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Academic reveals NLA minutes on Senate election collusion

Academic reveals NLA minutes on Senate election collusion

Khaosod•Politics•17d ago

Reader Briefing

Academic Purawich Wattanasuk presents NLA meeting minutes suggesting the 2017 Senate selection system was designed to facilitate collusion.

  • •On August 9, 2026, the Opposition Whip organized an activity to analyze evidence of Senate election fraud.
  • •Purawich Wattanasuk cited NLA meeting minutes from November 30, 2017, regarding the Senate's self-selection system.
  • •The presented evidence suggests that controlling a small number of candidates across provinces could allow for the selection of desired Senators.
  • •Former NLA members allegedly stated that such a process could allow someone to seize the country with 5,000 million baht.

Overview

  • •On August 9, 2026, the Opposition Whip held an activity at the Parliament to examine evidence regarding Senate election fraud.
  • •Purawich Wattanasuk presented meeting minutes from the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) meeting 68/2017 dated November 30, 2017.
  • •Purawich Wattanasuk stated that the Senate selection process under the 2017 Constitution was predictable and designed for collusion.
  • •Purawich Wattanasuk noted that contacting 754 people across 5 lines or controlling 39 provinces could secure 200 Senators.
  • •Purawich Wattanasuk cited former NLA members who mentioned that a process like this could seize the country with 5,000 million baht.
  • •Purawich Wattanasuk mentioned that the term 'kamikaze' was used by NLA members 9 years ago to describe those organized to vote for designated targets.
  • •Purawich Wattanasuk argued that the system is designed to make cheating and collusion easy based on the evidence and witness testimony.

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Key Quotes

Purawich Wattanasuk
"This system was designed to make cheating and collusion easy, and when compared with what witnesses presented, the possible plot is something that has led to today."
ระบบนี้ออกแบบให้เกิดการโกง การฮั้ว ได้ง่าย และเมื่อเทียบกับสิ่งที่พยานนำเสนอ เห็นโครงเรื่องที่เป็นไปได้ เป็นสิ่งที่เดินมาจนถึงวันนี้

Key Entities

Person

Parit Wacharasinthu(พริษฐ์ วัชรสินธุ)
A list MP from the People's Party who led the Opposition Whip activity.
Panida Mongkolsawat(พนิดา มงคลสวัสดิ์)
An MP for Samut Prakan from the People's Party.
Yingcheep Achjanont(ยิ่งชีพ อัชฌานนท์)
Director of the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) project.
Bunyanuch Matthujak(บุณยนุช มัทธุจักร)
An academic from the Faculty of Political Science at Thammasat University.
Purawich Wattanasuk(ปุรวิชญ์ วัฒนสุข)
An academic from the Faculty of Political Science at Thammasat University who analyzed NLA meeting minutes.

Organization

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)
The political party to which Parit Wacharasinthu and Panida Mongkolsawat belong.
Opposition Whip(คณะกรรมการประสานงานพรรคร่วมฝ่ายค้านในสภาผู้แทนราษฎร)ℹ️
The coordinating body of opposition parties in the House of Representatives that organized the evidence analysis activity.
Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw)(โครงการอินเทอร์เน็ตเพื่อกฎหมายประชาชน)
The project directed by Yingcheep Achjanont.
Thammasat University(มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์)ℹ️
The university where Bunyanuch Matthujak and Purawich Wattanasuk are academics in the Faculty of Political Science.
National Legislative Assembly (NLA)(สภานิติบัญญัติแห่งชาติ)
The body whose 2017 meeting minutes were analyzed by Purawich Wattanasuk.

Place

Parliament(รัฐสภา)ℹ️
The location where the activity on August 9, 2026, was held.

Law

2017 Constitution(รัฐธรมนูญ 2560)
The constitution under which the Senate selection process was established.