Panadda urges Interior officials to disregard remark by EC's Somchai

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Panadda urges Interior officials to disregard remark by EC's Somchai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- PM's Office permanent secretary ML Panadda Diskul yesterday urged the Interior Ministry to get over a comment made by an Election Commission member, saying he feared ill-intentioned parties may seek a chance to escalate conflicts.

The move follows Confederation of Assistant District Chiefs president Rewat Kruabuddeemaha-chok's call for Somchai Srisuthiyakorn to step down or apologise for saying that getting Interior officials to organise elections again would be akin to handing a sword back to bandits.

Panadda went on Facebook to urge Rewat - who called on members of the confederation in every province to protest against Somchai - to let go of his anger.

He said certain groups were waiting to take advantage of the situation to try and destroy the country and its institutions.

While Panadda said the Interior Ministry should not be referred to as a bandit, he believed the stressful atmosphere could lead to blunders and he himself had experienced awkward moments.

He said while the EC needed to improve regulations to prevent election fraud, the Interior Ministry was responsible for serving the public and should not get involved in elections or politics.

Meanwhile, Somsak Suriyamongkol, a specialist attached to the EC who once served as the body's secretary-general, said it was unclear if the EC would be in charge of writing regulations and the Interior Ministry would organise elections - if the Constitution Drafting Committee's proposal to change the EC's role from organising elections to overseeing them is adopted.

He questioned whether the EC would still have the right to make decisions and punish those involved in electoral offences.

"If the EC just writes regulations but cannot control [anything], the agency is just a rubber stamp," he said. "If there are electoral frauds, the EC would be blamed. If that is the case, then the Interior Ministry should just handle the whole business."

He said the EC should have had the right to issue orders to transfer officials suspected of fraud instead of the Interior minister and Interior Ministry's permanent secretary.

"By the time a panel to probe the suspects is established, an election is over,'' he said.

EC member Boonsong Noisophon said the agency would still publish a handbook on investigations into election fraud cases even if it did not organise elections under the new charter because it was still useful.

He said the handbook would be finished next month and classified into different segments such as vote-buying and advance election campaigns.

He said the EC should have the right to issue search warrants and summons at all times, not only during elections.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Panadda-urges-Interior-officials-to-disregard-rema-30251709.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-12

[kalbo123]

Should it not be that the one who makes the remark should withdraw it?

[chainarong]

Khun Panadda is correct, ignore Khun Somchai inference that the interior ministry could increase conflicts he also forgot to mention corruption, anything from faceBook you would have to take at face value, however the question is why are the interior Ministry interested in the Elections and every time where suggestions are put forward one has to ask why, perhaps Khun Somchai knows something that everybody who is a Thai watcher knows.

[tx22cb]

It seems the root of these potential conflicts is the inflammatory postings on Facebook - let's hope the Govt does not blame FB and prevent its access, or there'll be a riot from the iPhone-totting aficionados

[rickirs]

"If the EC just writes regulations but cannot control [anything], the agency is just a rubber stamp,"

And being a rubber stamp is different than the NLA, the NRC or the CDC? The whole of government currently is a Junta rubber stamp. So get over it!

[jcisco]

The interior ministry, does the EC fall under its control, if not why are they involved with or care one bit about running elections?

[FangFerang]

I thought everyone was already disregarding Somchai and his some Chinese, some Thai chatter.

[Somtamnication]

And........................... we're off!!!!!

[chotthee]

"If the EC just writes regulations but cannot control [anything], the agency is just a rubber stamp,"

And being a rubber stamp is different than the NLA, the NRC or the CDC? The whole of government currently is a Junta rubber stamp. So get over it!

I think EC felt that there were being used to kick out Yingluck.

Now that it is done, instead of rewarding EC, they are trying to kick out EC next.