EC members to stay until new election team picked

[rooster59]

EC members to stay until new election team picked

By THE NATION

 

Somchai Srisutthiyakorn

 

New commissioners due by October.

 

ALL FIVE members of the Election Commission plan to serve until their last day in office and won’t resign till replaced by new commissioners later this year, EC member Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said yesterday.

 

Somchai said he did not think any of the Election Commissioners would feel slighted over the likelihood that all of them would be replaced ahead of the next general election.

 

That was proposed by the National Legislative Assembly panel vetting the organic law on the Election Commission, which is required under the new Constitution for the next general election. 

 

“All the current EC members will perform our duties strongly, and to the best of our ability, until the last day in office. This is a rule and we have to follow it,” Somchai said.

 

But he was unhappy with the NLA panel’s argument that future EC members would have more power under the new law so highly qualified people would be needed to do the job. 

 

“Many of the current EC members meet the qualification requirements. Why do all of us have to go? I don’t think the argument is sufficient. The NLA committee has to explain to the public what the real reason is,” he said.

 

However, Somchai expected the NLA to agree with its panel when voting on the bill next Friday.

 

During their remaining time in office, he said EC members would focus on vital work to prepare for the next election before handing things over to their successors.

 

“I can assure you that none of the EC members will feel so slighted that they quit while serving as caretakers. Doing so will bring more problems rather than solving them. There will be a lack of quorum when having meetings,” he said.

 

Somchai was speaking at the side of a seminar held by the EC at a hotel in Phetchaburi’s Cha-am district. The event was attended by officials from the election agency.

 

He said that after leaving the EC he would return to the People’s Network for Election (PNET) and resume work monitoring elections. PNET would work with the future EC members to ensure that elections would be free and fair.

 

Somchai said he did not think replacing the current EC members would adversely affect the next election. “The new set of election commissioners will be in office around October. So they will have about a year preparing for the |election,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30317069

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-03

[SABloke]

“All the current EC members will perform our duties strongly, and to the best of our ability, until the last day in office...”

 

What duties? What do election commissioners DO in a country that doesn't have elections It's like being a gynecologist in a male prison

 

 

[Prbkk]

2 minutes ago, SABloke said:

“All the current EC members will perform our duties strongly, and to the best of our ability, until the last day in office...”

 

What duties? What do election commissioners DO in a country that doesn't have elections It's like being a gynecologist in a male prison

 

 

Don't be silly...the duties are clear: go on trips to observe best practices in elections in other countries ( even though they will never be implemented in Thailand even if there is another election). Post pictures of the trip on FB to demonstrate just what hard work it is.

[colinneil]

7 minutes ago, SABloke said:

 

 

 It's like being a gynecologist in a male prison

 

 

 

Best crack of the week, you deserve an award for that line.

[Srikcir]

11 hours ago, rooster59 said:

This is a rule and we have to follow it

This EC follows rules but not Constitutions. Other than holding elections that get voided by the Constitutional Court, they haven't shown much understanding of their own role. It's no wonder that Meechai had proposed to place the EC under the Ombudsman Office to provide proper oversight of the organization.

[baboon]

God, you bunch of negative Nancys. I haven't been able to sleep at night with worrying about the EC resigning without being replaced by suitable others...

[candide]

Serve them right. If they had not done all they could do to prevent elections to happen in 2014, they would not be in this situation.

Edited June 3, 2017 by candide