The surprise move came just before the Criminal Court was scheduled to decide today whether to take up for consideration the lawsuit filed by Democrat Party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban against the EC for dereliction of duty. The EC had sat on the findings of the subcommittee, which was chaired by former Supreme Court vice president Nam Yimyaem, for several weeks, doing nothing and giving no explanation for the inaction.

The Nam subcommittee's report provides strong evidence that backs up Suthep's charge that Thai Rak Thai had hired small, obscure parties to compete against its own candidates in the April 2 election. This was allegedly to get around the electoral requirement that candidates running unopposed had to garner at least 20 per cent of the possible vote in a constituency to win a House seat. Several Thai Rak Thai candidates were said to have secured their seats this way.

However, when EC chief Vasana Puemlarp did finally send the Nam report to the Attorney-General's Office on Tuesday, he intentionally omitted any recommendation as to what course of action, if any, should be taken against Thai Rak Thai. If found guilty, the ruling party could face a "death" penalty: dissolution.

Under Article 66 of the law governing political parties, the EC chief, in his capacity as a registrar of political parties, is empowered to recommend dissolution of a party found to have engaged in serious election fraud. The recommendation is forwarded to the Constitution Court with the consent of the Office of the Attorney-General; the Constitution Court then orders the offending party dissolved.

With no such recommendation from the EC chief, the Attorney-General's Office has no authority to initiate any action, and the findings are then returned to the EC.

Vasana's strange move could be construed as a reluctance to do anything that had the potential to destroy Thai Rak Thai. This would be consistent with the EC's past behaviour, which has been characterised by a marked bias in favour of, if not an outright servile attitude towards, Thaksin and his party.

Repeatedly embarrassing themselves before an incredulous public no longer seems to bother Vasana or commissioners Prinya Nakchudtree and Virachai Naewboonnien. Nor does it harm their reputations any further, seeing how thoroughly those have already been dragged through the mud.

That the three commissioners have the temerity to continue showing up for work after their endless series of public humiliations is mind-boggling. But no one should underestimate the ability of Vasana and his colleagues to pull a few more stunts before making a disgraceful exit.

One thing is clear. The EC as a constitutionally sanctioned watchdog - whose job it should be to ensure free and fair elections and prevent corrupt politicians from entering politics in the first place - has consistently failed to serve the people, its real master, the way it was intended to. Instead, it has allowed itself to be manipulated by corrupt politicians determined to undermine the Constitution and democracy, which it is supposed to serve. The noose is tightening on the EC, which is destined for an ignominious end.

Perhaps this prolonged agony is not such a bad thing after all. Never before has corruption at the highest level been played out in public in such great detail over such an extended period of time, leaving no one in any doubt whatsoever as to who the bad guys are and how they do their evil deeds. This could be a first-class political education, if only the right lesson is learned.