EC selection panel to wrap up by May 7
The committee tasked with selecting five of the seven members of the new Election Commission (EC) yesterday decided to impose a 70-day deadline for completing its task, National Legislative Assembly (NLA) president Pornpetch Witchitcholchai said in his capacity as a panel member.
This will mean the selection will have to be completed by May 7 as it already began on Feb 27, which will be 20 days faster than the 90-day time frame stated in the constitution’s organic law on the EC, he said after a meeting of the committee.
The selection committee, which is composed of members nominated by constitutional independent organisations, will have to step up its public campaign to encourage qualified individuals to apply for the EC posts, he said.
Only those who have actually applied will be eligible as the committee cannot make unsolicited approaches to individuals, he added.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, which will nominate two of the seven commission members, will convene next Monday to decide on new candidates, after its first two suggestions were rejected by the assembly on Feb 22, a source at the court said.
The Supreme Court has also amended its regulations to allow for an open vote to be held to select the two candidates.
Earlier, it was reported that the NLA had received “a clear signal” from the regime to turn down all seven candidates amid claims the Supreme Court’s selection was not an open process and could face a legal challenge.
Under t he new constitution, t he Supreme Court picks two of the seven members of the EC and the remaining five are chosen by a panel.
Chatchai Janpraisri, chief justice of the Supreme Court, and Pakorn Mahannop, a judge on the Supreme Court, were chosen as two candidates under the Supreme Court’s quota.
Previously, incumbent EC member Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the Supreme Court’s choice of Mr Chatchai and Mr Pakorn may have violated Section 12 of the organic bill on the EC which requires the court to hold a vote for the commissioners openly.