Politicians don't object to poll delay

Politicians don't object to poll delay

Most politicians say they have nothing against a possible delay to the general election after the government and the Election Commission seemed to disagree on a new date.

Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, chairwoman of the Pheu Thai Party election strategy committee, said her party had no problem if the poll, originally expected to take place on Feb 24, was put off.

“We’re ready for anything. All we ask is that the EC set the date because we have a lot to do,” she said on Saturday.

Chaturon Chaisang, who holds the same position at the Thai Raksa Chart Party, a Pheu Thai affiliate, said his party was also ready but he urged the government to give more details justifying the delay.

Nattawut Saikuar, chairman of the campaign committee of Thai Raksa Chart, said the government should not interfere with the EC's decision-making on the date.

Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, president of the National Legislative Assembly, said that in any case, election activities must not overlap with the coronation ceremony scheduled for early May.

Suwat Liptapanlop, chairman of the advisory committee of Chart Pattana, said his party did not object to the delay. “We have a clear time frame -- 150 days -- and we’re ready,” he said.

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a Democrat Party candidate for a seat in Samut Sakhon and a former EC commissioner, supported a delay to March 10, saying the EC would not find itself in the hot seat in the future.

“If the poll is held on that day, voting results can be endorsed within 150 days or by May 9,” he wrote on Facebook.

If the EC fails to announce the results by May 9, someone may challenge the constitutionality of the election in the future. “The budget of 5 billion baht will be for nothing and the EC will have to foot the bill,” he wrote.

Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, secretary-general of the Future Forward Party, disagreed with the delay.

“The EC has 60 days to announce the official results but that doesn’t mean it has to use all 60 days," he wrote. "It can take 30 or 45 days to do so if the results are challenged. The laws also allow the Supreme Court to take over such cases later.

“Therefore, the process to get a new parliament and a new government does not interfere with the royal ceremony as claimed by the government."

On Thursday, the government asked the EC to consider moving the poll date, after it was announced the coronation would be held from May 4-6.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam suggested March 24 would be a more suitable date so post-poll activities would not overlap with the royal ceremony.

The EC has declined to mention the date it has in mind but a source in the EC told the Bangkok Post it prefers March 10.

The 2018 Election Act stipulates the government must issue a royal decree for the election be held 90 days after related organic laws took effect on Dec 11 last year, or by March 10 (Section 171).

The same law requires the EC to set the election date within five days after that. That date, however, must be “set” no later than 150 days after the organic laws took effect, or by May 9 (Section 171). That leaves the EC with a choice of any Sunday until May 9 since polls are customarily held on Sundays. The law also requires the EC announce the results within 60 days from the poll date (Section 127).

However, the 2017 Constitution stipulates that in the first five years of its effect, the poll must be “completed” 150 days after the organic laws took effect, or by May 9 (Section 268). 

The conflicting laws are believed to be a major concern of EC commissioners since “completed” could be interpreted as “ballots cast” or “voting results endorsed”.

If the EC fails to endorse the results by May 9, it fears future lawsuits. This is believed to be the reason it was reluctant to comply with the government’s wish for a delay of any length that would put the announcement of voting results beyond May 9. 

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