
Thaksin's opponents welcomed the formation of the AEC because they hoped the legal process would clarify the alleged corruption cases against the previous government. The supporters of the Thaksin government meanwhile questioned the legitimacy of the AEC by saying that it was formed under the military, which toppled the elected government.
Despite questions of its legitimacy by some quarters of society, the general public has some hope that the AEC will be able to bring about justice in a society where very few cases of alleged corruption have been seriously tried.
Despite the full support of the Surayud government, the AEC faced a rough path in its operations later in Surayud's term due to insufficient cooperation from officials. After the Samak government came to power, some People Power Party MPs questioned the legitimacy of the AEC, saying it was formed after the coup. There were attempts to revoke the AEC's order to freeze the assets of Thaksin and his family, pending the final Court's ruling on these cases.
However, the AEC has so far done a responsible job in collecting witnesses and evidence to pursue the cases of alleged corruption that might affect the country's interests. Thus, the People Power Party MPs' initiatives to discredit the work done by the AEC were not received well by the public who are anxious to see the corruption cases pursued by the judicial process.
Nonetheless, in spite of the AEC's satisfactory performance, the success of the AEC's operations now depends on how legal proceedings develop. It is too early to say whether the AEC has succeeded. Now that it has forwarded its summaries of the cases to the National Counter Corruption Commission, the responsible agencies must proceed with the cases to their conclusion. The public does not seem to be concerned with the origin of the AEC as much as whether politicians have misused their tax money. The AEC may be seen by some as part of a political game. Nonetheless, the responsible agencies, which are supposed to be politically neutral, should proceed with the case in an effective and transparent manner to serve the interests of the people.