Thai election body keen to retain power to oust poll cheats

[webfact]

ELECTION COMMISSION
Election body keen to retain power to oust poll cheats
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE ELECTION Commission will try to ensure that it can still hand out 'yellow' and 'red cards' to candidates who commit fraud under the new constitution, but says it will wait to see what moves the new charter drafters make before pushing for other powers.

EC chairman Supachai Somcharoen said yesterday that one of the EC's main roles was to ensure that poll candidates who cheat are disqualified from running. But |he said the EC was not 'power hungry'.

Sriamporn Salikup, a senior Supreme Court judge, recommended that the EC seek the support of charter drafters in getting power under the new charter to issue summons and to search houses of people suspected to have committed election fraud.

EC officials' authority

Sriamporn, who made the suggestion during the last of a series of nine academic seminars organised by the EC to get feedback from and for provincial election bodies, said the power to issue summons and search houses should be exercised by legally authorised EC officials only. Power to issue arrest warrants should remain with the courts.

Runrueng Lampornchart, an assistant Appeals Court judge, said documents submitted by the EC to the courts were often too detailed. The EC should reduce the amount of information and words included in papers for court proceedings, he said.

EC chairman Supachai, a former senior Appeals Court judge, said the submission of detailed legal documents was the practice of the commission because some witnesses named by the EC were not summoned to testify by the judges.

The EC wanted them to know the in-depth background of each witness.

Supachai said he would consider all the advice from the judges to improve the work of the agency.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Election-body-keen-to-retain-power-to-oust-poll-ch-30269835.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-30

[JAG]

Well I suppose they need to have some reason for existing: based on their last performance ensuring that elections are actually held is not in their remit!

[Prbkk]

These would be the people who went on a junket to Scotland to observe the referendum in the midst of the turmoil in Thailand? Some of them posted photos of the whisky tasting on facebook.

[chainarong]

These would be the people who went on a junket to Scotland to observe the referendum in the midst of the turmoil in Thailand? Some of them posted photos of the whisky tasting on facebook.

At least it was good quality whisky

[JAG]

These would be the people who went on a junket to Scotland to observe the referendum in the midst of the turmoil in Thailand? Some of them posted photos of the whisky tasting on facebook.

At least it was good quality whisky

Jamieson's, Bushmills?

I'll go now before the clans come looking for me!

[madmitch]

A job in the Election Commission must be the cushiest number going during military rule. A bit like being in an inactive post without having committed any misdemeanours.

[Srikcir]

How about a trade-off?

Give the EC power to issue summons and search houses but also give the National Human Rights Commissioner the same powers. Can any regime handle the Truth?