The Election Commission (EC)'s leaked document outlining Aug 19 next year as the poll date is only an assumption by officials, election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn says.
Mr Somchai said Tuesday that EC officials gave the date based on the timeline of the enactment of organic laws for the new constitution. He said the date had not yet been approved by the EC.
According to an EC source, the date was estimated by officials in charge of the election administration who were trying to prepare for events after organic laws are put into force.
Preparations could range from opening election applications, announcing those who are eligible to contest the poll, to receiving complaints for applicants who are disqualified, the source said.
"The date was set to accommodate preparations by officials," the source said.
"Those in charge of the running the next poll did not intend to release this information to the public, but the officials inadvertently gave the document to the media."
Section 268 of the charter has implications for the poll date, whereby four organic laws -- the composition of the EC, political parties, the Senate and the election of MPs -- need to come into force first, the source said.
The EC also needs to know when the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) will deliver the final draft law, believed to concern the election of MPs, to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for deliberation.
The NLA also has 60 days to deliberate the bills.
The bills may also have to be deliberated by joint committees between the CDC and various organisations when disputes arise, as well as being interpreted by the Constitutional Court, the source said.
However, once the four organic laws related to the election are in effect, the EC has to hold an election within 150 days, as required by the charter.
"There are still various other steps beyond the EC, or anyone can spell out the election date in advance," the source said.
Meanwhile, the EC will petition the Constitutional Court to rule on the EC's authority to suspend voting in polling units or constituencies when electoral fraud is detected.
It also wants the court to define its authority to handle elections on local administrative councillors and executives of the local administrative organisations (LAO), Mr Somchai said.
The EC, meanwhile, backed away from petitioning the court on the legality of other issues in the bill, including resetting the incumbent EC members, Mr Somchai said.