View Full Version : December 23 Election Delay?
PM says election will be held in December
(BangkokPost.com) - Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont reiterated Sunday that election will be held in December as planned, after exit polls showed that a healthy majority of voters approve a draft constitution.
Gen Surayud, who spoke on a national television about half an hour after polling stations had closed, said he considers that the constitution has been approved by the people.
"By the end of August, the constitution will be submitted to His Majesty the King for endorsement," he said.
The premier also thanked voters for coming out to exercise their vote.
"Overall, the turnout was more than 50%," he said.
May expire:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=120977
EC gives nod to Dec. 16 election date
(BangkokPost.com) – The Election Commission chairman (EC) is backing an idea to hold the general election on December 16.
The EC is now moving ahead full steam to get the pre-election process going with just three months left to encourage voters to go to the polls on election day.
EC chairman Apichart Sukhakkhanont also said he will take lesson learned from campaigning for people to vote at the national referendum and use it with the election.
Exit poll show that 58.34 percent of voters accepted the draft charter while 41.66 rejected it.
May expire:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=120989
Election date still uncertain: EC chairman
Election Commission Chairman Apichart Sukhakagganond said Monday that the EC could not confirm that the next election could be held on December 16 as proposed by the prime minister.
He said the election might be held on December 23 or 30 or even early January.
He said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont had invite the EC to a meeting to consult on the election date.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30045769
Political parties should register by Oct
(BangkokPost.com) – The Election Commission has called on those wishing to set up a new political party to do so by the beginning of October.
The commission stressed that the registration process is still being conducted under the old constitution and hinted that the rules could change once the draft charter is approved by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).
“Things are expected to be different when the new charter is introduced,” said EC Secretary Suthipol Thaweechaikan. “That’s why it would be wise for any political party thinking of registering to do so before October.”
Suthipol also stated that six political parties have so far filed on the opening day for new political parties to officially register.
Meanwhile despite the many reports of the general election being held on December 23, the EC secretary affirmed that the election date has not yet been set in stone.
“We still need to discuss this with the prime minister, who is currently away on a business trip,” Suthipol said.
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http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=121013
Related thread on the present moves afoot to cobble up 'new' political parties:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2695
Urgent: Dec 23 picked for Election Day
The Prime Minister and the Election Commission agreed Monday to hold the next election on December 23.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30046657
I believe that this earlier 14:00 report should really refer to "ambassadors and consuls to Thailand":
PM assures Thai envoys election to be held late this year
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont Monday assured Thai ambassadors and consuls that the next election would be held late this year.
He gave the assurance during a meeting of Thai ambassadors and consuls at the Foreign Ministry.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30046648
PM criticised for setting election day without consulting
The general election would be held on December 23, Election Commission (EC) chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said Monday after consulting with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.
Meanwhile, EC member Sodsri Satayathum blasted Surayud and Apichart for announcing the election day without consulting political parties.
Apichart said the meeting concluded December 23 was the most proper day for holding the national poll. The EC would ask the government a Bt1.9-billion budget for managing the election nationwide.
EC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaigarn said the election decree was expected to be effective by late October after being announced in the Royal Gazette. Thus, MP candidates would be able to register by early November, he said.
Surayud said he would have to wait until three organic bills related to the election management became laws before he handed the election decree for royal endorsement. The bills covering political parties, elections and the EC are now under readings of the National Legislative Assembly.
He said the vote will enable the existing caretaker civilian government to give way to a popularly elected government with a mandate to revive the economy and maintain national unity.
The election date is set after the country passed national referendum on the draft charter on August 19.
Asked if the martial law which had existed in a number of northern and northeastern provinces should be cancelled to make the election fair for all parties, Surayud said the issue had nothing to do with the fairness. Instead he believed the EC would handle the polls effectively.
He ruled out a speculation that a "political accident" would occur, making the election aborted. All parties were only looking forward to the election as the road to restore democracy.
Earlier before the meeting with the EC chairman, Surayud Chulanont assured Thai ambassadors and consuls that the next election would be held late this year. During the meeting at the Foreign Ministry, he said the next government would be formed within February
Meanwhile, Sodsri said Surayud and Apichart announced the election day without consulting all parties related to the election.
"I doubt whose resolution [on the election day] they are referring to," she said.
Earlier, she said, she had warned them through an interview with the press that they should consult with political parties before making a conclusion.
The Constitution Court [dissolved by before the September coup] ruled last year to cancel the April 2, 2006 poll because the former EC set the election day without consulting with political parties, making them unprepared for the poll, she said.
Sodsri regarded the yesterday's announcement as the resolution of only Surayud and Apichart, not that of all EC members, she said.
Both of them should call for a meeting with political parties to let them know officially, she added.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/28/politics/politics_30046685.php
Not sure I really understand the highlighted sentence below:
Sodsri calls Oct meeting with all parties
(BangkokPost.com) - Election Commission member Sodsri Sattayatham has invited all political parties, old and new, to attend a meeting aimed at discussing the three organic laws on the House election on October 10-11.
She also explained that the general election will be held early this year to avoid upsetting certain political parties as was the case last year. The 2006 election was later annulled after parties insisted that it was not free and fair.
Mrs Sodsri also hinted that an investigation will have to be carried out following claims made by People’s Power party leader Samak Sundaravej that the party was a political nominee for deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
“The new constitution clearly states that charges can be filed against those with intentions to overturn democracy,” she said. “By the same regard, we will also inspect reports that MP’s in the northeastern region were being bought by certain political parties.”
Mrs Sodsri cautioned that political movements, and especially, the general election in Thailand is under close international observation.
“EU countries have requested that they send in representatives to monitor the elections, which isn’t very flattering for us,” she said. “These countries usually ask to monitor elections held in third world countries. We have to prove to them that we are a democratic country or suffer the consequences.”
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http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=121170
Prasong: Setting election date not govt's job
(BangkokPost.com) - It is inappropriate for the government to schedule a date for an upcoming election, Constitution Drafting Committee chairman Prasong Soonsiri said Tuesday.
Sqn-ldr Prasong expressed concern after Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont announced on Monday that the election is set for Dec 23.
"I'm concerned," he said. "I don't want the premier to speak before he has carefully considered the matter."
It was as if the prime minister was speeding up the election so he can leave the post quickly, he explained.
He added that the polling date should be set after all parties are ready -- after political parties are prepared and electoral zones are set.
"If all the five Election Commissioners have not discussed on the matter together, that could be a big problem," he warned.
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http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=121173
EC chairman insists election held on December 23
Election Commission (EC) chairman Apichart Sukhagganond Tuesday dismissed an allegation that Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and he set the election day without consulting political parties, saying the EC had talked with several political parties.
He was responding to criticism of EC member Sodsri Satayathum who claimed that the failure to consult with the political parties could lead to the election being cancelled like the one of April 2, 2006
"The EC had talked with several parties related to the election. They all agreed that the day [December 23] was most proper," he said.
He said a concern that the election might be cancelled by the court was not an issue.
Sodsri had claimed that the Constitution Court [dissolved by before the September coup] ruled last year to cancel the April 2, 2006 poll because the former EC set the election day without consulting with political parties, making them unprepared for the poll.
Apichart said the former EC in 2006 gave political parties only a short period [37 days] to prepare for the election. Meanwhile, he said, his EC would give 55 days for preparation. The authority to set the election day was under the government, not the EC, he said. But Surayud was a gentleman as he consulted the EC about how it prepared for holding the election, he said.
The five-member EC agreed to assert December 23 as the election day by four to one votes, Apichart said. He refused to say if Sodsri was the minority voice, but noted that the EC resolution did not need to be unanimous.
Paiboon Warahapaitoon, the Constitution Tribunal secretary-general, said Sodsri's claim about the April 2006 poll was not relevant to the current context.
The Constitution Court in May 2006 annulled the poll because the EC managed it illegally by allowing frauds to happen, he said. It was not about if the EC should consult the political parties about the election day, he noted.
Meanwhile, Prasong Soonsiri, head of a committee reviewing three organic bills related to the election, criticised Surayud for announcing the election day while the EC did not state officially that it was well-prepared for managing the upcoming election.
"It is too soon for Surayud to announce the election will be held on that day," he said. "It could cause his reputation damaged if the election would not be held as scheduled."
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/28/politics/politics_30046855.php
EU welcomed only as "observer": Surayud
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Wednesday that the European Union cannot come in to control the general election of Thailand but its welcomed to observe the election.
Surayud said he had been informed by Election Commission Chairman Apichart Sukhakkhanont that EC wanted to sign a memorandum of understanding with Thailand in a way that it would control, not monitor, the election.
Surayud said the EC disagreed with request of the EC and the government supported the EC's stand.
"We have to abide by our principles and our way of working and we will use our law and will not allow outsiders to have authority over our own officials," Surayud said.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30046989
Polls may be delayed
BangkokPost.com, TNA
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said the general election, set just this week for December 23, could be postponed.
Speaking during his weekly TV programme, Gen Surayud said the general election was tentatively set on December 23.
But he said this could be changed, because the government is awaiting approval of three required "organic laws" required to run the election under the new constitution.
As of now, the National Legislative Assembly is expected to pass whose laws by the end of October.
Official fixing of the election date will come only after that, Gen Surayud said.
The Election Commission announced on Friday it had provisionally set Nov 11-15 as the application period for candidates under the proportional representation system and November 18-22 for the application of candidates in the constituency system for an election it presumed would be on December 23.
The elections body said that official dates for the applications await a royal decree on the general election. Under the new constitution, approved in a national referendum last month, there will be 400 constituency seats and 80 party-list seats, down from 500 in the abrogated 1997 constitution.
The prime minister, who was adamant earlier this week that the election would be held on Dec 23, was equally adamant today that the possibility of changing the date of the polls has nothing to do with an appointment of a new army chief.
Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, also chairman of the Council for National Security(CNS), will retire from his post upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 on October 1.
The problem of naming his successor from a short-list of three senior army generals has gripped the nation and is the main political topic of conversation.
Gen Surayud denied this had anything to do with setting an election date, however.
When the army staged a bloodless coup last Sept 19, it promised to hold elections within a year. That deadline now has slipped by three months, and it cannot be predicted how the public would react if the vote is put off again until next year.
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May expire:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=121286
The Enforcer!
03-09-07, 10:00 AM
With this indecisiveness coupled with the fact that parts of TRT political territory are still under Martial law, is it a wonder that the EU fears this will just be a mock general election?
The Enforcer!
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