Supreme Court reviews 18 election and referendum cases
Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court is currently reviewing 18 election and referendum-related cases, with one dismissed, two rejected, and another withdrawn, a court official said.
Prawit Boonthiem, the court’s vice president, explained that the 2018 organic law on elections divides authority over election disputes across several courts, including the Constitutional Court, the Administrative Court system, and the courts of justice. The 18 cases are being reviewed both by lower administrative courts and directly by the Supreme Administrative Court.
The cases cover a range of issues, including barcodes on ballot papers, the three-day registration period for out-of-constituency referendum voting, the terminology used on referendum ballots, and irregular ballot incidents. They also concern allegations of improper ballot box merging, unfair election management, the legality of holding the referendum on the same day as the general election, and referendum ballots that only allowed voters to choose between “approve” or “disapprove.”
The court declined to accept one case related to the referendum ballot design, which only offered those two options. A separate case questioning the legality of holding the referendum on the same day as the election was withdrawn by the plaintiff. The Supreme Administrative Court also rejected a case concerning the use of the word “approve” on referendum ballots.
In a separate development, a former Election Commission commissioner has proposed creating a public fund to assist citizens facing legal challenges after monitoring the election process.
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn noted that many citizens who observed the election have since become criminal suspects following complaints by the Election Commission, particularly in Chon Buri and Bangkok, potentially leading to prolonged court battles.
He proposed raising funds not through donations, but by selling items such as board games, T-shirts, and books, with proceeds going towards those involved in legal proceedings. The fund would cover lawyer fees, travel expenses to court, lost professional opportunities, psychological support, bail, and the costs of filing civil or criminal countersuits.
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