Opposition Whip Forum on Senate Election Collusion Evidence

Matichon•Politics•21d ago

Reader Briefing

Opposition Whip holds a forum presenting evidence of collusion and irregularities in the Senate election process involving the Election Commission.

•The Opposition Whip organized a forum titled '2 Years Since Senate Election - Deep Dive into Collusion Evidence' at the Parliament.
•Witnesses including Sarinthorn Sonthisirikrit and Pol. Col. Manas Nakornsri alleged the use of cheat sheets and systemic collusion.
•Pol. Maj. Gen. Banyat Pearsawat reported irregularities regarding candidate qualifications and payment for application fees to the ECT on June 24, 2024.
•Parit Wacharasindhu summarized five behaviors of the ECT that caused a lack of trust, including loose regulations and negligence of fraud.

Overview

•The Opposition Whip organized a forum at the Parliament to discuss evidence regarding collusion in the Senate election.
•Sarinthorn Sonthisirikrit claimed that groups of candidates held black folders during the cross-selection round and that ECT Secretary-General Sawang Boonmee acknowledged the process of collusion.
•Pol. Maj. Gen. Banyat Pearsawat notified the ECT on June 24, 2024, about candidates with prohibited qualifications or insufficient experience being allowed to apply.
•Pol. Maj. Gen. Banyat Pearsawat urged the Minister of Interior to investigate district-level ECT directors who failed to use government data to block illegal family-member applications.
•Pol. Col. Manas Nakornsri presented video clips from June 26, 2024, showing the distribution and collection of cheat sheets, including a clip of Uttaradit ECT Director Niyom Chanyiam collecting cheat sheets.
•Pol. Col. Manas Nakornsri challenged the ECT to open ballot boxes for verification after alleging that Sawang Boonmee knew about the planned fraud.
•Parit Wacharasindhu identified five ECT failures, including inadequate regulations, poor qualification screening, and allegations of stalling cases to 'whitewash' fraud.
•The Supreme Court scheduled evidence examination for case Kom Jor 1/2026 involving the NACC and 44 Move Forward Party MPs regarding Section 112, with hearings starting August 25, 2026.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Sarinthorn Sonthisirikrit

"The answer received was that they all did it as a process; that person did it, this person did it."

คำตอบที่ได้รับคือ เขาก็ทำกันเป็นกระบวนการมาทั้งหมด คนนั้นก็ทำ คนนี้ก็ทำ

Pol. Maj. Gen. Banyat Pearsawat

"I am here today because I cannot endure it."

ที่ผมมาวันนี้เพราะผมสีทนไม่ได้

Pol. Col. Manas Nakornsri

"Know that nothing can be done to them; they planned it this way, so let them take the Sen. 3 into the cross-selection round."

รู้ว่าทำอะไรเขาไม่ได้ เขาคิดวางแผนกันมาแบบนี้แหละปล่อยให้เขาเอา สว. 3 เข้าไปในรอบไขว้ได้

Key Entities

Organization

Opposition Whip(คณะกรรมการประสานงานพรรคร่วมฝ่ายค้าน (วิปฝ่ายค้าน))ℹ️

The coordinator for opposition parties that organized the forum on Senate election collusion.

Election Commission of Thailand(กกต.)ℹ️

The body responsible for organizing the Senate election and screening candidates.

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)

The political party of Parit Wacharasindhu.

National Anti-Corruption Commission(คณะกรรมการป้องกันและปราบปรามการทุจริตแห่งชาติ (ป.ป.ช.))

The petitioner in case Kom Jor 1/2026 against 44 Move Forward Party MPs.

Move Forward Party(พรรคก้าวไกล)ℹ️

The party of 44 MPs facing an ethics case regarding the amendment of Section 112.

Person

Sarinthorn Sonthisirikrit(ศรินทร สนธิศิริกฤตย์)

A reserve Senator who testified about the use of black folders and collusion in the Senate election.

Banyat Pearsawat(บัญญัติ เพียรสวัสดิ์)

A Police Major General who reported candidate qualification irregularities to the ECT.

Manas Nakornsri(มนัส นครศรี)

A former ECT inspector who presented video clips of cheat sheets being used in the Senate election.

Sawang Boonmee(แสวง บุญมี)

The Secretary-General of the ECT and Director of the Senate Election.

Niyom Chanyiam(นิยม จันทร์เยี่ยม)

The ECT Director of Uttaradit who was filmed collecting cheat sheets.

Parit Wacharasindhu(พริษฐ์ วัชรสินธุ)ℹ️

A list MP, Deputy Leader of the People's Party, and Chairman of the Opposition Whip.

Law

Criminal Code Section 112(ประมวลกฎหมายอาญา มาตรา 112)

The law that 44 Move Forward Party MPs are accused of violating by attempting to amend.

Place

Parliament(รัฐสภา)ℹ️

The location where the Opposition Whip organized the forum.