Bangkok: The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) issued an apology regarding Secretary-General Saeng Boonmee's statement, "If you don't trust the commissioners, don't vote," made on a popular TV program. He explained that only select parts of the statement were edited without explaining the context, leading to misunderstandings. He emphasized that confidence lies in the system and the people involved, and urged polling station officials to be careful to avoid mistakes.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Saeng Boonmee posted on his personal Facebook page that he appeared on a television program, "Karmakorn Khao" (Workers' News), to clarify issues that the public has questioned and accused him of wrongdoing. He aimed to reassure the public that the election process will be conducted smoothly, addressing concerns and accusations against officials during the advance voting on February 1st, and the upcoming election on February 8th. He emphasized that confidence in an election depends on two things: the system itself, and the people involved.
Regarding the individuals serving as committee members, the program conveyed the principle and facts that committee members must inspire confidence. If people don't trust the committee, they shouldn't participate in the election; such an election would be unacceptable and improper. Furthermore, some segments of the public are losing confidence in the committee, raising suspicions and accusations regarding the February 1st election. Therefore, the message was conveyed to those responsible for the election on the 8th that there should be no errors, and the measures in place to prevent such mistakes were outlined.
The program may have contained some playful use of words and metaphors. When the media selectively quoted only a single sentence without considering the context before and after it, it could lead to misinterpretations of the intended message - one that was not meant to cause unease, create a negative election atmosphere, or challenge the authority of the people. Therefore, an apology was issued for this inaccurate communication.