Thailand accuses 26 senators of rigging election in vote-buying scandal

Thailand’s Election Commission has accused 26 senators of conspiring to rig the recent Senate election through vote-buying, sparking protests and potential jail time for the lawmakers. The commission will forward the case to the Supreme Court, alleging that the senators involved were part of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s party.

The 26 senators are among 77 people accused in the scandal, alongside 36 unsuccessful Senate candidates and 15 other political figures linked to election fraud. The contested election, held in June 2024, was the first since a 2014 military coup, with senators chosen by other Senate candidates to represent various sectors such as justice, education, and public health.

The 200 senators chosen in the three-round process included many former civil servants, military and police officers, and supporters of Anutin’s conservative Bhumjaithai party. The Election Commission has 60 days to file its petition to the Supreme Court, which must decide if it will hear the case. If convicted, the violators could face up to 10 years in prison per offense, a fine of 200,000 baht (approximately RM24,500), or both.

The scandal has been ongoing for months, with reports of 229 people, including over 130 senators, senior Bhumjaithai party members, and other politicians, implicated in a government investigation into election fraud. Hundreds of Thais marched in Bangkok on Sunday, demanding the indictment of the 229 in a protest organized by accountability watchdog iLaw.