comments were inaccurate.

"What happened was Sodsri's personal responsibility because she was not acting on the EC's behalf, hence it is unreasonable for P-Net to demand an apology from the EC," he said.

P-Net should not involve the commission in its quarrel with Sodsri, he added.

The poll-monitoring group had earlier threatened to sue the EC over Sodsri's allegations.

Meanwhile, EC chairman Api-chart Sukhaggamond yesterday vowed to ensure electoral fairness even if junta chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin was named interior minister in the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle.

"The EC and the Interior Ministry cover separate turf, and any undue influence over the balloting will not be tolerated," he said.

Apichart said he would not allow anyone to manipulate the elections.

He was speaking at a press conference held to release his performance report marking a year in office.

In the past year, the EC supervised 2,165 local elections. It issued 32 yellow cards and nine red cards to local candidates and ordered eight vote recounts.

Thirty-three political parties came into existence.

EC member Somchai Jueng-prasert said he was closely monitoring campaign speeches made by banned Thai Rak Thai Party executives, including Newin Chidchob, before ruling on possible violations of their ban from the electoral process.

Somchai's colleague Prapun Naigowit said the three organic laws relating to the elections were designed to boost the EC's performance in fighting money politics and campaigning cheats.

"Parties and candidates should be aware that they can no longer rely on old electioneering tactics for vote-buying, because the EC has a new mandate to trace money-routing," he said.

The Nation