Pro-government red shirts have announced plans to stage mass rallies in many provinces next Wednesday to push for the Feb 2 election amid fears the poll may be postponed.
Pro-government demonstrators rallied on Rattanathibet Road in Nonthaburi province on Jan 11, 2014 to support the election and they plan to do it again on Jan 29. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
Tida Tawornseth, chairwoman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), announced the red-shirt plans after the Constitution Court decided to accept the Election Commission's (EC) request for its ruling on a possible election delay on Thursday.
The EC asked the court to decide on whether the general election could be postponed and who has the authority to order the postponement. The court is expected to make a decision on Friday.
Ms Tida said the court was likely to rule in favour of anti-government protesters that the election can be postponed and that the prime minister has the power to decide on this.
According to Ms Tida, if the court makes the ruling, the election will not take place on Feb 2. Therefore, the UDD must rally next Wednesday to campaign for the Feb 2 poll. She said an election is the only way out of the political crisis.
The UDD has yet to decide whether the Jan 29 rallies should take place at the provincial or regional level.
She confirmed, however, that her group would not stage rallies in Bangkok or nearby provinces because that was prohibited under the emergency decree which the government imposed on Wednesday.
The EC has repeatedly asked the government to postpone the general election because the registration of candidates was obstructed and there are no candidates and not enough election officials in many constituencies.
However, the government has insisted the authority on setting the election date rests with the EC and the poll should not be put off.
Anti-government demonstrators have also vowed to block voting on Feb 2 and on the advance polling day on Sunday.
People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban told protesters on Thursday night that the PDRC would resort to all means possible to prevent the Feb 2 election from going ahead.
"We will block every road leading to the polling stations. You don't have to choose between 'no-vote' or 'vote-no' because there will be no election on that day," he said.
Mr Suthep instructed PDRC chapters in every province to plan and prepare activities to "prevent Ms Yingluck from returning to power through an election".
Election commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn said that as the charter court had accepted the EC's request for consideration, it was possible the election would be put off.
He said if the court rules that the government has power to delay the election, it will discuss the new polling date with the EC. If the court rules that the power rests with the EC, the EC can decide more quickly on a postponement because it is already aware of problems obstructing election organisation.
Mr Somchai said the Feb 2 election would not produce enough MPs to enable parliament to convene. because there are no candidates in 28 constituencies.
Meanwhile, there is only one candidate in each of 22 other constituencies. Many of the constituencies are in the South and the majority of voters there are likely to mark the "no-vote" box.
He also pointed out that the vote count for party-list MP candidates could only happen if ballots are cast at all polling stations.
He did not expect ballots to arrive from many polling stations.
Mr Somchai also said some people might even demand the nullification of the Feb 2 general election because it could not be conducted nationwide on the same date.
EC secretary-general Puchong Nutrawong said on Thursday election preparations were complete in the North, the Northeast and the East while the preparations in the Central Plain were partially done.
He admitted there are election organisation problems in Bangkok and 15 southern provinces. He feared that advance voting on Sunday would be blocked.
Pokin Polakul, a Pheu Thai Party strategist, said that the EC did not have the power to file its request with the Constitution Court and the court had no authority to make a ruling on the matter.
He said the constitution does not identify any organisation as having the authority to postpone an election.
Pol Maj Gen Anucha Romyanant, deputy police spokesman, said that 129,000 police officers would be deployed for the voting on Sunday and Feb 2.
Pol Maj Gen Piya Uthayo, police spokesman, said anti-Feb 2 election demonstrations took place in Bangkok and 24 other provinces while proponents of the Feb 2 polling held rallies in six provinces, namely Lampang, Nakhon Sawan, Chanthaburi, Phitsanulok, Khon Kaen and Lop Buri.