Bangkok: Lawyer Ronnarong has officially petitioned the Ombudsman to investigate the Election Commission's decision to include QR codes on election ballots, a move he argues could compromise the principle of secret balloting. He is urging the public to support this initiative by filing complaints with the Ombudsman and seeking a ruling from the Constitutional Court.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Ronnarong Kaewphet, who leads the Foundation for Campaigning for Justice in Society, submitted a formal request for an investigation into the Election Commission's (EC) announcement about the QR codes used in the recent election. He expressed concerns that this practice might infringe upon the confidentiality that is central to the voting process.

Mr. Ronnarong disclosed that after the election on February 8th, and following the Election Commission's statement on February 13th about the QR code, he lodged a police report at Pak Kret Police Station. He accused the Election Commission of malfeasance in office under Section 157 of the Criminal Code. The police have accepted the complaint, recorded his statement, and are proceeding with their investigation.

A significant concern for Mr. Ronnarong is that QR codes could potentially allow ballots to be traced, thus impacting the secrecy of the election. Although the Election Commission maintains that their procedures comply with legal standards, Mr. Ronnarong believes the issue warrants further examination by the Constitutional Court.

Directly approaching the Constitutional Court is not immediately feasible, hence the involvement of the Ombudsman is crucial. The Ombudsman has the authority to review and submit matters to the Constitutional Court if there is a belief that any law or regulation might contradict the Constitution.

Mr. Ronnarong emphasized the importance of focusing on legal issues in the petitions, specifying which constitutional articles the Election Commission's actions might violate, to facilitate a swift review. He also called upon citizens with similar concerns to submit their petitions to the Ombudsman, as this is the most efficient method to escalate the matter to the Constitutional Court for a decisive ruling.