The charges could have the effect of disqualifying all the members charged from re-election, rendering the election invalid. A leading Thai constitutional expert and former Election Commissioner, Go thom Arya, described the NACC's actions as "highly political." He accused NACC of "charging the legislators for just doing their jobs." He described the charges as part of the struggle between the Pheu Thai Party and "elite bureaucrats fighting for their turf."
On 10 January, the Election Commission said that it would formally request the government to cancel the election. EC head Supachai Somcharoen gave as reasons the EC's own failure to register candidates in 28 southern constituencies, which would render the new House of Representatives unworkable. He offered the opinion that in the 22 constituencies in which only one candidate had registered, turnout might not reach the required minimum of 20%. He also said he feared further political violence. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanchana repeated that neither the EC nor the government has the power to cancel or postpone the election.