Current EC members can oversee elections, no delay needed, says commissioner

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Current EC members can oversee elections, no delay needed, says commissioner

By The Nation

 

Election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn

 

The current Election Commissioners (EC) have full authority to manage the next general election, as well as local elections, despite the rejection of the entire seven proposed new EC candidates by the legislators, election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said on Friday.

 

Concerns have been raised about the possibility of further election delays after the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) yesterday voted down the seven finalist candidates.

 

The originally scheduled November election date was likely to be delayed to early 2019 after the NLA recently passed the organic bill on MP elections. That bill contained a clause delaying its enforcement date by 90 days after it is published in the Royal Gazette. According to the 2017 charter, the next election must be held within 150 days after its enforcement.

 

Somchai urged the public not to be concerned by the rejection of proposed new commissioners because it will not affect the election.

 

However, he estimated it would take around six months before the new EC can perform their duties, Somchai said.

 

By law, it will take three months for a new round of candidate selection. It would then take another 45 days for the NLA to set up a committee and scrutinise candidates’ qualifications and work through the approval process, and an additional 15 days for the new commissioners to resign from their current posts as required under the EC law before submitting their names for Royal approval.

 

After those new commissioners were officially approved, the current EC members would leave office. The replacement of the EC members was required under the new organic law governing the agency.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30339517

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-23

[smutcakes]

Old Somchai sticking the knife in and giving it a little twist..... expect some quick rebuttals from somewhere that they dont have the current EC members dont actually have that authority....

[ChidlomDweller]

Why change anything?  They've already proven themselves to be the best Election Commission money can buy.  

[mtls2005]

So was this whole NLA vote a charade, meant to present the Junta with yet another election delay? Or did someone put up the wrong candidates? Or did someone forget to tell the NLA how to vote?

 

Normally the motivation for odd occurrences here is obvious, but maybe I haven't been following this close enough?

[AGareth2]

obfuscation,

mendacity

and down right BS

[smutcakes]

8 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

So was this whole NLA vote a charade, meant to present the Junta with yet another election delay? Or did someone put up the wrong candidates? Or did someone forget to tell the NLA how to vote?

 

Normally the motivation for odd occurrences here is obvious, but maybe I haven't been following this close enough?

They put up rubbish candidates on purpose which gave NLA a reason to vote it down, making them look independent and like they are doing the right thing, and will try and justify a delay as the NLA doing the right thing.

[Happyman58]

The merry-go-round goes round and round. The junta did not to hear that so back to the drawing board. Find another excuse. I know one  They are waiting for Hayley's comet to go past the earth so people are not killed if by some chance 1000000000 -1 it crashes into earth when voting.Good to see they have safety first here