The Election Commission (EC) will postpone the next general election for up to five months if the political turmoil continues, EC secretary-general Puchong Nutrawong said yesterday.
Pro-government demonstrators file complaints against the Constitutional Court’s recent ruling to invalidate the Feb 2 election at the Don Muang police station in Bangkok yesterday. Thiti Wannamontha
Mr Puchong said the commission would need about 30 days to prepare a new royal decree setting the fresh election date. The poll would then be legally required to be held within 60 days, but Mr Puchong said the agency has the authority to delay issuing the royal decree for 120-150 days if necessary.
He said any delay to polling would be to ensure there was no repeat of the failed Feb 2 election, which was nullified on March 21 by the Constitutional Court for violating the charter.
Mr Puchong dismissed the demand of 53 political parties that the EC call the next election within 60 days of the court’s ruling being published in the Royal Gazette. He insisted the 60-day time frame would follow the issuance of the royal decree, which was subject to EC discretion.
“The EC is not that concerned about the legal aspects, but is more worried about the [political] situation,” Mr Puchong said.
The EC will invite security agencies, including military leaders, to meet next Tuesday to discuss plans for the looming election, particularly in the South where anti-government protesters disrupted voting and candidate registration in many constituencies on Feb 2.
The commission will meet representatives of 73 political parties on April 22 to sound out their opinions. An election date will be proposed shortly afterward, Mr Puchong said.
The EC yesterday also resolved to dismiss the case in which former Pheu Thai MP Yaowapa Wongsawat, sister of caretaker PM Yingluck Shinawatra, was accused of violating election law in a Chiang Mai by-election last year.
Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai Party plans to impeach Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, the election commissioner supervising election organisation, for alleged bias.
Somkid Chuakhong, former Pheu Thai MP for Ubon Ratchathani, said yesterday that Mr Somchai had appeared politically biased on many occasions and that threatened elections.
He plans to gather 20,000 signatures to back an impeachment bid against Mr Somchai in compliance with the constitution.
He started to collect signatures in Ubon Ratchathani province yesterday and said he would also ask Pheu Thai colleagues to help gather signatures at Pheu Thai branches nationwide. He expects to have at least 20,000 signatures in three weeks.
In another development, independent groups joined red-shirt representatives in filing complaints against the Constitutional Court verdict voiding the Feb 2 election yesterday, saying the EC should be penalised for its defects, not the voters.
Anothai, 50, a core member of the “Equality of Humanity” group, said her voter rights were violated by the court’s March 21 ruling.
“Why do only nine people [court judges] have a say over 20 million people who voted on that day?” said Ms Anothai, a businesswoman whose surname was withheld.
She was among dozens of people who gathered at Thonglor police station yesterday to file a complaint against the court judges for illegal use of their authority in annulling the election.
Pro-election campaigner and Chulalongkorn University lecturer Jessada Denduangboripant said he would not join the group to lodge complaints even though he was upset with the court ruling.
“The court should have explained why it was a problem the election wasn’t held in one day. [It should have] detailed why it could not be held due to the obstructions of members of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee,” Mr Jessada said.
“And if in the future anyone damages a single election booth, will other ballots also be annulled?” he asked.