Parties fear EC trap
Confusion was seen written on the faces of many people of late as they brushed shoulders with members of political parties offering to shake hands with them on the streets of Bangkok and elsewhere.
Bystanders thought the parties were campaigning for votes before they realised a royal decree setting the poll date has still not been announced and the regime has not fully dismantled its ban on political activities.
The parties have in fact launched their “walkabouts” to solicit memberships needed to function as a party and contest the next poll.
However, a conspiracy theory may be mulled by certain political figures who are not confident the poll will proceed as scheduled on Feb 24.
It used to be that the buck of fixing the election date stopped with the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). However, some politicians believe the regime needs the “complicity” of the Election Commission (EC).
Under the previous charter, the EC had no right to decide poll dates. By way of illustration, the EC issued a stern warning to the caretaker Yingluck Shinawatra administration not to proceed with the Feb 2, 2014 election since it would not be able to hold the poll within one day as constitutionally stipulated.
The caretaker government, however, insisted on pushing ahead with the poll. About 3.8 billion baht was spent organising the snap election called after Yingluck dissolved the House in December 2013.
The charter has since been amended, with the EC now vested with the authority to declare the date of the election. But the poll regulator must pay heed to political parties’ needs as well as the limitations they face in contesting the poll.
That is why, according to the political sources, the EC must sponsor forums and invite the parties to attend them. The purpose of the sessions is for the EC to hear their input before it settles on the ideal date.
But the sessions may be a trap, warned Future Forward Party (FFP) leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.
In his view, a meeting between the EC and political parties set for Nov 22 could create a pretext for further delaying the election.
During his recent walk to try and enrol new members in the Yaowarat area of Bangkok, the FFP founder voiced his concern.
The 39-year-old executive vice-president of the Thai Summit Group said the EC may be inclined to use the input to justify deferring the date yet again.
Some of the regime’s more vocal critics, such as the Pheu Thai Party, have consistently complained of regulatory restrictions and the limited time parties face in preparing for the poll.
The FFP, as well as anti-regime elements, have openly cast doubt as to whether the regime will unconditionally remove the political activities ban it has imposed since the coup in May 2014.
The ban may have been lifted in part to help the parties recruit new members and convene a meeting to alter their internal regulations, in line with the new methods set for holding the election. But the ban against election campaigns remains very much intact.
The sources predicted there could be chaos if the campaign ban isn’t ditched soon after the royal decree on the election date is passed. The election would be meaningless if the parties’ hands were still tied in the run-up.
A royal decree is expected in December. Mr Thanathorn said parties attending the meeting later this month must ensure they don’t create conditions for the EC to add a further delay.
If they tread carefully, the regime and the EC would have no grounds to interfere with the roadmap, he added.