Bangkok: Mr. Saeng Boonmee, Secretary-General of the Election Commission, has called for an expedited review of political parties' spending policies used in their election campaigns ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. He emphasized the need for the review to be completed before February 4th.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Saeng chaired a committee meeting focused on scrutinizing the budget-related policies of political parties. Out of 60 parties participating in the elections, 51 have policies involving budget spending that require reporting to the Election Commission, while 9 parties are exempt due to the absence of such policies.
The committee noted that five political parties must provide further clarification and documents. The People's Party, for example, needs to elaborate on several policies, including those aimed at increasing elderly allowances, managing the housing system, addressing farmers' debt issues, and initiating mega-projects for nationwide quality of life improvements. Other areas requiring clarification include SME startup loan programs and productivity enhancement funds.
Additionally, the Thai People's Party is required to clarify its state welfare policy, notably the 5,000 baht monthly allowance for the elderly and disabled. The Prachatai Party must explain its 3,000 baht monthly elderly allowance policy. Meanwhile, the Thai Tham Party needs to justify its pension policy for those aged 60 and above, and the National Volunteer People's Party must clarify its policy on providing free education up to a bachelor's degree level.
The committee meeting today considered 23 political parties, with 28 more awaiting review. Mr. Saeng stressed the urgency of adhering to committee guidelines due to the approaching deadline. After today's session, the reviewed policies will be submitted to the Election Commission by January 30th. The next meeting will focus on the remaining 28 parties, aiming to submit these policies by February 3rd. If necessary, an additional meeting will be held on February 2nd to ensure all policies are submitted to the Election Commission by February 3rd-4th.