The Election Commission (EC) has yet to say whether it will appeal a Chiang Mai court decision to award former Pheu Thai MP Surapol Kietchaiyakorn 64 million baht plus interest over his unjust disqualification from the 2019 election.
Mr Surapol, who was a Pheu Thai candidate in the election, won in Chiang Mai's Constituency 8 with 52,165 votes, but was later disqualified by the EC for alleged vote-buying.
In September 2020, the Supreme Court's Election Division threw out a poll-fraud case filed against him by the EC. Mr Surapol then lodged a defamation suit against the EC and 14 election officials. According to the EC, Mr Surapol had breached the election law by giving away 2,000 baht and a clock to a monk during a merit-making ceremony.
The law forbids candidates from promising cash or other benefits, directly or indirectly, to communities, temples and schools, it said.
On Wednesday, the Chiang Mai court ruled in Mr Surapol's favour, ordering the EC to pay 70 million baht, which includes the interest, over the politician's damaged reputation. The case is not final; the EC has one month to appeal.
Mr Surapol said he does not care about the money but wants his dignity and reputation to be restored as some of his supporters thought he broke the law and turned their backs on him. "I'd like the constituents in the districts of San Pa Tong, Mae Wang, Doi Lo and Chom Thong [to know] that I'm innocent," he said.
Pokpong Klapwiset, Mr Surapol's lawyer, said his client may file a lawsuit against the EC and other parties if they refuse to take responsibility. Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a former election commissioner, called for a probe into how the EC arrived at the decision to disqualify him.