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January 7, 2001 

BANGKOK-- (AP) - The men facing the toughest job in Thailand over the next month are its five "untouchable" election commissioners, guardians of legal revolution to clean up the country's unsavory politics.

Three lawyers, a veteran public servant and a rights worker have the high-pressure task of sifting through hundreds of reports of votebuying, violence and fraud that will determine which candidates sit in the next Parliament after Saturday's general election.

The independent commission has accumulated evidence that could lead to at least 100 of the 500 victors facing disqualification or a revote because of violations of the law even before the election campaign began in earnest, said commissioner Sawat Chotipanit.

Their verdicts most likely won't change the outcome: a victory for the Thai Rak Thai Party of telecom magnate Thaksin Shinawatra, which soundly defeated the Democrats of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai.

But it will challenge the political status quo in Thailand, whereby lawmakers have in the past routinely bought their way into office.

Commissioner Sawasdi Chotipanich told reporters that despite tough new rules, Saturday's elections were the "dirtiest ever."

"We have visited provinces throughout the country, and with very few exceptions there is evidence that candidates have been involved in cheating," he said.

The commission was set up under a radical constitution adopted in 1997 to tackle rampant graft and make government more transparent - a move viewed as a pioneering attempt at political reform in a Southeast Asian democracy.

It ruffled feathers during Senate elections last year, ordering five rounds of voting until it was satisfied it had 200 clean candidates to sit in the upper house of Parliament. That took five months.

Commissioner Yuvarut Gamolvej said that poll set a precedent, showing what could be achieved with a peaceful ballot. There was a partial influx of respected academics and social activists and some upsets for vested interests.

"Politicians are now afraid of the law," said Yuvarut in his 18th floor Bangkok office, where he fielded a phone call every three minutes as more reports of vote fraud filtered in from across the country Saturday. One poll watchdog reported 84 cases on Saturday alone.

"Votebuying is still going on but candidates don't do it in public any more. Mafia men can't just get their friend to win the election by paying money," Yuwarat said. "People are starting to realize they can use their ballot to fight for them."

But the stakes are higher for the 500-seat House of Representatives than for the less powerful Senate. The commission faces a tough constitutional deadline to convene Parliament within 30 days of the election.

Fears the commission won't be able to complete its work on time and is tackling the political establishment with too much zeal has triggered fears of a military coup, although after a decade of uninterrupted civilian rule in Thailand, that's seen as unlikely.

Over the next three days, reports of electoral fraud will be collected and the commissioners will then begin a punishing 10-day schedule to weigh up the reports received from all constituencies - at a rate of 40 constituencies a day.

Where it has direct evidence linking a candidate to electoral fraud it can give a "red-card," meaning disqualification and a fresh round of voting. Where there is no direct proof, it will just order a by-election.

Yuwarat, who claimed he didn't have time to sleep for three days during the Senate polls last year, expected the first by-elections to be held on Jan. 20.

But with little time for repeat rounds of voting, it looks likely that lawmakers under suspicion will be allowed to sit in Parliament anyway, to face possible impeachment later.

"I really believe the commission can help our political system," said Chaiya, 25, a taxi driver who gave only one name. "I hope that after this election will can get a better government."

Bangkok Police Sgt. Somsak Toksem was less optimistic. "Vote-buying is a long tradition in Thailand. It's going to be a hard habit to break," he said.