Pheu Thai has proposed a fresh election be held on July 20 at a meeting with the Election Commission (EC).
Leaders and representatives of more than 50 political parties attend a meeting with the Election Commission in Bangkok’s Laksi district yesterday to discuss election plans. A banner in the background put up by anti-government protesters calls for reform before elections. THITI WANNAMONTHA
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.
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 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.
Chartpattana Party leader Wannarat Charnnukul yesterday said his party, Palang Chon and Mahachon want a new poll to take place on June 15, with registrations to be held on military premises — as do a total of 53 political parties.
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.
The court based its ruling on Paragraph 2 of the section, which stipulates a general election must be held on a single day nationwide. Voting could not take place on Feb 2 in 28 constituencies in eight southern provinces because no candidates were registered due to anti-government protests.
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. If all MPs are not elected after the 180-day deadline, the new poll could face complaints calling for it to be nullified again, Mr Somchai said.
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.
If either side disagrees, it is highly likely that the new election will not be successful, Mr Somchai said, adding that it is important for political parties to create a peaceful climate ahead of the poll.
If the Democrat Party cannot campaign for votes in the North and the Northeast or if Pheu Thai cannot do so in the South, the poll could face complaints and risk being nullified again, Mr Somchai said.