Bangkok: The Election Commission has announced new guidelines for investigating populist policies used by political parties during election campaigns. Notifications regarding these policies must be submitted 20 days prior to the election, and a committee will be established to evaluate them, with the authority to summon political parties for clarification.
According to Thai News Agency, the Royal Gazette website has published an announcement from the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) detailing the criteria and methods for verifying political party policies that require expenditure on advertising campaigns, often referred to as “populist policies.” This announcement, signed by ECT Chairman Narong Klanwarin, includes key provisions such as requiring political parties to consider the opinions of party branches and provincial representatives when formulating their campaign policies. Additionally, it mandates the specification of the budget, source of funds, cost-effectiveness, impact, and risks as outlined in Section 57 of the Political Parties Act 2017. Political parties are also required to report these policies to the ECT at least 20 days before the election.
The guidelines allow the Election Commission to establish an audit committee with members possessing knowledge and experience in finance, public policy, and macroeconomics. This committee is tasked with auditing the political parties’ policies, requesting necessary documents, and seeking clarifications to support decision-making. If a party does not fully comply with the requirements, the committee can recommend that the Election Commission order the party to take corrective actions within a specified timeframe. After auditing, the committee can also provide recommendations or observations on the policies to assist the Election Commission’s deliberations. The Election Commission is required to consider the report promptly and make its decision public.
Additionally, a form attached to the announcement requires political parties to ensure that their election campaigns and candidate behavior do not conflict with guidelines established under Section 74 of the Political Parties Act 2017. Penalties are outlined for parties that fail to provide complete information, including a fine not exceeding 500,000 baht and an additional fine of 10,000 baht per day until compliance is achieved, as stipulated in Section 121 of the same law.