Bangkok: "Thepthai" has expressed gratitude towards the two minority Election Commissioners for their stance on the Senate collusion case, emphasizing that the 5:2 vote appears to have been a predetermined conclusion to the matter.

According to Thai News Agency, political observer Thepthai Senpong recently took to his Facebook page, "Thepthai - Political Talk," to express his appreciation for the minority members of the Election Commission. He noted that their opinions on the Senate collusion case resonate with public sentiment, particularly in light of the four critical issues they have raised. Thepthai's remarks come after Election Commissioners Mr. Sitthichot Intrawises and Mr. Chai Nakornchai, who were in the minority, provided explanations and held a press conference regarding the vote on the case. The Election Commission ultimately decided by a majority vote of 5:2 to dismiss the complaint concerning the indictment of key political figures. However, Mr. Sitthichot later issued a statement to clarify the facts of the matter.

Thepthai, an independent political analyst, aligns himself with Mr. Sitthichot's statement, which he believes is in tune with public sentiment. In his acknowledgment, Thepthai extends his gratitude to Mr. Sitthichot and Mr. Chai Nakornchai for reflecting the public's concerns. He agrees with four significant points raised by Mr. Sitthichot as a minority member of the Election Commission:

1. The widespread legitimacy of collusion lists: Thepthai highlights the practice of creating and disseminating collusion lists, which is well-known and evident in provinces with key figures involved in the process. These provinces, despite their small size, have a disproportionate number of Senators compared to larger provinces, demonstrating the existence of collusion lists.

2. Political party involvement and post-election cover-ups: Thepthai points out that the collusion scheme was linked to a specific political party, with nationwide planning and execution. After the Senate election, a meeting was held to select candidates for leadership positions, involving influential figures and party leaders. Despite this, the majority of the Election Commission dismissed these connections due to insufficient evidence.

3. Witness credibility and testimony retraction: Thepthai addresses concerns about witness code 16, who retracted their testimony. He emphasizes the importance of assessing whether their testimony aligns with other witnesses' behavior, which Mr. Sitthichot confirmed as corroborative, despite the retraction.

4. Financial trail limitations: Thepthai discusses the challenges in tracing financial transactions between political factions and senatorial candidates. He notes that connections through assistants or networks could reveal political involvement in the collusion scheme.

Thepthai concludes that the majority vote of 5:2 to dismiss the petition reflects a predetermined agenda, preventing the case from reaching the Supreme Court's Election Division. He asserts that the reasoning of the minority votes aligns with public sentiment and thanks the minority election commissioners for their courage in revealing the facts and upholding justice.