The Election Commission (EC) on Friday set June 16 as the date for the constituency 12 by-election in Bangkok’s Don Muang area, commissioner Prapan Naikowit said on Friday.
The Don Muang seat is now vacant after the former Pheu Thai Party MP for the area, Karun Hosakul, was disqualified and banned from politics for five years by the court for violating the election law.
Mr Prapan said the EC would submit the by-election decree to the cabinet for final approval.
Advance voting in the by-election would be on June 9, and registration of candidates would be from May 28 to June 1, he said.
The commissioner said the EC will also require Mr Karun to meet the estimated 10 million baht cost of holding the by-election.
Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday that his party’s candidate selection committee would meet on Monday to settle on a suitable candidate to propose to a meeting of the executive for approval.
Mr Abhisit said he believed Taenkhun Jitt-itsara, who stood against Mr Karun in the 2011 election in the constituency, would be a suitable candidate because he had been working in the constituency for years.
The opposition leader admitted it would be difficult for the Democrats to win the by-election because Don Muang is a stronghold of Pheu Thai.
“We will try our best to gain the victory. We are not concerned on who will be the candidate of Pheu Thai, including Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan,” he said, referring to a key figure in the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said his party’s executive members would meet on Tuesday to select a candidate.
A ist of possible candidates will be submitted by the party’s committee for eastern Bangkok zone, chaired by Information and Communication Technology Minister Anudith Nakhonthap, he said.
Mr Prompong said he could not tell whether the list would also include Khunying Sudarat.
Khunying Sudarat is a capable person and suitable as a candidate, but it depends on her decision whether or not to run, he added.
Interior Minister and Pheu Thai leader Charupong Ruangsuwan said most party members supported Khunying Sudarat to run as she is an important figure in the party.
Khunying Sudarat said in an interview with FM100.5 on Friday morning that she had not yet been approached the Pheu Thai Party. She did not say whether she was interested in running in the by-election.