CDC gives EC more power to issue yellow card both before and after election result announcement

BANGKOK, 1 November 2015 (NNT) - The Constitution Drafting Committee has given the Election Commission the power to issue yellow cards to any candidate guilty of election law violation not only after the official poll results are announced.

CDC spokesman Amorn Winichwiwatana said that the latest meeting of the charter drafters discussed the selection of members for all independent organizations under the new Constitution.

Mr. Amorn said that the meeting initially resolved to include in the selection committee the President of the Supreme Court, the President of the House of Representatives, the leader of the Opposition and a Supreme Administrative Court judge.

He said the CDC also reached a resolution to raise the number of Election Commissioners to between seven and nine, instead of five currently, in order to allow the EC more freedom in dealing with their tasks and greater responsibilities in the future.

The CDC spokesman went on to say that the charter drafters also agreed that the EC should be able to yellow-card any election candidates who are found violating laws before or after the announcement of the poll results.

-- NNT 2015-11-01

Yellow card for wearing red shirts perhaps?

"Yellow cards",anyone caught doing anything a bit iffy in an election,

needs to be banned for life,forthwith,no 1st,2nd or 3rd chances.

regards Worgeordie

Historically, this gives the Dems an almost certain seat on the committee. Since they can undo an elected official., it paves the way for the Dem opposition to both become the majority and to yellow card opposing MPs.

Since the committee is set up before elections, before they even know the opposition, it is a tilted way to starboard.

No port in this storm.

I are sure the JUNTA had given the CDC power to shine

Lol

EC will have the power to issue yellow cards to any candidate guilty of election law violation not only after the official poll results are announced BUT before elections are held. Violations will be determined solely by the EC. Due process of law would only follow after elections.

This is the same EC that had agreed with the Yionglick regime to hold a second election date in February 2014 for about 10% of the voters who were denied access to voting stations by the PDRC. Subsequently, the Constitutional Court ruled that holding that second voting date was unconstitutional and nullified the entire election.

This is the same EC that refused to hold elections within 60 days as prescribed by the 2007 Constitution following dissolution of the Parliament with the excuse that it wasn't prepared. It also claimed it had no authority to even schedule an election until the King endorsed a new election. The court ruled against the EC on both points.

Giving EC more powers is like letting a water buffalo decide whether to pull a plow and in which direction. EC needs to serve the electorate, not itself. But maybe I give the water buffalo too little credit.