Former senator Kaewsan Atibhodi said he dismissed all allegations against him, ahead of the Senate's final selection of five of 10 nominees for the EC.

He told the panel that his involvement with the People's Alliance for Democracy - the most forceful anti-government movement - to oust caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had nothing to do with his will to work for the EC, he said.

Thaksin had lost his legitimacy to stay in office because he abused his power and was involved with corruption, Kaewsan said. Hence, he had the right to speak out about an illegitimate leader, he said.

Kaewsan countered an allegation that he had backed an anti-Thaksin academic to tear up a ballot paper as a symbolic rejection of the April 2 national poll, and therefore was not qualified for the EC post - supposed to strictly impose election laws.

He said he volunteered to be a legal consultant in the case as the tearing up of an unmarked ballot was not ruled to be illegal by the Supreme Court, following a similar case in Songkhla.

Another nominee, Nam Yimyaem told the panel he was politically neutral although he recently chaired an EC investigative panel that has asked the Constitution Court to dissolve the Thai Rak Thai Party.