Political parties have been advised to submit their lists of party-list candidates to the Election Commission (EC) by Thursday, one day before the deadline, after more than 7,400 candidates were registered Wednesday, EC secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma said.
Pol Col Jarungvith said parties should submit the lists Thursday instead of waiting. If problems occur, they would still have time to sort them out and resubmit the lists Friday, he added.
Poll candidacy registration entered its third day Wednesday, with 599 candidates running in the constituency system registered with the EC, Pol Col Jarungvith said.
This brought the total number to 7,409 from 66 parties during the past three days of MP candidacy registration, which began on Monday.
Eight more parties also submitted their party-list candidates to the poll-organising agency, bringing the number from 10 parties to 579 over the past three days, Pol Col Jarungvith said.
Seven parties have so far submitted lists of prime ministerial candidates to the EC, he added.
On Tuesday, the EC also "informed" all political parties that they must submit information regarding the establishment of their provincial branches or provincial party representatives to the EC by Thursday.
According to the EC, some political parties have fielded candidates to contend in some provinces where their provincial branches or representatives have not yet been endorsed by the EC.
After the MP candidacy registration closes on Friday, the EC will check the qualifications of candidates as well as examine whether parties' provincial branches and representatives were established in line with the law.
If not, the EC will not endorse those parties' candidates who are fielded in the provinces without branches or representatives certified by the EC.
Meanwhile, Palang Pracharath Party leader Uttama Savanayana said yesterday he was confident Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha would agree to be a candidate for prime minister on the party's ticket.
Gen Prayut is expected to make his decision known by Friday, which is the deadline for political parties to come up with their prime ministerial candidates, Mr Uttama said.
Each party can name up to three prime ministerial candidates. All names must be submitted by Friday.
