Laws Passed To Pave Way For Thailand Poll

[webfact]

Laws passed to pave way for poll

By KORNCANOK RAKSASERI

THE NATION

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's pledge to dissolve the House of Representatives next week looked much firmer yesterday when the Senate finally passed the three organic laws needed to call an election.

The laws on the election and acquiring of senators, Election Commission and political parties were revised to conform to the amendments made to the Constitution in February on the election system.

The Senate decided to accept the House versions of the bills in full, even the controversial change to advance balloting.

The House cut advance voting to only one day instead of the whole weekend, as in the past, but the Senate's vetting committee proposed revoking advance voting except only for election staff.

However, the Senate voted 115-3 to approve the House versions intact, with five abstentions.

During hours of debate, many senators such as Kamphaeng Phet Senator Krich Atitkaew attacked advance voting as a loophole leading to fraud.

Jitipot Viriyaroj, chairman of the Senate panel scrutinising the laws, also cited Articles 107 and 108 of the Constitution that say "election day must be the same day all over the Kingdom".

Cancelling absentee polls would also save the country the cost of holding them.

However, other senators said scrapping advance elections would infringe on people's right to vote.

They cited Article 72 of the charter that says voting is both the right and duty of Thai citizens. Election rights are stripped - albeit not permanently - from a citizen who fails to vote without an acceptable reason.

They also raised a question of discrimination if only government officials are allowed to cast votes early. Many people, not only election staff, might have some business to do on election day.

They also said advance voting had been organised in past elections and should not be considered as against the Constitution.

"Election fraud can happen even if the balloting is held for one day. It's unreasonable to remove advance voting because of that, but the regulators must solve the graft problems," said Wanchai Sornsiri, a recently appointed senator.

The law on political parties, which was tightened up to prevent unjust conduct by parties, was also endorsed by a 114-5 vote, with four abstentions.

The Election Commission law, which changes the EC's authority and duties to be in line with the changed numbers of MPs, was approved by a 114-4 vote with three abstentions.

The Constitution has been amended to provide for 375 constituency MPs and 125 party-list MPs instead of 400 constituency MPs and 80 proportionate MPs. Each constituency will send only one MP instead of multiple MPs to Parliament.

The organic laws will be proposed for royal endorsement before they are published and go into effect.

Abhisit and government members had earlier urged the Senate to enact the laws so that the House dissolution and subsequent election would not face problems.

Some senators were concerned that opposition to some articles as passed by the House of Representatives would prolong the legislative process.

According to the law, a Senate-House joint committee must be formed to work out a compromise if there is significant disagreement between the two versions.

-- The Nation 2011-04-26