Political temperatures dropped yesterday after the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) board decided to investigate only the money laundering part of the alleged collusion in last year's Senate election.
That means the DSI board will not probe the more serious accusations that over 100 elected senators and some influential figures are part of a "criminal organisation" that coordinated vote fixing in the Senate election in June last year. A criminal organisation charge is a serious criminal offence classified as a threat to national security.
A group of unsuccessful candidates, including some reserve list ones, made the complaints related to the Senate's alleged vote-fixing. They turned to DSI because the Election Commission (EC), the legal body that probes irregularities in elections, was slow to act.
Some believe the allegations were politically motivated and directed against "blue bloc" senators, a group known to favour the Bhumjaithai Party, a government coalition member.
Initial DSI investigations into the allegations indicate collusion and poll misconduct involving more than 130 senators, some on the reserve list, and over 300 million baht in laundered money used in vote fixing.
The DSI's decision yesterday is perceived as the outcome of wheeling and dealing among ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister Paetongtarn, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Bhumjaithai Party political strategist Newin Chidchob.
The four bigwigs met four days before the DSI board meeting.
The decision means the Senate will not be affected by DSI's probe, at least not in the near future. Moreover, a money laundering probe takes years to conclude. In this case, DSI has at least 1,200 suspects to interrogate.
The big question is how society can know that our senators are respectful and clean. Without a fast and transparent probe, the accused senators and the Senate itself will face a trust crisis. This could also mean that the Upper Chamber cannot work in unity. Such ill effects only corrode the parliamentary system and national politics generally.
What is more worrying is the EC is dragging its feet. The EC only has four months to wrap up investigations into claimed vote-fixing and misconduct in last year's senatorial election.
After eight months, the EC has vetted over 109 cases and sent three to the Supreme Court. Another 300 complaints are awaiting. If the EC does not complete vote-fixing complaints by July -- one year after the election -- all accused senators will be deemed innocent.
While the EC has lamented its heavy workload, the polling agency could not deflect the blame for gross inefficiency. A glaring example is the controversy related to Senator Keskamol Pleansamai's educational background. She claimed she was a professor who graduated from California University with a PhD. The EC has probed two complaints against her claims regarding her background, but no findings have been released. The problem would not have occurred if EC had scrutinised the candidate's background better in the first place if she had indeed fabricated her past qualifications.
Early this week, EC sent a letter to the DSI board informing them the agency would investigate the issue of vote fixing.
It is only hoped the feet-dragging polling agency can fulfil its promise. Failing to do so, the EC will become a threat to the parliamentary system and democracy that it is meant to promote.