Election Commission (EC) secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee declined on Monday to comment on reports that he failed a performance evaluation by poll commissioners.
Mr Sawaeng was responding to media reports claiming he received a score below 60%, with some reports suggesting commissioners voted 4-3 against approving his evaluation.
“I am the person being evaluated. I have no comment,” he said.
He said the assessment covered his performance in 2025 and had already been completed.
Asked whether the matter could be referred to the Council of State for a legal opinion — particularly on whether commissioners whose terms had expired were eligible to participate in the evaluation — Mr Sawaeng said only that the EC might seek a formal interpretation.
Separately, speaking at the opening of the third Media Relations Programme ahead of the June 28 elections for the Bangkok governor and Bangkok Metropolitan Council, Mr Sawaeng stressed the importance of public participation in election monitoring.
He said election outcomes belonged to the public, while the EC’s role was to organise the electoral process.
Mr Sawaeng described local elections as a cornerstone of democracy and said public scrutiny was essential because the EC lacked sufficient personnel to monitor every polling station nationwide.
Thailand has more than 600,000 polling stations and election units, while the EC employs about 2,500 staff members nationwide, he said.
He urged citizens to observe polling and vote-counting procedures, noting that many complaints arise after results are announced rather than during the counting process.
Referring to controversies over vote counts in several provinces during the Feb 8 elections, including Chon Buri and Pathum Thani, he said concerns would be more effectively addressed if they were raised while election officials were carrying out their duties.
“The EC is responsible for organising it, but transparency depends on the participation of citizens,” he said.