July 20 poll considered

23 เมษายน 2557

Pheu Thai wants a fresh election by July 20, but the EC suggests it may need to be later after yesterday meeting with political parties which was briefly disrupted by anti-government protesters.

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Election Commission chairman Supachai Somcharoen talks with Phue Thai legal adviser Bhokin Balakul at yesterday's inconclusive meeting with political party representatives. Photos by Thiti Wannamontha

Pheu Thai urges July 20 poll

Dems fail to show at EC meeting on vote

Mongkol Bangprapa
Aekarach Sattaburuth

Pheu Thai has proposed a fresh election be held on July 20 at a meeting with the Election Commission (EC).

The poll agency proposed three potential dates for a new vote — July 20, Aug 17 and Sept 14 — at the meeting with various political parties.

Pheu Thai has made clear that it wants the poll to go ahead as quickly as possible. But other political parties have yet to agree, amid concern a favourable climate for the election cannot be guaranteed due to the ongoing political conflict.

Even before yesterday’s meeting could begin at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel in Bangkok’s Laksi district, the venue was surrounded by anti-government protesters led by core People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) activist and monk Luang Pu Buddha Issara.

Core People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) activist and monk Luang Pu Buddha Issara showed up outside the Election Commission's meeting venue, demanding that his "reform before election" sign be displayed in the meeting before participants would be allowed inside. And it was.

An hour earlier, Luang Pu and his protesters demanded the EC put up a poster in the meeting room at the hotel.

The poster read: “Thais will not go to the polls until reform takes place.”

The monk agreed to leave after EC officials showed him photographic evidence they had displayed the poster in the room.

Protesters later agreed to allow EC commissioners and representatives of political parties to enter the hotel about 2.30pm.

The meeting hosted representatives of 56 political parties, but there was no sign of Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who had said earlier he would attend.

EC secretary-general Puchong Nutrawong said Mr Abhisit had informed the EC at the last minute he would not come to the meeting.

Mr Abhisit yesterday explained on his Facebook page that he did not attend the EC meeting out of concern for his personal safety. He asked the EC to write to him informing him of the meeting’s result.

Pheu Thai legal adviser Bhokin Balakula, who represented Pheu Thai, voiced support for a July 20 election, adding that an earlier poll would be even better.

He said the international community is watching to see which direction the country will head.

Seizing power from the government as proposed by the PDRC is not a democratic solution, Mr Bhokin said, adding that problems in the country should ease after a new poll date is confirmed.

Chartthaipattana Party representative Nikorn Chamnong also supported the July 20 poll date.

But Songsak Thongsri, representative for the Bhumjaithai Party, questioned whether the EC can guarantee a new election will be successful and not be declared void again.

Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn told the meeting that he believed the fresh poll is unlikely to be invalidated on the same grounds as the Feb 2 general election.

The Constitutional Court on March 21 ruled that the Feb 2 general election was unconstitutional. It decided the poll violated Section 108 of the charter because it was not completed in one day.

Mr Somchai said the EC has now put in place measures to ensure constituency and list-MP candidates are able to register to run in the fresh poll.

But he admitted other factors could lead to a new poll being nullified. For example, if only one polling unit dealing with list-MP elections is disrupted and polling cannot take place, results for all 125 winners in the list system cannot be announced, Mr Somchai said.

In light of this, he said he could not be sure if the EC will be able to endorse the results of at least 95% of the total 500 elected MPs — or 475 MPs — as required by the constitution to convene the first House session within 30 days of the election.

In this scenario, the EC may have to hold several poll re-runs until all of the MPs are elected within 180 days as required by the charter.

He stressed the need for both sides of the political conflict to negotiate until they agree that an election is a solution to the country’s problems.