BANGKOK, 9 February 2014 The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to recommend that the Prime Minister can issue another royal decree setting new election dates and MP candidate registration.
According to Puchong Nutrawong, the Secretary-General of the Election Commission of Thailand, the Election Commission has concluded that it does not have the authority to schedule another registration of MP candidates in 28 election districts where no candidates were able to register due to obstruction by political protesters.
The Election Commission views that the government has the authority to issue a new royal decree setting new dates for MP candidate registration and general elections. Only the Prime Minister, and not the Election Commission, has the authority to issue the decrees.
The EC has yet to decide on the re-election dates to be recommended for the Premier to consider. If the Prime Minister disagrees with the commission’s recommendations, then the commission will meet again to brainstorm other solutions, said the EC secretary-general.
