Sept 14 Senate collusion case is a crucial test for Thai democracy

In a recent academic forum on Thai politics, Prof. Special Thongtong Chandrasorn discussed the origins of the Election Commission (EC), recalling his role in drafting the 1940 constitution when the EC was first established. He likened the historical transition from Ministry of the Interior oversight to an independent agency as escaping a tiger only to encounter a crocodile, noting that true independence was never fully realized.

Prof. Special Thongtong further pointed out that independent agencies are currently intertwined with the Senate, and if the Senate fails to maintain neutrality, these institutions will inevitably suffer. In his view, the Courts of Justice—having no ties to the Senate—currently command the highest level of public confidence among all state institutions.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee argued that the 1997 constitution, which birthed the EC, was effectively dismantled by the 2017 constitution. She noted that the current EC and Senate lack a direct mandate from citizens, pointing to flaws in the Senate selection process and the EC delegating initial registration tasks back to the Ministry of the Interior, effectively merging the tiger and crocodile into a single powerful entity.