The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) needs more information from the Election Commission before deciding whether it should investigate allegations of collusion and bloc voting in last year’s Senate election, senior officials said on Tuesday.
The issue was widely debated at a meeting of the agency’s special cases board but it could not reach a firm conclusion, said Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who chairs the board.
It instructed a DSI subcommittee to gather more details in seven days. The EC will also be invited to give information on March 5, Mr Phumtham said, adding that the board would meet again on March 6 to decide whether to accept the case.
The complaints related to vote-fixing were made by a group of unsuccessful candidates, including some reserve list candidates, who claimed the EC has been too slow to act.
The allegations are believed to be directed against “blue bloc” senators, a reference to a group known to favour the Bhumjaithai Party, a government coalition member.
Most of the blue-bloc senators elected last July came from provinces where Bhumjaithai is strong, including 14 from Buri Ram, home to party patriarch Newin Chidchob. Bangkok, with about 8 times the population, has nine senators.
The DSI board took up the case because there was sufficient evidence to merit a review, Mr Phumtham said before Tuesday’s meeting.
The EC had submitted a request of its own for the case to be treated as a special investigation by the DSI, which would also be considered, he said, stressing the meeting was born out of legal necessity rather than being politically motivated.
The prospect of a DSI investigation has infuriated some senators, who say only the Election Commission should be involved. But some other senators said a DSI investigation would be an opportunity for the public to know the truth and for the senators targeted to clear their names.
The postponement came amid reports of a growing conflict between the ruling Pheu Thai Party and Bhumjaithai.
As a result, the de facto leaders of both parties — Thaksin Shinawatra and Newin Chidchob — reportedly met on Monday evening at a hotel in Bangkok to discuss ways to resolve the rift.
Sources said Mr Newin arrived at Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel in Soi Rangnam in Ratchathewi district where he had dinner with Bhumjaithai executives and MPs on Monday evening.
However, Thaksin did not show up and Mr Newin did not meet him there, the sources said.
Pol Col Tawee said recently that some of the allegations about the Senate election involved offences listed under the Criminal Code, implying they should be handled by the DSI.
The remark drew a strong response from several senators, including Deputy Speaker Gen Kriangkrai Srirak, who accused the minister of malfeasance and said he would seek Mr Tawee’s ouster.
The criminal charges reportedly include criminal association posing a threat to national security under Sections 116(3) and 209 of the Criminal Code.
Karom Polpornklang, a deputy government spokesman and member of Bhumjaithai, previously said the DSI has the authority to investigate criminal cases that have a serious impact on the economy, as well as complex criminal cases.
But he did not think its scope of authority would cover cases related to election laws or violations of the constitution.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, meanwhile, denied reports of a rift between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai, saying the government’s unity remains intact.
While coalition parties have different opinions these can be resolved through dialogue, she said after the cabinet meeting.
The 200-member Senate was chosen from 20 professional groups in a month-long process that involved intra- and inter-professional group voting rounds at the local, provincial and national levels last year, amid complaints of collusion to manipulate the results.
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