October 15 Will Be New Election Day

[Jai Dee]

October 15 will be new election day

The Cabinet on Tuesday endorsed Election Commission's proposal for October 15 to be the date for a new general election.

"The cabinet endorses the Election Commission's decision to hold the election on October 15," said Deputy Prime Minister Visanu Kreungam.

EC proposed new election day after the Constitution Court nullified the controversial April 2 election on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. It initially set a date of October 22, but later re-set the date after the time would conflict with Ramadan the holy month of fasting for Muslims.

The EC, at a meeting boycotted by three main opposition parties, proposed last week a new date of October 15.

Full article from The Nation here.

[Jai Dee]

Cabinet approves fresh poll on Oct. 15

BANGKOK, May 30 (TNA) - The Cabinet has approved the new polling date on Oct.15 as proposed by the Election Commission, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam announced on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists after the weekly Cabinet meeting, Dr. Wissanu said the Cabinet chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra approved the new election date, and MPs are allowed to switch party membership within nine days from Tuesday until Thursday June 8.

The new polling date will allow more time for MPs to switch parties as they desire since the law stipulates that prospective candidates must be a member of political party for 90 days before seeking election to the Lower House.

Full story from the Bangkok Post here.

[Sunny Valentine]

Thursday June 8 to Sunday October 15 is much more than 90 Days (the allowed period for switching parties)? What am I missing here?

Sunny

[slimdog]

Thursday June 8 to Sunday October 15 is much more than 90 Days (the allowed period for switching parties)? What am I missing here?

Article 107 (4)

Being a member of any and only one political party, for a consecutive period of not less than ninety days, up to the date of applying for candidacy in an election

The ninety day rule applies to the period prior to registering to be a candidate, not the date of the election itself.

[Sunny Valentine]

Thanks Slimdog!

Sunny

[boppia]

Glad to hear that things are moving.

[slimdog]

Court set trial date against EC commissioners

The Criminal Court Tuesday set the trial date against four members of the Election Commission on June 19 charging them for the dereliction of duty relating to a decision to allow additional candidates to contest the repeat vote on April 23.

The scheduling of trial date followed on heels of the Tuesday's hearing on cause.

The arraignment hearing is scheduled for Friday.

The litigation was initiated by Democrat Party deputy secretary general Thaworn Senniam.

In its list of defendants, the court singled out EC chairman Vasana Puemlarp and three EC members, Prinya Nakchudtree, Virachai Naewboonnien and Jarupat Ruangsuwan.

Although Jarupat resigned his office last Monday, he would be tried for alleged violations committed before.

In his plaintiff writ, Thaworn named the EC and EC secretary general Ekachai Warunprapha as potential defendants. The court ruled that the two had no bearing on the case.

For commencing trial, the court said it found cause to suspect the four defendants for involving in criminal and electoral violations stemming from the management of the repeat vote.

The upcoming trial will focus on the four defendants' management of the repeat vote for 38 constituencies located in 15 provinces.

A key legal question is whether the decision to allow the additional registration triggered candidacy frauds by candidates running in multi-constituencies between the April 2 election and the repeat vote.

Thaworn said he wanted to set precedents on the electoral management because the EC had heightened voter's discontent by its decision seen as favourable to the Thai Rak Thai Party to overcome the 20-per cent rule.

After the ruling party's candidates failed to muster the support of 20 per cent of eligible voters to declare victory in the unopposed race, the EC went out of its way to help propping up additional candidates, he said.

He also said he would oppose bail applications from the four defendants on grounds that they should be locked up to speed up the trial proceedings. The detention of the four defendants might prevent them for causing damage to the new election, he added.

The Nation

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Can I ask the question that will be on everybodies minds?

When will the bars shut? And when will they re-open?

[Jai Dee]

Mr. Somsak: members of large political parties have shown interest to join TRT party

Thai Rak Thai Party Deputy Leader and Wang Nam Yom (วังน้ำยม) Faction core leader Somsak Thepsuthin (สมศักดิ์ เทพสุทิน) admitted that some members of large political parties have shown their interest to join the Thai Rak Thai Party. He said there has been no signal from the Wang Nam Yom Faction members to resign and join another parties.

Mr. Somsak disclosed that three members from other parties have made a direct contact with him as they would like to join the Thai Rak Thai Party. He insisted that no members of his faction have raised the issue on leaving the party.

The Cabinet has agreed with the new polling date on the 15th of October as proposed by the Election Commission.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 02 June 2006

[george]

Update:

Democrat Party believes elections won't be held on Oct 15

BANGKOK: -- The major opposition Democrat Party says it doubts that the October 15 general elections would take place because the Election Commission (EC) has lost its legitimacy as the poll agency while more political pressures would be seen after the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne end.

Thepthai Senapong, spokesman of the Party's Election Office, said a meeting among senior members of the party was held and they believed that it was still difficult for the election to be held on Oct. 15 because of the current shaky positions of EC members and they could be replaced any time while more political movements to be staged by powerful political movements would be held after June 15 when celebrations on the diamond jubilee of the King's accession to the throne ends.

Despite an optimistic view on the date for the general election, the Democrat Party is ready to field its candidates to contest in the election, said Mr. Thepthai, adding that his party was hopeful that about

20 of its candidates would win in about 20 constituencies in the Northeast in the upcoming election.

The party has now furnished some 70% of its candidates to run in the Central region, 50% in the North and 90% in the South, he said. It also hopes to clinch more seats in the capital.

--TNA 2006-06-10

[jdinasia]

hmmmm the date still has not been signed off on by H.M. has it? (no royal decree yet?)

[slimdog]

The decree is currently due to be submitted to HM on August 24.

This will then comply with both the 60 day constitutional rule and the 90 day rule governing the length of time someone has to be a member of a political party prior to registering to run in an election.

[Thaising]

The cabinet’s general secretary resignation might be related to the drafting of the decree, which he feel very uncomfortable to do it. Deep in his heart he knew pretty well of the outcome, that why he decided to quit the trt party.

Edited June 11, 2006 by Thaising

[Jai Dee]

EC wants political parties to review their lists of members

The Election Commission (EC) has asked political parties to update the lists of members to solve the problem of people holding membership in more than one party.

EC deputy secretary-general Pokkrong Sunthornsut (ปกครอง สุนทรสุทธิ์) said political parties should compare their lists with those compiled by the poll agency to see if their members are also with other parties. They also should check the qualifications of people applying for their party membership, Mr. Pokkrong said.

He said all parties should make corrections of the lists of members and submit them to the EC within July 15.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 June 2006

[chownah]

EC wants political parties to review their lists of members

The Election Commission (EC) has asked political parties to update the lists of members to solve the problem of people holding membership in more than one party.

EC deputy secretary-general Pokkrong Sunthornsut (ปกครอง สุนทรสุทธิ์) said political parties should compare their lists with those compiled by the poll agency to see if their members are also with other parties. They also should check the qualifications of people applying for their party membership, Mr. Pokkrong said.

He said all parties should make corrections of the lists of members and submit them to the EC within July 15.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 June 2006

Seems like if the list of the parties' members was on a list in a computer database then it would be a trivial matter to find people's names that are listed twice...it should take less than a minute I would think......

Chownah

[h90]

but only if someone is smart enough to program a macro for the excel list.

(for 1.000.000 Baht I would be willing to help on that case).

EC wants political parties to review their lists of members

The Election Commission (EC) has asked political parties to update the lists of members to solve the problem of people holding membership in more than one party.

EC deputy secretary-general Pokkrong Sunthornsut (ปกครอง สุนทรสุทธิ์) said political parties should compare their lists with those compiled by the poll agency to see if their members are also with other parties. They also should check the qualifications of people applying for their party membership, Mr. Pokkrong said.

He said all parties should make corrections of the lists of members and submit them to the EC within July 15.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 June 2006

Seems like if the list of the parties' members was on a list in a computer database then it would be a trivial matter to find people's names that are listed twice...it should take less than a minute I would think......

Chownah

[Jai Dee]

Election Commission chairman Vasana Puemlarp presides over a meeting with representatives from 28 political parties yesterday, aimed at resolving the party membership issue.

Source: The Nation - 15 June 2006

[hammered]

There could be other reasons for keeping the lists a tad mysterious.

I remember the day my wife found out she was a member of TRT. She had publically opposed TRT since its formation and was not happy at the way the entire village she lived in had just been signed up apparently including a few recently deceased. Howver, thiose lists translate directly to money for the party so why would we expect them to be transparent?

[h90]

There could be other reasons for keeping the lists a tad mysterious.

I remember the day my wife found out she was a member of TRT. She had publically opposed TRT since its formation and was not happy at the way the entire village she lived in had just been signed up apparently including a few recently deceased. Howver, thiose lists translate directly to money for the party so why would we expect them to be transparent?

I heared from a couple of people that they are TRT member but didn't know about it.

As it seems that you don't need to be alife to sign up, also dead people can enter this party.

[Jai Dee]

Political parties return to fray

Political factions that have been locked in intense conflict since last year renewed their skirmishing yesterday after having suspended their wars of words for weeks out of respect for His Majesty the King’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Even before all the royal guests who toasted His Majesty’s health at the royal banquet on Tuesday night have left the country, political pressure that has been building up for the past month was released on several fronts.

Resuming his tussling with regular opponents, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday filed libel suits at the Criminal and Civil courts seeking 800 million baht compensation from the Democrat party and three major newspapers.

Refusing to be outdone, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva stepped up efforts to have Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party dissolved, confidently claiming yesterday that evidence uncovered by his party will make TRT’s dissolution inevitable.

Political pundits had predicted that the conflict over the legitimacy of the Election Commission (EC) would also resume once the royal celebrations were concluded.

Abhisit, whose Democrat party has been engaged in a bitter political fracas with TRT since boycotting the failed April 2 general election, visited the EC’s headquarters to answer charges of election violations brought against the Democrats by TRT.

Abhisit maintained that the six TRT accusations, which include attempting to topple the government and hiring small parties in order to then accuse TRT of hiring them, were false and had been mounted solely to divert attention from TRT’s culpability.

“They have pointed to clear violations of election laws and the EC must consider [the accusations] according to the facts and submit the case to the Constitutional Court without any conditions,” Abhisit said.

Reiterating Democrat suspicions of EC bias, Abhisit warned the election commissioners to deal with charges against TRT in a fair and transparent manner.

In his testimony at the EC, Abhisit, who was accompanied by Democrat Secretary-General and party stalwart, Suthep Thaugsuban, said his party’s actions against TRT were not simply a political ploy to taint TRT ahead of the new general election tentatively planned for October 15.

Meanwhile, a group of 29 caretaker senators also increased the pressure on Thaksin by petitioning the Constitutional Court yesterday to rule on his status as caretaker Prime Minister.

The outgoing anti-Thaksin senators, including Karun Saingam, Nirand Pitakwatchara and Chirmsak Pinthong, who tried but failed many times during their tenure in the Upper House to question the TRT government about corruption and abuse of power allegations, claimed that Thaksin had ready lost his position when he submitted his leave of absence to the Cabinet in April.

Their petition was submitted by caretaker Senate Speaker, Suchon Chaleekrua, who was required under the Constitution to forward it to the Constitutional Court.

In another development, the Supreme Court yesterday criticized suggestions that the EC was preparing to alter its organizational structure to allow the involvement of the Supreme Court president.

“If a Supreme Court judge was involved in any EC process, then he or she will not be able to sit on cases involving the EC should the matter reach the judicial process,” said a source at the court. “It would be an attempt to create a good image for the EC that they are working transparently with the involvement of judges.”

Source: ThaiDay - 15 June 2006